Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Preschool age

Normally, children 3 to 4 years of age are often inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive—all the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Differentiating between what is normal for the age and what may be caused by ADHD can be difficult in children this young.

School-age and teen years

ADHD is most often diagnosed in children between ages 6 and 12. After a child starts school, the symptoms of ADHD become more noticeable. During this period, ADHD can disrupt many aspects of a child's life. Learning and academic performance, adjusting to change, sleeping, and getting along with others are all potential problem areas.

Symptoms of ADHD usually remain the same through early adolescence. Approximately 60% to 85% of children with ADHD continue to have symptoms into the teen years.³ Children with ADHD are often described as less mature than their peers and may lag behind in reaching milestones typical for the age group.

But some symptoms typically improve or become less obvious. For example, someone who had very disruptive hyperactive behavior during elementary school may only fidget or feel restless in high school.

Teens with ADHD have more problems when they are driving cars. They get more speeding tickets and have serious car accidents more often. They should be monitored closely by a licensed adult when they are learning to drive.

Adults

Symptoms of ADHD can last into adulthood and include difficulty focusing, organizing, and finishing tasks. But adults often are able to adjust in the workplace better than they did in the classroom as children.

Many adults do not realize that they have ADHD until their children are diagnosed and they begin to recognize their own symptoms. Some adults with ADHD learn to manage their lives and find careers in which they can use their strengths—intellectual curiosity and creativity—to their advantage. But many adults have difficulties at home and work. As a group, adults with ADHD have higher divorce rates, are more likely to smoke, and have more substance abuse problems than adults without the disorder. Also compared with their peers, fewer enter college and fewer graduate. Treatment with medicine, counseling, and behavioral therapies can be helpful.⁴

Effects on family

Raising a child who has ADHD can be a challenge. Parents must consistently monitor their child and respond to problem behavior appropriately. If other issues are causing stress within a family (such as divorce, violence, or drug or alcohol abuse), it may be even more difficult to deal with a child who has ADHD.

Conditions that often accompany ADHD

There is mounting evidence that people with ADHD commonly have one or more other disorders such as dyslexia, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, anxiety, and depression.

Treatment for ADHD can help control symptoms, allowing a child to grow and develop normally. Treatment also can decrease the frustration, discouragement, and failure that many people with ADHD experience throughout their lives.