The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC -- see Reference 1) estimates that 3 to 7 percent of all school-aged children suffer from Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Children and young people or adults with ADHD are more likely to have problems in relationships. Additionally, 8 to 10 percent more likely to have major physical injuries that require emergency medical care and/or hospitalization and are at greater risk for traffic violations and motor vehicle accidents at driving age.
Inattention Symptoms
Six of more inattention symptoms must be present for more than six months and be outside the norm for developmentally appropriate inattention. There are nine descriptions of inattention symptoms: being forgetful in daily activities, being easily distracted, having difficulty organizing tasks, often misplacing things needed for activities or tasks, avoiding work that requires sustained or concentrated mental effort, not following through with schoolwork or chores, not seeming to listen when spoken to directly, having difficulty sustaining attention in play or schoolwork or other tasks and/or failing to pay close attention to details and making careless mistakes.
Hyperactivity Symptoms
These symptoms must be present for at least six months and inconsistent with normal development. Six or more of hyperactivity or impulsivity symptoms need to present. Hyperactivity symptoms are being fidgety, consistently leaving a seat when inappropriate, running around or climing when the behavior is inappropriate to the situation or circumstances, having trouble playing quietly, seeming "driven by a motor" and/or seeming to talk excessively.
Impulsivity Symptoms
Impulsivity symptoms include frequent interrupting (e.g., blurting out answers to questions in class), difficulty waiting in line or for a turn and/or intruding on others' activities or conversations.
General Checklist Items
A few overall symptom checklist characteristics also must be present for a diagnosis of ADHD. Some or all of the inattention or hyperactive-impulsivity symptoms must have begun before age 7 and have an impact in at least two settings (e.g., both work/school performance and behavior at home). Additionally, you must be reasonably certain that the symptoms by themselves are significant enough to impact social, academic or occupational functioning and any dysfunction is not occurring because of another mental illness (e.g., pervasive developmental disorder or anxiety disorder).
References
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control: ADHD Statistics
- "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th Ed.)"; American Psychiatric Association; 2000
