If you're feeling concerned about your child's inability to pay attention in school, you're certainly not alone. Inattention is natural in childhood, especially when kids are asked to engage in long and uninteresting tasks. Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is only diagnosed when a child's inability to stay focused far exceeds what would be expected for his age and academic ability. Familiarize yourself with the signs of ADHD-level inattention before deciding whether to seek professional help.
Doesn't Pay Attention
According to the Mayo Clinic, one obvious symptom of inattention is the inability to stay focused on a task. A child with this symptom might flit from one play activity to another, never seeming to stay engaged for very long. In adulthood, this same symptom often shows up in the workplace; the individual might prefer to multitask rather than stick with one task for a prolonged period of time.
Makes Careless Errors & Doesn't Listen
When people don't pay attention, they tend to make mistakes. In cases of ADHD, the mistakes aren't ones that arise from lack of ability, but rather from not staying focused. Often, the mistakes come from not listening to directions in the beginning. They might also occur because work was done too hastily and/or was not checked over, says the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Doesn't Follow Through & Is Easily Distracted
Similar to the previous symptom, people with ADHD-level inattention have a hard time working through an entire task. Multi-part tasks are especially difficult for them, because they tend to get distracted in-between parts. The shorter a task is, the better. For example, a child with inattention symptoms of ADHD would do better completing four sets of five math problems, separated by a short break or reading activity, rather than doing 20 problems all at once. In short, they dislike activities that require "sustained mental effort," says the Mayo Clinic.
Has Difficulty with Organization & Loses Things
People with inattention symptoms of ADHD tend to struggle with organization, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. They typically do activities in a haphazard fashion rather than methodically following a set plan. They are also disorganized about materials, like toys, homework, or paperwork. They put things where they happened to be when their attention drifted to another topic, rather than putting them in a specified location. As a result, people with ADHD often lose things, like keys, homework and clothing items.
Forgetful
Remembering information requires focus. Therefore, a key symptom of inattention is forgetfulness, says the Mayo Clinic. An adult with ADHD might habitually forget to do errands like stopping at the grocery store after work or picking up the dry-cleaning. Kids with ADHD may struggle to remember to bring their homework or lunch with them to school.
