How Does ADHD Affect a Child’s Performance?
What Does ADHD Mean?
Everybody can have difficulty sitting still, paying attention or controlling impulsive behavior once in a while.
It is simply not possible for anyone to be fully locked in 100 percent of the time.
Our brains aren’t ‘wired’ that way!
For some people, however, the problems are so pervasive and persistent that they interfere with every aspect of their life: home, academic, social and work.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 11 percent of school-age children.
Symptoms continue into adulthood in more than three-quarters of cases.
ADHD is characterized by developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention, impulsivity and/or hyperactivity.
Individuals with ADHD can be very successful in life.
However, without identification and proper treatment, ADHD may have serious consequences, including school failure, family stress and disruption, depression, problems with relationships, substance abuse, delinquency, accidental injuries and job failure.
ADHD Symptoms in Kids:
Typically, ADHD symptoms emerge in early childhood. According to the DSM-5, the manual used to guide psychological diagnoses, a series of symptoms must be evident prior to age 12. There are three classifications of ADHD— the Predominantly Inattentive type, the Hyperactive-Impulsive type and the Combined type.
Some of the primary symptoms of each are presented as follows:
ADHD predominantly Inattentive type:
Difficulty sustaining attention
Easily distracted
Does not appear to listen
Struggles to follow through with instructions
Needs lots of things repeated
Easily “bored”
Avoids or dislikes tasks requiring sustained mental effort, unless interested
Forgetful in daily activities
ADHD predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive type:
Has difficulty remaining seated
Fidgety/excessively restless/overly excitable
Difficulty engaging in activities quietly
Acts as if driven by a motor
Talking excessively
Blurts out answers before questions have been completed
Difficulty waiting or taking turns
Interrupts or intrudes upon others
ADHD Combined type:
The individual meets the criteria for both the Inattentive and Hyperactive-Impulsive types
Symptoms can change over time, so children may demonstrate different presentations as they get older.
Causes of ADHD:
Despite years of rigorous study, researchers have yet to determine the exact causes of ADHD.
Scientists have, however, discovered a strong genetic link and we do know that ADHD can run in families.
Other factors in the environment may increase the likelihood of having ADHD, including:
exposure to lead or pesticides in early childhood
premature birth or low birth weight
brain injury
Scientists continue to study the exact relationship of ADHD to environmental factors, but point out that there is no single cause that explains all cases of ADHD and that many factors may play a part.
The following factors are NOT known causes, but can make ADHD symptoms worse for some children:
Watching too much television
Eating sugar
Family stress (poverty, family conflict)
Traumatic experiences
Signs of ADHD in Kids:
One of the most common complaints I hear from parents in my practice is that their child can’t focus unless they are interested.
They “can play video games for hours at a time.”
Many of these same parents feel this precludes the possibility that their child has ADHD.
Quite the opposite!
The issue is not: ‘Can one focus when one is interested?’ But rather: ’Can one focus when one is NOT?’
Anyone can lock in on something that is captivating, be it a good book, tv show, video game, puzzle or Lego.
The question becomes: ‘Can that person concentrate on what they need to when they are less interested?’
‘Can they “override” that feeling of boredom and “stick with” what they need to?’
This can apply to such things as listening to teachers, parents, or doing homework.
This is the crux of ADHD.
Effects of ADHD:
ADHD, left untreated, can affect an individual throughout their life.
It can lead to poor grades, low self-esteem, truancy and delinquency.
These individuals are also at higher risk for future alcohol and/or substance abuse.
At minimum, it can lead to years of frustration and significantly impact how far an individual goes in life- be it how far they go in school, in their careers, or how it affects their relationships.
Is ADHD a Learning Disorder?
Not technically, but it is related.
More than two-thirds of children with ADHD have at least one other co-existing condition, including learning disorders.
Other disorders that frequently co-occur include oppositional defiant and conduct disorders, anxiety, depression, tic disorders or Tourette syndrome, substance abuse, and sleep disorders.
When co-existing conditions are present, academic and behavioral problems, as well as emotional issues, may be more complex.
If you believe your child presents some of these behaviors or you have any questions regarding ADHD I invite to you contact me here or call 973-908-4860.