Does my child have ADHD?

Does my child have ADHD?

Are you wondering if your child has ADHD?

ADHD, also known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is a learning difference that sometimes carries a lot of stereotypes with it. However, there can be incredible diversity in the types of ADHD symptoms that each individual has and each symptom may also be present to varying degrees within an individual (from mild to severe). Therefore it is not fair to paint ADHD as just one thing - we need to work to better understand the variability, the differences, the struggles and the strengths. 

ADHD can be hard to diagnose. Why is that?

  • The diversity of symptoms

  • Many of the symptoms overlap with symptoms of other learning differences and mental health issues

  • There are different types of ADHD - inattentive, hyperactive/impulsive or combined type

  • Symptoms can change over time, and children may learn to manage (or they may try to hide) some of their symptoms 

  • There is no one test that will diagnose ADHD. Depending on the country you live in, and who is overseeing the diagnosis, an “ADHD test” may include checklists for home, surveys for school, hearing tests, vision tests, a psychoeducational assessment, interviews, and/or a medical exam. Some of these are used not to diagnose ADHD itself, but to rule out other conditions first. 

So what is ADHD and what sort of symptoms can we expect to see? 

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition - it is brain-based and may affect our planning skills, our ability to focus and our ability to get things done. It is estimated that approximately 7.2% of children worldwide have ADHD[1].

Some of the common ADHD symptoms include:

  • Struggles with working memory, and being forgetful

  • Disorganization, and a hard time prioritizing tasks

  • Poor time management skills

  • Short attention spans, hard time focusing, may seem like they are daydreaming

  • Hyperactive

  • Impulse control struggles take a lot of risks, doesn’t consider consequences

  • Fidgeting, or the need to constantly move

  • Struggles with emotional regulation/managing emotions

  • Executive function struggles, and a hard time multitasking

  • Hard time controlling anger/frustration

Do a lot of these sound like familiar impressions of what ADHD is? It is true, many children with ADHD will exhibit a lot of these behaviours, and it is when parents or teachers see these symptoms, that they may start discussing diagnosis. However, there is a lot more to ADHD. 

Did you know that people with ADHD also often have incredible strengths? These are the things that are less talked about (something that we need to change)...because learning differences encompass both struggles AND strengths (just as neurotypical kids experience struggles and strengths!). However, our society often zones in on the deficits, the needs, and the challenges first, without enough focus on the bigger picture of a child’s learning profile or diagnosis. Did you know that other common traits of people with ADHD include: 

  • Incredible creativity and outside of the box thinking

  • Ability to express emotion freely and honestly

  • Spontaneous, impulsive and free-spirited

  • Passionate in life

  • Fantastic sense of humour

  • Willingness to take risks 

  • Great curiosity about the world around them

  • Bright and intelligent mind

When we see the symptoms of ADHD as ONLY the areas where children are “struggling”, we miss the incredible, beautiful, unique strengths that can also accompany ADHD. Though we do not deny that there are going to be challenges with ADHD, seeing this learning difference with a wider and more holistic lens, we do a much better job of seeing the whole child. Can you imagine how this could improve their learning journey, their confidence, their sense of self and their overall life experience? Help us with this SHIFT. 

"With the disorganization, procrastination, inability to focus, and all 

the other bad things that come with ADHD, there also comes 

creativity and the ability to take risks. 

If someone told me I could be normal or continue to have ADD, 

I would take the ADD”

 - David Neeleman, Jetblue Airways

If you want to learn more about ADHD, check out our FREE SYT Support Library which contains videos and Masterclasses specific to topics related to learning differences and ADHD. 

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Written by Jillian Watson, B.Ed, M.Ed., OCT

References

[1] https://chadd.org/about-adhd/general-prevalence/

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