What is ADHD?

ADHD is a condition of the brain that makes it difficult for children to control their behavior.
It is one of the most common chronic conditions of childhood. It affects 4% to 12% of school-
aged children. About 3 times more boys than girls are diagnosed with ADHD.

The “attention deficit” component of ADHD refers to inattention, or difficulty focusing for
long periods and being easily distractible. The “hyperactivity” portion of ADHD is used to
describe behavior that is restless, agitated, and difficult to resist. Hyperactive individuals often
appear as if they NEED to move. They are in almost constant motion, and frequently make
excessive noise.

Although impulsivity is not included in the diagnostic label, it is also considered a behavior
characteristic of this disorder. When impulsivity is paired with hyperactivity, the person
appears to act without prior thought or intention. Impulsive behaviors are often intrusive,
rude, and dangerous, sometimes resulting in accidents. For example, children may not think
about landing when they jump off a ledge to catch a ball.
What are the symptoms of ADHD?
ADHD includes 3 behavior symptoms: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. A child with
inattention symptoms may have the following behaviors:

 Has a hard time paying attention, daydreams

 Does not seem to listen
 Is easily distracted from work or play
 Does not seem to care about details, makes careless mistakes
 Does not follow through on instructions or finish tasks
 Is disorganized
 Loses a lot of important things
 Forgets things
 Does not want to do things that require ongoing mental effort
A child with hyperactivity symptoms may have the following behaviors
 Is in constant motion, as if “driven by a motor”
 Cannot stay seated
 Squirms and fidgets
 Talks too much
 Runs, jumps, and climbs when this is not permitted
 Cannot play quietly (video games do not count)
A child with impulsivity symptoms may have the following behaviors

 Acts and speaks without thinking

 May run into the street without looking for traffic first
 Has trouble taking turns
 Cannot wait for things
 Calls out answers before the question is complete
 Interrupts others
What is the difference between ADD vs. ADHD?
ADD stands for Attention Deficit Disorder. This is an old term that is now officially called
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Inattentive Type. More on this will discussed below.

Are there different types of ADHD?

Children with ADHD may have one or more of the 3 main symptoms categories listed above.
The symptoms usually are classified as the following types of ADHD:

1. Inattentive type (formerly known as attention-deficit disorder [ADD])—Children with

this form of ADHD are not overly active. Because they do not disrupt the classroom or
other activities, their symptoms may not be noticed. Among girls with ADHD, this form
is most common.
2. Hyperactive/Impulsive type—Children with this type of ADHD show both hyperactive
and impulsive behavior, but can pay attention.
3. Combined Inattentive/Hyperactive/Impulsive type—Children with this type of ADHD
show all 3 symptoms. This is the most common type of ADHD.

Autism is a mental disorder that begins in childhood that is characterized by persistent

impairments in being to engage in social communication and interaction with others. A person
with autism often has restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, or activities. The
symptoms are present since childhood, and impact a person’s everyday living.

Autism exists on a spectrum. People with severe forms of autism may have a difficult time with
everyday activities that significantly limit the kinds of things they do as an adult. People with
less severe forms of autism may appear to be perfectly normal, except in certain social
situations where the impairment becomes more apparent. Autism may exist with or without
accompanying intellectual and language impairments.

An estimated 1 out of every 100 children suffers from autism, a disorder that causes disruption
in families and unfulfilled lives for many children

Autism’s core symptoms are

 social communication challenges and

 Restricted, repetitive behaviors.
Many people with autism have sensory issues. These typically involve over- or under-
sensitivities to sounds, lights, touch, tastes, smells, pain and other stimuli.

Autism is also associated with high rates of certain physical and mental health conditions.

Social communication challenges

Children and adults with autism have difficulty with verbal and non-verbal communication.
For example, they may not understand or appropriately use:

 Spoken language (around a third of people with autism are nonverbal)

 Gestures
 Eye contact
 Facial expressions
 Tone of voice
 Expressions not meant to be taken literally

Additional social challenges can include difficulty with:

 Recognizing emotions and intentions in others

 Recognizing one’s own emotions
 Expressing emotions
 Seeking emotional comfort from others
 Feeling overwhelmed in social situations
 Taking turns in conversation
 Gauging personal space (appropriate distance between people)

Restricted and repetitive behaviors

Restricted and repetitive behaviors vary greatly across the autism spectrum. They can include:

 Repetitive body movements (e.g. rocking, flapping, spinning, running back and forth)
 Repetitive motions with objects (e.g. spinning wheels, shaking sticks, flipping levers)
 Staring at lights or spinning objects
 Ritualistic behaviors (e.g. lining up objects, repeatedly touching objects in a set order)
 Narrow or extreme interests in specific topics
 Need for unvarying routine/resistance to change (e.g. same daily schedule, meal menu,
clothes, route to school)