ADHD children are defined as having the following features to a degree which is damaging to their lives both at home and at school.

• Short attention span
• Impulsive
• Hyperactive

The common difficulties which are noted by those close to a child who has or may have this condition are:

• Difficulty in concentrating
• May appear dreamy or 'spaced out'
• May be disorganised and untidy
• May talk excessively, often interrupting others
• Be unable to listen to others
• Be demanding of attention
• Act stupidly or bossily in social situations
• Have poor physical co-ordination
• Experience pronounced mood swings
• Experience problems with learning, especially with writing.

As you can see, most of these are issues that all children have from time to time. With a child who has ADHD, these symptoms will be severe and will occur in all situations. The condition needs careful diagnosis by a child psychiatrist to try and avoid a potentially unhelpful label being given and to ensure specialist intervention.

To gain more information about ADHD, please follow the link to the National Mind information leaflet called Understanding Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder