ADHD: Is This Your Child?

As your child goes through school, you might start to hear reports from their teachers and other adults about their behavior and grades. While ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is something you know about, you might not realize that your own child could have it. If you notice your child's grades slipping and their behavior changing, consider these ADHD symptoms.

1. Poor Concentration

Perhaps the best known symptom of ADHD is the inability to concentrate. If your child doesn't seem to be able to pay much attention to homework or has been in trouble for being noisy during quiet times at school, this is possibly why. Children with ADHD will typically have difficulty sticking with one task for very long.

2. Incomplete Task Completion

If your child typically starts to work on chores and has to be reminded to finish them, this is another symptom of ADHD. Children with this condition need to be redirected back to the task at hand multiple times so that they can finish chores, homework, and other tasks.

3. Distracted Mind

Do you find yourself fighting to make eye contact with your child? Is it hard to gain their attention? That could be an early signal that your child should be evaluated for this condition, as some kids who have ADHD will look around the room as you talk to them without looking into your eyes. Your child's teacher may say that they aren't paying attention to directions.

3. Impatience

Just as they can be easily distracted, children with ADHD can also seem impatient a lot of the time or dislike sitting still for long. Their teachers may report that they interrupt other kids or fidget while sitting at their desk. You may notice this yourself when you're hoping that your child will sit quietly to read a book or watch a film. 

4. Forgetfulness

Many kids leave homework at home or forget where their belongings are. However, if you notice that you're bringing homework or gym clothes to school regularly or they constantly seem to forget details about school, it's possible they could be dealing with ADHD. 

These symptoms could indicate your child could have ADHD. To know for sure, an ADHD evaluation at a center like Associated Psychologists & Counselors could be in order; usually kids need to show a certain number of these symptoms before they receive a positive diagnosis. Ask their pediatrician about these evaluations so that you can get your child adequate care and counseling if they need it.


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