It is important to remember while reading through this checklist that no two children are the same and that different children may exhibit difference behaviors for different reasons. This is why it is so important to speak with your child’s pediatrician if you are concerned he or she may have a problem.

Another important consideration are the two things that are used the most heavily when making a diagnosis: consistency of the behavior and the potential possibility of harm to self or others. Consistency means the behavior lasts in almost all situations and has occurred regularly typically for at least 6 months or longer. The potential harm to self or others for example could be that the child’s hyperactivity has led to trips to the emergency room for stitches or a broken bone.

That being said, here are some general guidelines of an ADHD checklist concerned parents can use to gauge if their child may have the condition and a professional evaluation is in order.

Inattentive Symptoms:

• Easily distracted by interruptions or things going on around him or her.
• Forgetful, often misplaces things or doesn’t remember what they did.
• When spoken to directly seems to ignore the person talking.
• Unable to begin a project and see it to completion without multiple prompts.
• Unorganized and has trouble organizing belongings or projects.
• Seems unmotivated to do uninteresting tasks or projects that require mental effort, such as school work.

Hyperactivity

• Has difficulty sitting still, even in situations where they are focused on an activity
• Stands up or leaves seat while eating dinner, during class, and in other situations where staying sitting is expected.
• Talks excessively and/or loudly
• Has difficulty relaxing or doing quiet activities
• Often engages in activities that may be inappropriate, such as running indoors, jumping on furniture, etc.

Impulsiveness

• Interrupts others conversations
• Intrudes on “personal space” of others
• Has difficulty waiting turns

Many children will often have a combination of the above symptoms, though some children can have inattentiveness without the hyperactivity and the hyperactivity without the inattentiveness.

Again, it is important that you assess the behavior in the circumstances and situations it occurs. Many children will display some of these characteristics of ADHD from time to time, simply due to environmental factors and as a normal part of child development. However, if these symptoms are present regardless of environment or occur very often and daily then it may be time to speak to a behavioral or mental health specialist. Speaking to your child’s pediatrician is a great resource to begin with if you believe that your child exhibits several of the symptoms listed on this ADHD checklist.

Generally speaking, the symptoms or signs of the condition need to be present for 6 months or longer and need to be affecting the child’s school or family life in a negative way before a diagnosis will be given. ADHD can often be mistaken for other problems such as depression or other emotional or behavioral problems, though it is not uncommon for the two to go hand in hand, especially if parents are stressed out and the child feels badly about the things they have no control over.

Understanding your child’s personality and behavior is critical in treating the condition and learning positive ways to channel the hyperactivity and inattentiveness. Being familiar with the different traits will help you and your doctor or therapist know which activities can be the most beneficial in teaching coping skills.

Here are some of the most common characteristics of the ADHD child:

1. Easily Distracted: Kids with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder often have a hard time paying attention or staying focused on one task at a time. They may for example begin playing with one toy and before they’ve even engaged in play have already lost interest and moved onto something else. It is difficult for them to stay focused on any task for a long period of time, even if it is something they enjoy.

2. Forgetful: No doubt because of their likelihood of becoming easily distracted, many kids with the condition are also easily forgetful. They may forget they have homework due in school, or even walk into a room and forget why they went in there the first place.

3. Impulsive: The hyperactive child often has problems with self control and will engage in impulsive behaviors, such as grabbing things without thinking or having trouble keeping their hands to themselves. They frequently “act before they think”. They may also interrupt others mid sentence or in the middle of an activity.

4. Disorganized: It can be very difficult for children with ADHD to be organized or keep things in one place. They frequently misplace and lose items, even those of great importance.

5. Over Talkative: Many kids with hyperactivity often “talk a mile a minute”. Thoughts and sentences are not always related and they will often change the subject several times in a short period of time.

6. Restless and Fidgety: While it’s normal for many kids to be restless in certain situations (ie sitting through a long formal ceremony for example), the hyperactive child cannot sit still at all in most situations. They may for example be constantly fidgeting in their seat at school or even stand up while sitting at the table eating dinner.

7. Difficulty Completing Tasks: Kids with attention deficit and hyperactivity often have problems beginning and finishing projects. Something that would take most people of similar age and ability 10 minutes to complete might take the ADHD child much longer or even several hours.

Most of these characteristics and the signs and symptoms used for diagnosis are all relatively negative behaviors and traits. For that reason, it’s important to also recognize some of the positive traits that children with the disorder have.

High Creativity: It’s not unusual for the child with ADHD to also display high levels of creativity. They may be good at coming up with stories or poems or find great delight in making music or artwork. Because they do not rigidly focus on one particular thing, they can often “think outside the box” much easier.

Boundless Energy: So many parents often say “If I only had half the energy as my kid did!” Their high levels of energy can make them excel in athletic situations or other activities that captivate their interest. They can go hours without tiring.

Intuition: Many children with ADHD are highly intuitive to the things going on around them. They can often “sense” how a person feels without them saying so or see deeper that what is obvious on the surface in a situation.

Every child and situation will be different, but for the majority of children most of these conditions are present. Some traits may be more heightened in some children than others. A professional evaluation is necessary to know for certain if a child should have an ADHD diagnosis or not. While many of the characteristics of ADHD seem like negative things, the good news is that with the right support system for both parents and kids, all of them can ultimately develop into strengths.