Does your child exhibit some or all of the below behaviors? These may be clues that your child has ADHD, but are not diagnostic alone. If you find that you see some of these symptoms or other behavior concerns in your child, we encourage you to come in for an ADHD Behavior Assessment at Northwest Spokane Pediatrics.
Preschool (Age 3–5)
- Motor restlessness
- Difficulty completing developmental tasks (e.g. toilet training)
- Decreased and/or resistance to sleep
- Insatiable curiosity
- Family difficulties (including difficulty obtaining and keeping babysitters or daycare(s))
- Vigorous and OFTEN destructive play
- Demanding of parental attention, augmentative
- Delays in motor or language development
- Excessive temper tantrums (more severe and frequent)
- Difficulty complying with direction or flatly opposing direction
School Aged (6–12)
- Easily Distracted
- Unable to sustain attention (excluding videogames and television)
- Homework is disorganized, incomplete contains careless errors
- Poor grades OR the teacher reports your child is not working to potential
- Blurts out answers before question is completed (OFTEN disruptive in class)
- OFTEN interrupts or intrudes on others
- OFTEN out of seat or acts like or tries to be the “class clown”
- Perceived as being immature OR poor peer relationships Or not doing well socially
- Unwilling or unable to complete chores at home
Adolescent (13–18)
- Procrastination sometimes to the point of not being ABLE to initiate a project
- A sense of inner restlessness (Rather than hyperactive as in early aged children)
- School work disorganized and/or shows poor follow-through and/or fails to work independently
- Poor grades OR the teacher reports your child is not working to potential
- Engaging in RISKY behaviors
- Speeding and or aggressive or inattentive driving
- Smoking
- Experimenting or using drugs or alcohol
- Difficulty with authority figures
- Poor self-esteem. Poor peer relationships. Not doing well socially.
- Anger, emotionally labile
(Campbell SB et al. J AM Acad Child Psychiatry. 1984:23: 243-249. Greenhill LL J Clin Psychiatry 1998 59 supp 7 31-41. Conners K Jett J. ADHD in adults and children. 1999)
(Adapted from presentation from Frank Lopez, MD Current insights in ADHD: Screening Diagnosis, Management and Pharmacotherapy 2005)