Symptoms and Diagnosis of ADHD / ADD

Firstly, if there are so many children around with ‘Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder’, why haven’t I noticed them? What am I supposed to be looking for?

What are the symptoms of ‘ADHD’?

Here’s a standard list taken from the website of an organization called Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD):

“AD/HD is diagnosed using the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual [of Mental Disorders], 4th Edition (DSM-IV). To meet the diagnostic criteria for AD/HD, symptoms must be evident for at least six months, with onset before age seven.

Diagnostic criteria are as follows:

Inattention:

a. often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities
b. often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
c. often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
d. often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (not due to oppositional behavior or failure to understand instructions)
e. often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities
f. often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort (such as schoolwork or homework)
g. often loses things necessary for tasks or activities (e.g. toys, school assignments, pencils, books or tools)
h. is often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli
i. is often forgetful in daily activities

Next, Hyperactivity-Impulsivity

ADHD-Report.com: The concerned parents' guide to childrens' attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD/ADD)

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