ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It affets the brain and the way we retrieve information.

Symptoms of ADHD There are three different categories of ADHD symptoms: inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity.

Inattention may not become apparent until a child enters the challenging environment of school. In adults, symptoms of inattention may manifest in work or in social situations.

A person with ADHD may have some or all of the following symptoms:

• Difficulty paying attention to details and tendency to make careless mistakes in school or other activities; producing work that is often messy and careless

• Easily distracted by irrelevant stimuli and frequently interrupting ongoing tasks to attend to trivial noises or events that are usually ignored by others

• Inability to sustain attention on tasks or activities

• Difficulty finishing schoolwork or paperwork or performing tasks that require concentration

• Frequent shifts from one uncompleted activity to another

• Procrastination

• Disorganized work habits

• Forgetfulness in daily activities (for example, missing appointments, forgetting to bring lunch)

• Failure to complete tasks such as homework or chores

• Frequent shifts in conversation, not listening to others, not keeping one's mind on conversations, and not following details or rules of activities in social situations

Hyperactivity symptoms may be apparent in very young preschoolers and are nearly always present before the age of seven. Symptoms include:

• Fidgeting, squirming when seated

• Getting up frequently to walk or run around

• Running or climbing excessively when it's inappropriate (in teens this may appear as restlessness)

• Having difficulty playing quietly or engaging in quiet leisure activities

• Always being 'on the go'

• Often talking excessively

 

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