Primary ADHD Symptoms
The primary symptoms of ADHD are hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention. While in normal children, these symptoms can appear in low levels, in children suffering from ADD, these are severe, and occur repeatedly for a long period of time. However, as many of these symptoms can be found in normal children, it is even more important to ensure you get a thorough examination by a qualified mental health professional.
As stated above, in the case of ADHD all of these primary symptoms will be severe and of long duration. For individuals suffering from ADHD with hyperactivity, symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity will appear prior to symptoms of inattention. The symptoms of a child with hyperactive ADHD will be much more visible than those of a child with inattentive ADD, who may be regarded as a space cadet.
A child who is impulsive may be viewed as having a behavior problem, while a child who is quiet and spacey will be viewed as lazy and unmotivated. However, these are both cases of ADD, despite the fact that they look very different. Because there are so many variations in ADD and how it manifests itself, it can difficult to diagnose. And the problem is, that the longer you go without being diagnosed, the more complex ADD starts to look, and the more the individual will suffer from it before receiving appropriate treatment.
Signs of hyperactivity/impulsivity are restlessness, distractibility, interrupting and saying things without thinking and being excessively physical. As a child gets older, the impulsivity side of their ADD will take a more damaging toll if not dealt with. Impulsive ADDers tend to get into drugs, break the law and do other destructive things at an earlier age.
Signs of inattention include getting easily distracted, making careless mistakes, becoming easily disorganized, the inability to follow directions correctly and poor follow-through. Also, inattentive ADD sufferers easily become bored, which leads to task switching. Individuals having inattentive ADD usually go the longest without getting diagnosed, as their symptoms are less visible and less distracting to their surrounding environment. However, this does not mean that the disorder is any less disabling for the individual. Persons with inattentive ADD have a higher rate of anxiety and depression because they tend to internalize their symptoms to a greater extent.
If an individual has Combined Type ADHD, they will exhibit almost all of the symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention. These are the most severe cases of ADD, and can be difficult to treat. Combined type ADD sufferers find it very difficult to get organized. They also have the highest chance of not doing well in school, being regarded as a behavior problem for teachers and parents, and also tend to have problems with social skills.
Aliza Adar Levine
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/primary-adhd-symptoms-119079.html
Similar Posts:
- Adhd Research: The Pros And Cons Of Natural Treatments
- Treatment Of Adhd In Children Should Be Safe And Effective
- Why You Should Use Natural Adhd Remedies
- Dealing With Anxiety Disorders In Children
- Is My Child at Risk for Depression, Anxiety, Learning Diabilities or Emotional Problems?
Comments
4 Comments on Primary ADHD Symptoms
-
paul_engleman on
Thu, 25th Feb 2010 11:29 pm
-
Mike S on
Thu, 25th Feb 2010 11:31 pm
-
Humming Bird on
Thu, 25th Feb 2010 11:33 pm
-
joe shmo on
Fri, 26th Feb 2010 7:27 am
ADD is the old outdated nomen for ADHD
References :
I am a school psychologist
There is a lot to that question. My son is ADHD, so I have some experience there. I believe I have ADD, but I have never been diagnosed.
Your Doctor can help you diagnose your concerns. There is something called a Vanderbilt diagnostics scale. It is a questionaire that you and possible people you know can fill out.
Here is Wikipedia’s ‘answer’ on ADD for adults: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adult_attention-deficit_disorder
I’ve attached a link to the Vanderbilt screening forms.
References :
http://www.massgeneral.org/schoolpsychiatry/screeningtools_table.asp About 2/3′s down the list.
- unable to stay focused
- little attention span
-do one thing and end up trying to do another
- forget what you were doing
References :
A.D.D? What are its symptoms?
What are the primary symptoms of A.D.D. Not ADHD.
I know i don’t have ADHD….
Tell me what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!












