| ADHD: What does it all really mean? You have surely | | | | continuing difficulty to paying attention to activitieso |
| often read what ADHD stands for, ie Attention Deficit | | | | Displaying difficulties rememberingo Often loses his/her |
| Hyperactivity Disorder. | | | | place when reading and needs to re-read frequentlyo |
| But what does all that actually mean? | | | | Often appearing confusedo Continuously reveals short |
| Let's look at the "A" for Attention. | | | | attention spanso Often sluggish or lethargico Can't get |
| Problems getting babies to pay attention often | | | | started on taskso Gets bored easilyo Often has a |
| become noticeable when they start to crawl. | | | | series of incomplete assignmentso Insufficient and |
| It's a little difficult to make an accurate diagnosis at that | | | | poor written outputo Appears to be daydreamingo |
| age because most little ones at that age are very | | | | Has difficulty working independentlyo Poor study skillso |
| active, largely inattentive and certainly impulsive. | | | | Has poor time management skills |
| However, it is the "extreme-ness" of the above | | | | A significant sign to watch for is whether your child |
| behaviours that should cause alarm bells to ring. | | | | seems unable to control such behaviours, as illustrated |
| The extreme lack of attention needs to be evident in | | | | above, and appears different from 'normal' toddlers or |
| your child's day-to-day functioning. | | | | children, in terms of attention span. |
| When we start looking at the toddler age of around | | | | Because inattention is not disruptive, children with |
| seven, cause for concern is necessary if your child | | | | extreme inattentiveness are often overlooked and/or |
| cannot concentrate on age-appropriate mental tasks | | | | misdiagnosed. |
| for extended periods of time. | | | | Children with exaggerated inattention have been |
| CAUTION: boredom, disinterest, defiance and lack of | | | | referred to by several titles:a. ADD without |
| motivation in themselves are not necessarily | | | | Hyperactivityb. Undifferentiated ADDc. Otherwise |
| symptoms, even though they may come into the mix. | | | | Specified ADHD |
| The symptoms must be continuous and be in the | | | | It is worthy to note that inattentiveness is a condition |
| extreme. | | | | found more in girls than in boys. |
| Inattention can manifest itself in several ways:o Staring | | | | Little girls are often deemed 'cute' for their 'spacy, |
| into space for prolonged periods; occurring more often | | | | daydreamy' behaviour. |
| than noto Showing difficulty listening, even when | | | | If this is not addressed at an early age, however, |
| directly addressedo Losing or misplacing things on an | | | | these girls will have an incredibly difficult time at school. |
| ongoing basiso Consistently missing important details | | | | If you are not sure and your child exhibits some of the |
| whether at school or at home, to make proper | | | | above characteristics which affect her/his day-to-day |
| completion of a task near-impossibleo Extraordinarily | | | | activities, it is best to consult a professional and have |
| disorganised and messy at home and at schoolo | | | | peace of mind. |
| Having difficulty following instructionso Demonstrating | | | | |