ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It is a neurobiological disorder and is one of the most common childhood behavioural disorders. The behaviours or core symptoms are described below:

HYPERACTIVITY

Can't sit still; fidgety; is always on the go; talks excessively; can't play quietly; runs around excitedly or inappropriately

IMPULSIVENESS

Invades the space of others; disobeys instructions; interrupts conversations; has difficulty awaiting their turn.

INATTENTIVENESS

Has difficulty sustaining concentration; is easily distracted; makes careless mistakes; is always losing things; rarely completes tasks that involve sustained mental effort

It is widely thought that ADHD affects about 5% of school age children - mainly boys.

The affected child is generally intelligent although they under achieve and find it hard to concentrate on a certain task for anything other than a few minutes. They may lack self esteem and can have a "Can't be bothered, Why should I?" attitude. This can have a major impact on both home and school life.

There are other things that may appear in an ADD/ADHD child such as Dyslexia , Dyscalculia and Dyspraxia

It may not always be clear if a child is ADD/ADHD but, if your child is, it can often be hard to get others to accept. There is no simple way to identify ADHD. A diagnosis is usually made by looking at the childs behavioural history and comparing it to a list of symptoms used to officially diagnose ADHD. This list is known as the diagnostic criteria of the American Psychiatric Association DSM-IV-R or the World Health Organisation ICD-10. Click Here to view this list

A DIAGNOSIS CAN ONLY BE MADE BY AN ADHD SPECIALIST SUCH AS A CHILD PSYCHIATRIST OR PAEDIATRICIAN

Some other important things :

ADHD is NOT due to bad parenting or lack of discipline

ADHD is NOT the child's fault

If you recognise some of the symptoms described above and have concerns speak to your doctor who can arrange for your child to be assessed by an ADHD specialist - usually a Child Psychiatrist or Paediatrician, who has expertise in this area.