Behaviors That Can Be Associated With ADHD

Compiled by Judy Bonnell

There's often considerable confusion surrounding the issue of behaviors in children with ADHD/ADD. Since it's an invisible disability, we tend to compare the behaviors of these children to children without ADHD/ADD.

At sometime in our lives, everyone exhibits some, or all, of the typical adhd behaviors, but the diagnosis of ADHD itself takes into consideration the intensity of the behavior.

If you're faced with the situation of meeting with school personnel for the purpose of establishing whether or not your child's behavior is disability-related, it's important for you to have this information. I don't profess to be a professional here, but such a decision is supposed to be made by a team, including you as the parent. It can be a very proactive step to address such issues before any incidents arise, and write a positive behavior plan addressing those unacceptable behaviors your child exhibits at school. If the team decides beforehand which behaviors apply, then they shouldn't be questioned as to whether they are disability-related later on. (If your child has behaviors related to other disabilities, they could also be included in such a list.)

It's also important to realize that myths still persist regarding ADHD. As with the general population, you may have to educate some school personnel on what's typically involved with ADHD behaviors. With the new emphasis on self-discipline in the schools, it's critical you and your team are all on the same footing. Do this during a calm, rational, IEP meeting, not after a crisis.

myths & adhd related behaviors

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