ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is talked about a lot, so if your child is active or has a short attention span, you may wonder if he has it. It's difficult to determine this yourself, because some symptoms of ADHD are also just normal childhood behavior, especially for those 5 and younger. However, if your child is at least 6 years old, you can compare him to a checklist to see if he might need further diagnosis.
Types of ADHD
To make diagnosis even more difficult, there are several subsets of ADHD that focus on the different behavioral components: hyperactive, impulsive and inattentive. Some children have a combination of all three, which is called "combined type" or "classic type" ADHD. Others have hyperactive/impulsive type and will exhibit behavior from both the hyperactive and impulsive checklists. However, they're still able to pay attention well. If your child simply has a short attention span, that's inattentive type, or short attention span type, which was formerly just called ADD.
In all cases, these types of behavior need to be assessed over a period of time, and in different situations and environments. For instance, does your child act the same way at home and at school, or is she quiet and calm around you, but fidgety and talkative in class? If the behavior isn't consistent in different locations, and doesn't occur regularly for at least six months or more, then your child probably doesn't have ADHD.
Hyperactive Type ADHD Checklist
If your child exhibits these symptoms, check to see if he also has signs of impulsive or inattentive type ADHD. Hyperactive type is often combined with both of those, or just impulsive, which is called hyperactive/impulsive type. Remember that you need to be able to observe these in different situations and for at least six months before determining if your child should be diagnosed for ADHD.
Children with hyperactive type ADHD typically:
• Talk excessively
• Fidget and squirm when told to sit still
• Leave the classroom when they're expected to stay seated with classmates
• Have difficulty playing alone quietly
• Run around or climb on things a lot, often when it's inappropriate
Impulsive Type ADHD Checklist
If your child has Impulsive symptoms, check if she also exhibits signs of hyperactive or inattentive type ADHD. If her behavior fits the profile of all three, she could have classic type ADHD. If she has hyperactive, as well, but her attention span is good, she may have hyperactive/impulsive type ADHD. Again, these symptoms need to be seen in a variety of locations for at least six months before ADHD will be considered.
Children with impulsive type ADHD typically:
• Have a problem waiting for their turn
• Interrupt others when they're talking, or intrude upon them
• Blurt out answers in the classroom before the question has been fully asked
• Act before thinking, such as running out into the street unexpectedly
Inattentive Type ADHD Checklist
Also called short attention span type ADHD, this variation was formerly just called ADD. It's possible for your child to just have this type of ADHD. However, if he also has signs of the other two types, he could have classic type ADHD. To be able to determine that, keep in mind that these symptoms need to be consistent in various situations, and occur for six months or more.
Children with inattentive type ADHD typically:
• Get distracted easily
• Are forgetful, and lose things often
• Don't pay attention to details, resulting in careless mistakes
• Don't listen when directly spoken to
• Don't follow through when given instructions, or fail to finish schoolwork or chores
• Have a short attention span, and avoid tasks that required focused or sustained mental effort
• Have problems organizing activities and tasks
