According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, in each United States classroom there are one to two teens who need assistance and treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). If you believe that your child struggles with this disorder, you should talk to your teen's doctor or seek the help of a licensed mental health professional. A combination of medication and therapy may be recommended.
Functioning
A teen who struggles with this disorder probably has issues at home, at school and socially. All areas of a teen's life can be effected. This can cause the teens to develop other mental health issues such as anxiety disorders and depression. Teens who don't receive treatment for this disorder may turn to alcohol or drugs to cope.
Impulsivity
Teens struggling with ADHD are impulsive. All adolescents make impulsive decisions; however, teens with ADHD make them regularly, and they are significantly effected by their impulsive decisions. For instance, a teen struggling with this disorder may shout out answers in class without being called on, may decide to try a drug without thinking about it and might drink and drive. Teens with ADHD might be disciplined at school or arrested for some of these impulsive behaviors.
Concentration
According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, teens with ADHD have trouble concentrating sometimes and are able to focus at other times. A teen with this disorder may be able to play the same video game for hours and not be able to concentrate enough to finish his one page of math homework. Concentration seems to relate to the adolescent's motivation.
Irritability
A teen diagnosed with ADHD may experience irritability on a regular basis. When he was a child he might have thrown temper tantrums on a regular basis and as a teen he might argue with his parents, slam his bedroom door and scream when frustrated. This can cause problems with friends and family members.
Social Issues
Many teens with ADHD have social issues. They have a hard time relating to others, can't read social cues or just don't respond to appropriately to social cues. For example, a teen struggling with ADHD may not realize when someone is becoming irritated or angry with them. A teen with ADHD may interrupt his friends when they're talking about something important or change the subject in the middle of a conversation. Other adolescents may be put off by that behavior, which can result in the teen with ADHD having little or no friends. He may also have trouble interacting with adults and teachers.
