ADHD, known as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, describes a set of behavioral problems referred to as ADD, including inattention and hyperactive, impulsive behavior. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 3 to 7 percent of school-age children suffer from ADHD; and from 1997 to 2006, the diagnosis of ADHD increased and average of 3 percent per year. Boys are more likely than girls to have the disorder with the gender ratio being approximately 3-to-1.
Hyperactivity
According to Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D., an internationally recognized authority on the disorder, children with ADHD often display hyperactive behaviors. These behaviors can include being excessively fidgety or restless. Barkley explains that ADHD children display excessive movement when it is inappropriate or unnecessary for the task, such as wriggling their feet and legs, rocking or moving their seat or tapping things. Children younger than school age may show hyperactivity through excessive running or climbing at socially inappropriate times.
Inattention
Inattention is the hallmark characteristic ADHD and can manifest itself in numerous ways. The CDC indicates that children with ADHD have trouble keeping their attention on the task at hand in both school work and leisure activities. This often results in not giving close attention to detail and making careless mistakes, as well as avoiding activities that require sustained mental effort. Furthermore, children with ADHD have trouble organizing activities and school work, often forget or lose items that are needed to complete projects and typically struggle to follow through when given instructions. Dr. Barkley explains this behavior by saying that ADHD children "often fail to show the same level of persistence, 'stick-to-it-iveness,' motivation and willpower of others their age when uninteresting yet important tasks must be performed."
Impulsivity
Impulsivity among children presents itself in four main ways, according to the Mayo Clinic. Children with ADHD have trouble containing themselves and often talk excessively or blurt out the answers before questions have been completely asked. Many children lack patience, but this is intensified for those with ADHD. Children with ADHD frequently have difficulty waiting their turn and often interrupt or intrude on others' conversations or games.
Educational Difficulties
Research published in summer 2004 by the National Bureau Of Economic Research described a link between educational difficulties and childhood ADHD. Data analysis showed that children with higher levels of ADHD symptoms, such as being impulsive or restless, have significantly lower math and reading scores on standardized tests. The authors indicate that this same group of children has an increased probability of grade repetition, enrollment in special education and delinquency.
