What is ADHD?

So many people claim that children's unruly behaviour is down to them having 'ADHD' but can bad behaviour in a child be simply explained away by labeling them with such a tag?  For some children the diagnosis of 'Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder' is accurate, but for so many it's just not the case.

What is it? ADHD is a medical term which originally comes from the North American Psychiatric Association.

• ADD means Attention Deficit Disorder.
• ADHD means Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder.

It is said that ADHD effects up to three percent of the population. It is usually associated with boys rather than girls.

A child has ADHD if:

• they have difficulty concentrating and can't ignore distracting sounds or they get lost in their own daydream and its hard to get them to listen.
• they do not have their own ideas to begin games or activities alone
• they forget or lose things often or can't remember instructions
• they continue to fiddle or fidget when everyone else sits still
• they shout out answers and talk a lot and they act without thinking - so do things without caring about the consequences
• they have trouble waiting their turn or sharing
• they won't follow rules

But even children who demonstrate all or some of these things are not necessarily suffering from ADHD.  It needs to be repeated, unintentional behaviour and diagnosed by a professional.  If you think your child might be suffering have a chat to the teacher, doctor or health professional for advice and help.