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If you have become aware of your child or a family member displaying a new behaviour or seen that something, that was previously manageable, has now becoming unmanageable following a recent school transition, then please read on.
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ADHD is a behavioural disorder that includes hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and inattentiveness.
You will often notice the symptoms of ADHD at an early age and they become more noticeable when a child or young person’s circumstances change, such as when they start school.
Children can be assessed from the age of 6 and we can also assess adults who feel that their difficulties have been missed.
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When we are thinking about assessing ADHD it is important to recognise that children and adults can present with a range of different traits and behaviours across the following three areas. They don’t necessarily present all behaviours and to receive a diagnosis relating to ADHD they may not have all of them to the same degree.
The first area is inattention where someone has difficulty staying focused and attending to a task that they see as mundane.
They may procrastinate doing their homework or work because it takes a great deal of mental energy to complete it. They are easily distracted by irrelevant sights and sounds, shifting from one activity to another and seem to get bored easily. Someone with ADHD may appear forgetful and even spacey or confused as if they are in a fog or living in a different world in their own heads. They may not seem like they are listening when they are being spoken to and find organising and completing tasks extremely difficult, as is sorting out what information is relevant versus irrelevant.
If you have inattentive symptoms, you may have great difficulty keeping up with schoolwork or bills, frequently lose things, and live your life in a disorganised way. Following through on promises and commitments may be a struggle and time management is also often an issue.
Inattentive behaviours are often overlooked because they are harder to identify and less disruptive than hyperactive and impulsive symptoms, so kids with these symptoms may slip through the cracks.
An individual with the predominantly inattentive presentation of ADHD may even appear sluggish, lethargic, and slow to respond and process information.
Another area is hyperactivity, which is what most people think of when they hear the term “ADHD.”
Children and adults who are hyperactive have excessively high levels of activity, which may present as physical and/or verbal overactivity. They may appear to be in constant motion and perpetually on the go as if driven by a motor. They have difficulty keeping their bodies still moving about excessively, squirming, or fidgeting. People are often feel restless, especially if they are adults or teens.
You may notice that they talk excessively, interrupt others, and monopolize conversations, not letting others talk. It is not unusual for an individual with hyperactive symptoms to engage in a running commentary on the activities going on around them. Their behaviours tend to be loud and disruptive. This difficulty regulating their own activity level often creates great problems in social, school, and work situations.
The third aspect is impulsivity.
Children and adults have trouble inhibiting their behaviours and responses. They often act and speak before thinking, reacting in a rapid way without considering consequences. They may interrupt others, blurt out responses, and rush through assignments or forms without carefully reading or listening to instructions.
Waiting for their turn and being patient is extremely difficult for people who are impulsive. They prefer speed over accuracy and so they often complete tasks quickly but in a careless manner. They go full swing into situations and may even place themselves in potentially risky situations without thought. Their lack of impulse control can not only be dangerous, but it can also create stress at school or work and in relationships with others. Delayed gratification or waiting for larger rewards is extremely hard for an impulsive person.
To find our more about the myths and facts about ADHD visit this page.
If you are concerned about your son, daughter or yourself and feel that further assessment might be helpful then our team are available to help.
We offer ‘Gold Standard’ assessments for people of all ages which are recommended by government guidelines.
We can also offer post diagnostic support which is often not available from other services, and we have no waiting times.
We are also open for face to face assessments to ensure that patients can continue to be assessed and have their needs identified despite the current pandemic which is halting so many other services.
1 Hornbeam Square South, Harrogate, HG2 8NB
Tel: 01423 637 818
