| The ADD Child: Challenging Parents,
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| | trouble that a parent can name.
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| Teachers and Friends
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| | Insatiability: The ADD child has an
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| | insatiable need for attention to be
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| The ADD child exhibits a series of
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| | brought onto himself. While all children
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| behaviors that are common in most
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| | thrive on adult attention, focus and
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| children. Most children misbehave, act
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| | concern, the child with ADD can never
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| silly and day dream. So what, then, is
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| | seem to get enough. They act out, talk
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| the difference? The child with Attention
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| | incessantly, joke around, monopolize
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| Deficit Disorder exhibits these behaviors
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| | conversations, demand the teacher's
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| in a constant and extreme manner, often
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| | constant involvement, show off to
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| interfering with their academic, social
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| | friends, and badger incessantly until
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| and family interactions.
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| | they get their way.
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| Here are the variety of ways that a child
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| | Clumsiness and Poor Coordination: Many
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| may exhibit ADD behaviors:
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| | ADD children exhibit problems with fine
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| Inattention: The most visible and
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| | motor control. This can be seen in poor
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| well-known behavior of a child with
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| | handwriting and in difficulty performing
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| attention deficit issues is an inability
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| | other routine tasks such as buttoning
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| to maintain attention and focus over an
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| | buttons or tying shoelaces. When combined
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| extended period of time. This behavior
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| | with the child's inability to plan or
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| shows up in a variety of situations, such
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| | organize a flow of activities, the
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| as forgetting or confusing instructions
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| | resulting outcome (written paper,
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| that were just given, being inattentive
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| | self-dressing, etc.) may appear chaotic
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| when involved in a conversation, growing
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| | and disorganized. Many ADD children also
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| bored of activities within moments,
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| | exhibit gross motor control clumsiness
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| appearing to be in a daze or day dream,
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| | due to poor motor planning cognitive
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| and being unable to complete tasks.
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| | skills or other co-existing weaknesses in
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| Hyperattention: Paradoxically, the same
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| | areas such as balance, depth-perception
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| ADD child who cannot stay focused enough
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| | or eye-hand coordination.
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| to finish many common tasks will have no
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| | Disorganization: The ADD child is a study
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| problem whatsoever in focusing on a video
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| | in disorganization! Whether it is the
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| game or TV show for hours. This ability
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| | state of the child's room, the
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| to hyper-focus on chosen activities is
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| | organization of a term paper, the set up
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| very common in the child with Attention
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| | of the child's school supplies and
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| Deficit Disorder. This behavior is
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| | workspace, grooming, dressing and hygiene
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| possible only because the child pursues
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| | skills, or any other aspect of the
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| the desirable activity through a
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| | child's life, the most probable outcome
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| heightened level of excitement which is a
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| | will be a disorganized mess. This results
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| controlled form of hyperactivity.
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| | from the ADD child's impulsivity (jumping
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| Distractibility: An ADD child can be
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| | at any solution), distractibility
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| easily distracted from most activities by
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| | (stopping in the middle of any activity),
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| any form of stimulus in the environment
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| | hyperactivity (pulling out and tearing
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| (movement, color, sound), as well as by
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| | apart everything in sight), and
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| their own scattered, fast-moving
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| | inattention (they lose interest anyway!).
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| thoughts. This results in half-finished
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| | Mood Swings: With an ADD child,
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| or poorly completed tasks, constant minor
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| | everything is always at extremes, and
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| non-compliances with known rules,
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| | their range of emotions is no different.
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| zig-zagging from one activity to another,
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| | In some cases, they can be extremely
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| and the inability for the child to do
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| | domineering and controlling as they seek
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| well in group situations (such as school)
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| | to gain attention for themselves. In
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| where compliance with the rules is
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| | other cases, they can be unreachable, and
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| important.
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| | no amount of discipline or parental
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| Impulsivity: An ADD child will often
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| | intervention seems to have an effect.
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| blurt out information in inappropriate
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| | When an child with ADD is "stuck" in the
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| ways and make poor decisions relative to
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| | emotions of the moment, there seems to be
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| their actions. This child may risk his or
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| | no way for reasonable discussions to
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| her own safety without a second thought,
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| | bypass the emotional whirlwind in
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| running into the street, climbing to the
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| | progress. ADD children can be described
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| top of a tree or rock formation, or
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| | as oppositional, stubborn,
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| jumping or diving into a pool without
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| | overly-dramatic, flighty, ecstatically
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| checking the depth. The child with ADD
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| | happy or excessively sensitive, just to
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| acts on impulse rather than through logic
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| | name a few of the extremes experienced by
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| or problem-solving. Impulsivity in many
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| | ADD children.
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| ADD children can also be characterized by
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| | Poor Social Skills: Based on all of the
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| impatience or temperamental (often
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| | issues discussed so far, it's not
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| oppositional) behavior since the ADD
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| | surpising that ADD children don't fare
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| child often feels a driving need for
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| | well with peer relationships. They speak
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| something (anything!) to happen
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| | and act impulsively, show off and
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| immediately.
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| | dominate conversations or class time,
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| Hyperactivity: Of all the characteristics
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| | clown around at inappropriate times, miss
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| of an ADD child, the behavior that is
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| | subtle social cues, may be physically
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| most difficult for those around the child
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| | clumsy and awkward, and often irritate
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| to accept is the presence of
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| | and annoy their peers in a thousand daily
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| hyperactivity. The child with
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| | ways.
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| hyperactivity is always in motion --
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| | As a result of the symptoms and behaviors
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| touching, searching, pushing, jumping,
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| | just described, the ADD child encounters
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| running, tapping, and squabbling with
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| | all too many difficulties in their young
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| friends and siblings. The hyperactive ADD
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| | lives. True ADD should not be considered
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| child seems to need a high level of
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| | a "phase" that will be outgrown. Rather,
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| stimulation at all times in order to feel
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| | parents and educators should seek all of
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| OK. Hyperactivity will also be seen in
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| | the education and knowledge they can find
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| the form of a child who talks
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| | to help these kids flourish and succeed
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| incessantly, clowns around all of the
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| | throughout the elementary school years.
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| time, and finds every other form of
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