ADHD Basic Information
- What is ADHD?
- What are the signs of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder?
- How common is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder?
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, sometimes called ADHD, is a chronic condition and the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder among children and adolescents. It affects between 3 and 5 percent of school-aged children in a 6-month period (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1999).
Children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder have difficulty controlling their behavior in school and social settings. They also tend to be accident-prone. Although some of these young people may not earn high grades in school, most have normal or above-normal intelligence.
Signs of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
There are three different types of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and each has different symptoms. The types are inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, and combined attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Children with the inattentive type may:
- Have short attention spans.
- Be distracted easily.
- Not pay attention to details.
- Make many mistakes.
- Fail to finish things.
- Have trouble remembering things.
- Not seem to listen.
- Not be able to stay organized.
Children with the hyperactive-impulsive type may:
- Fidget and squirm.
- Be unable to stay seated or play quietly.
- Run or climb too much or when they should not.
- Talk too much or when they should not.
- Blurt out answers before questions are completed.
- Have trouble taking turns.
- Interrupt others.
The most common type is combined attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, which, as the name implies, is a combination of the inattentive and the hyperactive-impulsive types.
A diagnosis of one of the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders is usually made when children have several of the above symptoms that begin before age 7 and last at least 6 months. Generally, symptoms have to be observed in at least two different settings, such as home and school, before a diagnosis is made.
How common is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder?
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is found in as many as one in every 20 children (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1999). Boys are four 4 times more likely than girls to have the disorder (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1999).
Children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are at risk for many other mental disorders. About half of those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder also have oppositional or conduct disorder and about a fourth have an anxiety disorder. As many as one-third have depression and about one-fifth have a learning disability. Sometimes children or adolescents will have two or more of these disorders in addition to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are also at risk for developing personality and substance abuse disorders when they are adolescents or adults.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a major reason that children are referred for mental health services. Boys are more likely to be referred for treatment than girls, in part, because many boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder also have conduct disorder. Although mental health and special education services for children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder cost millions of dollars each year, in the long run, underachievement and lost productivity can be more costly for them and their families.
