What is ADHD?

What is ADHD? We hear this all of the time but do you really know what it involves? I am a teacher and I had no idea what ADHD involved until I did a large amount of research on it after his diagnosis. Check out my past blogs about my son's diagnosis and our journey prior to that.

These are just the tip of the "iceberg" of ADHD. These are the symptoms and characteristics that we can "see" and think that are the only components to it. If a child has combined ADHD, like my son, they can have symptoms from both lists.

ADHD hyperactive/ impulsive type

• Can't sit still

• fidgets a lot

• talks constantly

• runs or climbs a lot

• always on the go

• Lacks self control

• difficulty waiting turn

• blurts out

• interrupts

• intrudes

• talks back

• loses temper

ADHD inattentive type (used to be called ADD)

• disorganized

• doesn't follow through

• doesn't pay attention

• is forgetful

• loses things

• doesn't seem to be listening

• late homework and school work

The characteristics above are just the tip of the ADHD "iceberg." This is what we can see. As with an iceberg, there is so much more to ADHD that we cannot see. At least 2.3 of children have another condition with ADHD. In my son's case, he has anxiety and SPD.

Neurotransmitter deficits impact behavior:

Insufficient levels of neurotransmitters- dopamine and norepinephrine, results in reduced brain activity.

Weak Executive Functioning:

• Working memory and recall

• getting started and putting forth effort

• internalizing language

• controlling emotions

• problem solving

Impaired Sense of Time:

• Doesn't judge passage of time properly

• loses track of time

• often late

• forgets long term projects or is late

• difficulty planning for future

• impatient

• hates waiting

• time creeps

• avoids doing homework or classwork (they cannot get started)

Sleep Disturbance

• Impacts memory

• doesn't get restful sleep

• Can't fall asleep

• Can't wake up

• late for school

• irritable

• morning battles

3 year delayed brain maturation

• less mature

• less responsible

Does not learn easily from rewards and punishment

• repeats misbehavior

• may be difficult to discipline

• less likely to follow rules

• difficulty managing own behavior

• acts without a sense of hindsight

• must have immediate rewards

• long term rewards don't work

• Doesn't examine own behavior

• difficulty change behavior

May have a co-existing condition:

• Anxiety (34%)

• Depression (29%)

• Bipolar (12%)

• Tourette's Syndrome (11%)

• OCD (4%)

• ODD (54-67%)

Serious Learning Problems

• Specific learning disability (25-50%)

• Poor working memory

• can't memorize easily

• forgets teacher and parent requests

• slow math calculation

• spelling problems

• poor written expression

• difficulty writing essays

• slow retrieval of information

• poor listening and reading comprehension

• difficulty describing the world in words

• Disorganization

• Slow cognitive processing speed

• poor handwriting

• inattention

• impulsive learning style

Low Frustration Tolerance

• difficulty controlling emotions

• short fuse

• emotionally reactive

• loses temper easily

• may give up more easily

• doesn't stick with things

• speaks or acts before thinking

• difficulty seeing others' perspective

• may be self centered

If you suspect that your child has ADHD, talk to your child's pediatrician. They can treat or refer you to a specialist to treat ADHD, whatever treatment you choose for your child.

Check out our next blog post on our journey through using medication as our treatment.