Boredom and ADHD

One of the most common buzzwords I hear from parents with whom I work, in talking about their child, is ‘boredom.’ Their child often uses this word, including in school, though also in dealing with homework and for tasks they don’t want to do.

Whenever I hear this, my first consideration is the possibility of ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a disability marked by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development. There are three primary features.

Inattention: A person wanders off-task, lacks persistence, has difficulty sustaining focus, and is disorganized. These problems are not due to defiance or lack of comprehension.
Hyperactivity: Means a person seems to move about constantly, including in situations in which it is not appropriate; or excessively fidgets, taps, or talks.
Impulsivity: Refers to a person who makes hasty actions that occur in the moment without first thinking about them, which can be risky, or a desire for immediate rewards or inability to delay gratification.

Today, I would like to focus on the Inattention piece.

People with symptoms of inattention often:

Overlook or miss details and make careless mistakes, such as when taking tests or doing schoolwork.
Have problems sustaining attention in school and beyond.
Do not seem to listen when spoken to directly.
Do not follow through on instructions and fail to finish schoolwork.
Are easily sidetracked by unrelated thoughts or stimuli.
Have problems organizing tasks and activities, such as homework, as well as belongings.
Are forgetful in daily activities, including performing chores or being on time.

Chronic Boredom

Chronic boredom can be highly problematic for children and adults alike.

To the ‘easily bored’ individual, life can feel like a perpetual state of under-stimulation. The person does just fine when they are attending to something they like - be it a good book, video games, or something else that captures their fancy.

The problem arises when the topic of hand does not engage them.

In these situations, the person with ADHD finds they are in a constant mental struggle to stay locked in and this is not always possible.

The problem of course is that there are often times when we must focus, even when we’d prefer not to.

For most of us, we can override this ‘boredom factor.’ For those who can’t, however, the consequences can be significant.

Consider the following:

You, as an adult, are sitting in a conference for which the speaker is less-than captivating. The topic itself is of little appeal.

Still, we know we must endure and take in the information. Our job demands it.

Most of us can ‘stick with’ the materials, enough to get what we need. Some, however, simply cannot pull this off and tune out.

This is how a child with ADHD feels every day, especially in school!

The Impact of Chronic Inattention

As one might expect, a child who is constantly distracted, who ‘daydreams’ or perpetually ‘tunes out’ within the classroom is at heightened risk of falling behind, declining grades, if not outright failure.

The psychological ramifications can be debilitating.

Students who fare poorly in school are more likely, among other things, to experience anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, to avoid school, and to drop out. As adults, they are more susceptible to problems in relationships, at work, and for self-medicating.

The good news is that there are ways to help!

How to Focus with ADHD?

There are many ways to help a child who is struggling to sustain focus and to ensure that they stay on track. Here are just a few.

Improved structuring within the home:

It can be very hard for a child with attention deficit to organize themselves. These kids tend to be scattered and struggle with getting started on things and then seeing them through to completion.

A parent can help their child develop a consistent schedule, to work towards determining a realistic length of time for a given study block and how many, based on the student’s attention span; building in breaks, and being flexible and understanding along the way.

Improving organization:

Over time, the child organization’s system must become routinized and automatic.

Learning time management skills, how to balance school and outside demands, and improving on knowing where possessions and belongings are at all times is among several critical pieces of this puzzle.

School accommodations:

In certain cases, a student will require extra help, not just at home, but from her/his educators.

When this is the case, the school can be of critical assistance in terms of imposing accommodations and modifications to help work around focus and related issues.

This might include having the student sitting near the front of the class, away from distractions, or extended time on tests.

Medication:

In certain cases, when the ADHD levels exist at a certain intensity, medication may be necessary.

Boredom affects all of us and no one is immune. Particularly these days, when our options are limited, it can be hard not to feel disconnected.

The key is to recognize when the boredom starts to interfere.

Educational and neuropsychological testing is considered the ‘gold standard’ of ADHD analysis.

I invite you to contact me to learn more. Let’s talk.

973-908-4860

Is Boredom a Sign of ADHD?