AD/HD
Characteristics
Children with AD/HD are all unique individuals. Although they have
certain behaviours in common, the frequency and severity of their
symptoms vary (O’Regan, 2002).
Inattention
Attention Deficit Disorder, as the name implies, is an impairment of
attention. Children with ADD or ADHD have difficulty with sustained
attention, which is also known as attention span. Therefore, children
with ADD or ADHD have trouble persisting in routine tasks for extended
amounts of time. Such tasks may include completing school assignments,
reading lengthy books, listening and following directions or even doing
housework. Due to their inability to maintain their attention toward an
activity or task, they will often not complete it, do it poorly or even
find excuses to avoid it altogether. It is very common for children with
ADD or ADHD to get bored with activities more quickly than the rest of
their classmates. As a result, while the rest of the class is busy
working, they are often the ones searching the classroom for something
more rewarding, stimulating and active to do, ignoring the task at hand
(Barkley,1992). Teachers and parents repeatedly describe this lack of
sustained concentration with phrases such as:
- is easily bored
- daydreams
- has problems finishing and starting work
- is easily distracted
- often misplaces things
- flits from one incomplete activity to another
- is always off task, or seems to be lost
- appears not to listen
- forgets instructions easily
One sub-group of inattentive children are those diagnosed with ADD
without hyperactivity (AD/HD Inattentive Type). It is considered to be a
distinct entity from ADHD and more related to a learning difficulty (Myttas,
2004). In comparison, with children with AD/HD combined type, they have
greater difficulties with memory and are cognitively slower, performing
poorly in tests that require perceptual motor-speed. Teachers and
parents describe them as sluggish, anxious and daydreamers. However,
they tend to have better relationships with their peers as they are less
disruptive and aggressive (Alban-Metcalfe & Alban-Metcalfe, 2001).
Impulsivity
Another characteristic of ADHD is impulsivity. These children have
difficulty in restraining their behaviour or controlling their impulses.
Children with ADHD speak and act without thinking; they do whatever
comes to mind without second thoughts. This explains why children with
ADHD are more accident-prone. The difficulty they have in suppressing
impulses, failing to pause to consider the situation and the
consequences that follow, is demonstrated in a variety of ways including
difficulty in waiting their turn, demanding instant pleasure and poor
emotional control (Barkley, 1992).
In the classroom, it is not uncommon for ADHD children to blurt out
answers to questions without raising their hand, cut across
conversations and talk over others. They often take ‘short cuts’ in
their school work, make careless errors throughout their assignments or
leave them incomplete (Alban-Metcalfe & Alban-Metcalfe, 2001; Flick,
1998; O’Regan, 2002). In the playground, their behaviour towards their
classmates can be problematic. For example in a football game, they may
want to be in control of the ball throughout the game creating conflict
with their peers by not taking turns with the ball or abiding by the
rules of the game.
Children with ADHD often demand to have things immediately and cannot
take ‘no’ or ‘later’ for an answer. A negative response to a request may
lead to a sudden outburst or tantrum. Comments of teachers and parents
describing the above behaviour include:
- is volatile
- answers before the question is completed
- lacks self-control
- easily gets upset
- is loud
- has no patience
- is frequently in trouble
- is not disciplined- spoilt
- dominates his peers
Hyperactivity
A third characteristic of ADHD is excessive movement or hyperactivity.
These children are full of energy, moving about far more than other
children of their age (Barkley, 1992; Myttas, 2004; Knivsberg, Reichelt,
& Nodland, 1999). Such behaviours include fidgeting, fiddling, touching
things constantly, talking, running and climbing excessively. In the
classroom they are the children that are often missing from their chairs
without permission or playing with things on their desk. For example,
they may tap their ruler in a rhythm or spin their rubber. They tend to
make extraneous vocal noises and move their arms and legs or sway their
body while working. The child with ADHD has great difficulty controlling
their energy or level of activity to conform to the school’s demands.
For example, they may have trouble sitting quietly to read a book or
complete a worksheet (Flick, 1998). Further, many have poor sleeping
patterns; many parents report that their ADHD child sleeps only 4-5
hours per day and is full of energy upon waking. Parents and teachers
often describe these behaviours as:
- is always on the go
- is always out of his seat sharpening his pencil or looking for a ruler
- is always making funny noises
- is constantly fiddling with something
- is always distracting others
- is non-stop talking
- is restless
- is never tired
It is important to note that having one or two of the above
characteristics does not indicate AD/HD. It is not uncommon for children
or adults to behave in some of these ways some of the time. However, the
difference between those with AD/HD and those without is the degree and
extent of these behaviours. If these behaviours interfere with several
aspects of one’s life, creating such difficulty to the individual that
it prevents him/her from functioning effectively, he or she may have
AD/HD (O’Regan, 2002). AD/HD behaviours can sometimes be the result of
other conditions, so a complete medical evaluation must always be
conducted prior to diagnosis (Barkley, 1992; Myttas, 2004; Knivsberg,
Reichelt, & Nodland, 1999; Greenbaum, & Markel, 2001).
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Last Updated 9/2/2006