About ADHD
ADHD is not a mental health condition or a learning disability, it is a neurodevelopmental condition.
ADHD is a condition that affects your child’s behaviour.
Your child:
- can seem restless
- may have trouble concentrating
- may act on impulse
Children and young people with ADHD have brains which work very differently. It is estimated that 1 in 20 children and young people have ADHD.
There are 3 types of ADHD:
- inattentive (formerly known as Attention Deficit Disorder)
- hyperactivity/impulsivity
- combined
The symptoms of ADHD
Symptoms of ADHD tend to be noticed at an early stage and may become more noticeable when your child’s circumstances change, such as when they start school.
If your child is inattentive, their symptoms may include:
- having a short attention span and remaining focussed in lessons
- being easily distracted
- making mistakes, or not paying close attention to detail
- appearing forgetful or losing things
- not appearing to listen when they are being spoken to directly
- being unable to stick to tasks that are tedious or time-consuming, or which take continual mental effort
- having difficulty getting organised and managing time
If your child is hyperactive/impulsive, their symptoms may include:
- constantly fidgeting
- excessive physical movement and high levels of energy
- often running or climbing in situations where this is inappropriate
- excessive talking
- interrupting or intruding on others
- being unable to wait their turn
- acting without thinking and without thinking about possible consequences
If your child falls into the combined type, their symptoms will include all the symptoms above.
Support
The Educational Psychology Service (EPS) can provide support to schools, children/young people and families.
EPS will provide support if strategies and reasonable adjustments have been in place, but further adjustments are required.
Further information about ADHD: