Attention Deficit Disorder Symptoms

Attention Deficit Disorder symptoms may begin to be noticed in a child as early as during the infancy stage. In most children, however, ADD may only start to become obvious when the child begins to turn 7.

When parents bring their child to the doctor for proper diagnosis, it may no longer come as a surprise for them when the doctor rules out ADD in the child. Why should they be surprised? After all, the primary reason why they brought their child to the doctor in the first place was because they have already suspected that the child has the disorder.

Why would parents come to a conclusion that their child may be suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder? Symptoms can be clearly noticeable. When you see a behavior that is beyond what is normally acceptable, you will clearly think that something is wrong. Children who display hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity beyond the normal range may have ADD.

It is true that hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity are sometimes normal especially in children. In fact, most of us may have acted such during our childhood years and even once in a while in the adult world. However, there is what we call a normal range of these behaviors and an "abnormal" range. The abnormal range is a manifestation of ADD or ADHD.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) has been classified into three categories to make it easier for doctors to determine which type of ADD needs to be diagnosed in a child. Each category has been named according to the symptoms associated with them.

The first type of ADD is the inattentive type. Children diagnosed to have this disorder often display the following Attention Deficit Disorder symptoms:

o Difficulty organizing tasks and activities

o Forgets things easily

o Appears to daydream a lot and mind seems to wander when spoken to

o Difficulty in paying close attention to details

o Difficulty in following instructions

o Gets bored easily especially when tasks require sustained mental effort

The second type of ADD is the hyperactive-impulsive type. Children diagnosed to have this disorder show the following symptoms:

o Frequent fidgeting and squirming

o Inability to control emotions

o Always busy and on the go including crawling, walking, and climbing in the most inappropriate settings

o Difficulty to remain seated

o Excessive talking

o Interrupts others and often blurts out without thinking first

o Difficulty waiting for turns

o Aggressive behaviors

o Seems restless

The third type of ADD is a combination of the two types above.

Several studies have shown that manifestation of the symptoms may differ in girls and boys. ADD boys have more conspicuous behaviors and are often hyperactive. Girls, on the other hand, tend to be more inattentive. ADD inattentive girls often appear to daydream while ADD boys often appear to fiddle aimlessly or to play.

We may safely say that a child has ADD if his behavioral problem or his symptoms of attention deficit disorder have lasted more than six months upon discovery and if these kinds of behavior appear in more than one setting, i.e., while he is at home and/or at play. He may also be diagnosed with ADD if his behaviors constantly disrupt play, school, and other activities and he had problems with socializing or keeping a nice relationship with children and adults around him. 

Jennifer Kaplan is a health enthusiast. She is especially interested on issues concerning Attention Deficit Disorder symptoms. If you want to know more about the symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder you may visit her site by clicking on the links.