What are warning signs for or symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a lifelong psychiatric disorder that presents in childhood and is characterized by impairing attention difficulties and/or hyperactivity, impulsivity and inability to control behavior. As school is the majority of a child’s focus, ADHD itself tends to become noticed when there are difficulties in academics. However, since ADHD can also cause difficulties in relationships with peers and behavior or emotional problems, these tend to be the initial presenting problems. Parents might hear teachers complain of a child’s difficulty staying in his/her seat, blurting out answers before they are called on or making frequent careless errors on homework, relative to their peers. At home, parents might see their child have more difficulty staying seated during meals or getting distracted easily, more than would be expected for a child their age.

Leslie A. Hulvershorn, M.D., M.Sc.
NARSAD Young Investigator Grantee
Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry
Indiana University School of Medicine

With a special thanks to Kristen Schroeder