What Is ADHD?

With the number of learning disorders and physical disabilities treated each year, one that often gets misdiagnosed or misunderstood is ADHD. What is ADHD? ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This disorder can affect children and adults. The most widely affected group is school children, which can be because they are most likely to have a teacher or professional to recognize and diagnose their problem.

Although those with ADHD have clear signs and symptoms of the disorder, many children are misdiagnosed each year. A recent study from the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that children who were the youngest among their classmates were more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. However, many of these children did not have ADHD, but their maturity level made it seem like they did in comparison to the older children.

What Is ADHD in Children?

ADHD in children presents itself in three different sets of signs — inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Children with ADHD show the following signs:

• Will often have a hard time concentrating on a specific task
• Gets easily distracted
• Have a hard time waiting for their turn
• Are forgetful
• Have a hard time organizing his schedule or work
• Have trouble with sitting still for a period of time
• Have the tendency to daydream
• Do not listen well to others

What Is ADHD in Adults?

While the ADHD disorder is essentially the same disorder for children and adults, the symptoms can be much different. Adults with ADHD are more mature than children with ADHD; therefore their symptoms may not be as obvious. Adults with ADHD can show some of the following symptoms:

• Have problems with chronic forgetfulness
• Have problems with being late
• Are disorganized
• Have trouble with controlling their anger or frustration
• Patience tolerance is low
• Adults with ADHD tend to have problems in their relationships, as well as with their employers or fellow employees
• Adults with ADHD can also be impulsive and resort to substance abuse or addictions
• Have a hard time focusing on certain tasks, as well as a hard time concentrating
• Problems of hyper focus, which happens when one concentrates too much on minor items or issues

While many people can confuse individuals with ADHD as being lazy or misbehaved, ADHD is a real disorder that affects thousands of children and adults each year. The exact cause of ADHD is not known, though it could be an issue in the brain, such as chemical imbalance or an issue with genes. ADHD can affect people's social lives, school work and learning, and their careers, which is why it is essential to get your child tested if he has one of the many symptoms of ADHD.

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