Straightforward Honest Answers About Symptoms of ADHD Children

If you are a parent who is trying to learn more about symptoms of ADHD children chances are pretty good your child is hyperactive. Most young children are hyperactive and exhibit characteristics of ADHD such as running or darting from one place to another. But simply being overactive is not enough to meet the criteria for attention deficit disorder in children. For a child to be classified as ADHD they must be acting in a way that is not appropriate for their age. But hyperactivity, while perhaps the most noticeable symptom, is not the only symptom of ADHD children. In fact it is not even the primary symptom required for a diagnosis.  

A broad definition provided by the AMA for attention deficit disorder goes something like this: ADHD is a mental disorder characterized by difficulty paying attention and a high degree of restlessness and impulsive behavior. Symptoms begin before the age of 7, last for at least six months, and cause the child substantial difficulty in at least two settings, usually home and school. End 

The symptoms of ADHD children are based on three primary behaviors: inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. 

Inattention: Inattention is the primary symptoms of attention deficit disorder. It must be present for a diagnosis to be confirmed and is arguably the most detrimental of all the child ADHD symptoms. Children with inattention have trouble focusing. They may be able to focus sometimes but not others. The inability to focus impacts a child’s ability to learn often creating deficiencies in basic learning skills such as reading, writing, and math and contributing greatly to the 80 percent academic underachievement rate seen in ADHD children. 

Impulsivity: Most children has some degree of impulsivity. After all who hasn’t taken a trip to the store and observed a child reaching for every item that grabs his/her attention. Impulsivity broadly defined is acting without thinking, talking out of turn, or taking unnecessary risks. But one should keep in mind, as briefly discussed above, for any symptom to be confirmed ADHD the child must be acting in a way that is not appropriate for their age. So some impulsivity is certainly normal and would not be a red flag for ADHD. 

Hyperactivity: Of the three primary symptoms of ADHD children this is the most noticeable. It is also the number one reason for parents to seek out help. If goes without saying that a hyperactive ADHD children can be very active. In fact the standard description is that “they are driven by a motor”. They will not be able to sit still without moving some part of their body. The hyperactive child will have difficulty waiting his/her turn and will constantly interrupt others. 

The bottom line when learning more about symptoms of ADHD children is that it is a problem with self regulation caused by brain messenger (neurotransmitter) imbalances that can be inherited.  The two most often discussed brain messaging chemicals associated with child ADHD symptoms are norepinephrine and dopamine. 

Many experts believe that until these imbalances are corrected modified behavioral changes will be difficult to implement and sustain. 

What Next? For parents of ADHD children struggling to find a treatment option can be an overwhelming and sometimes troubling task. The most common treatment for symptoms of ADHD children are stimulant medications such as Ritalin, Adderall or Cylert. While effective all stimulant medications come with a number of serious label warnings. The risk of side effects has prompted many natural health minded parents to investigate other options. A couple examples of this are behavior modification therapy and/or homeopathic remedies. Homeopathic remedies for ADHD are a side effect free way to address such problematic symptoms as inattention, distractibility, impulsivity, erratic behavior and hyperactivity and can be used both as a standalone treatment or as a compliment to other nonprescription alternatives.