Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

(Extract from Mind publication "Understanding Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder")

'I always worry when I go to pick John up from school; it seems every day some problem has arisen.  I feel people think I am just a bad parent.'

'To try and get Manjeet to do her homework and hand it in in a presentable form can take all night.  We often get comments from the school how messy her work is - but she does try so hard'.

'Bren is so unpredictable; one minute he will be in a good mood, and the next he will be shouting at his sister.   When we have other children around he will act very silly and boss them about.'

'I don't care what you call the problem - my child needs help'. What is ADHD?

The term Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder originated in the United States and was first officially used in 1980. ADHD-diagnosed children are defined as:

to a degree which is damaging to their lives both at school and at home.

Problems generally arise in the first few years of school.  Specifically, the ADHD-diagnosed child will have some or all of the following problems:

However, many children will exhibit some or all of these symptoms, and not be diagnosed as having ADHD; being inattentive, hyperactive or impulsive at some point is a normal part of growing up. The difference is that ADHD-diagnosed children have the above symptoms very severely and in all situations.

Topics also included in this leaflet are: