This page contains information related to the symptoms, behavior and conditions associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD or ADD). The first section provides a general list of problems associated with the condition. The second is the official diagnostic criteria used by professionals to make the diagnosis.

• Problems Associated with Hyperactive Children
• Diagnostic Criteria for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Problems Associated with Hyperactive Children

The list below contains symptoms, behavior and conditions often found in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Not all of these are considered to be diagnostic of ADHD. These are presented to help parents and teachers recognize that problems they are observing in a child may be the related to this disorder. If a child has been diagnosed by a health professional with this disorder, it may help to explain why the child is displaying the symptoms or behavior. On the other hand, if a child is exhibiting a number of symptoms on this list, an evaluation by a health care professional (family doctor, pediatrician, child psychiatrist or child psychologist) may be of value.

Behavioral:

• Short attention span
• Distractibility
• Restlessness
• Poor impulse control
• Destructiveness/nosiness

Social:

• Poor peer relations
• Noncompliance to commands
• Aggression/lying/stealing
• Belligerent and disrespectful language
• Poor self control/high risk taking
• Poor social problem solving skills

Cognitive:

• Immature self speech (integral language)
• Inattention/distractibility
• Poor perspective on future consequences of behavior

Academic:

• Underachievement for intelligence
• Specific learning disabilities

Emotional:

• Depression
• Excitability
• Immature emotional control
• Excessive frustration
• Unpredictable/variable moods

Physical:

• Immature physical size
• Immature bone growth
• Enuresis/encorpresis
• Increased upper respiratory infections
• Increased frequency of otitis media
• Increased frequency of allergies
• Greater number of minor physical anomalies
• Underactive central nervous system
• Short sleep cycles
• High pain tolerance
• Poor motor coordination