13 Most Common Symptoms of ADHD

ADHD is an acronym of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This is a condition that can make certain activities difficult for those that suffer from it and particularly activities such as learning or completing large amounts of work.

ADHD is largely characterized by an inability to pay attention for long periods of time. Short attention spans and a lack of interest can then express themselves as bad behavior in young children in a classroom setting, as they don’t want to sit through lessons or engage with the tasks they are given. ADHD is not purely a condition that affects children though and can also be seen in many adults.

There are many different theories as to what ADHD is and what the best way to treat it is. It is often suggested that ADHD might in fact be adaptive in certain ways – it might suggest that an individual is particularly intelligent and needs more interesting activities to stimulate them. It is also often seen as a failing of the education system that is only designed for certain ‘types’ of learners.

Others theories suggest that ADHD is a result of a chemical imbalance in the brain, perhaps caused by low dopamine. These theories lead to treatments that involve medications designed to placate children with ADHD and help them to get on better in school.

It is up to the parent ultimately to decide how to treat their child’s ADHD. Whatever the decision though, it is important to be able to spot the symptoms and identify the issue. Here are 13 of the most common symptoms to look out for…

1.  Fidgeting

Fidgeting is commonly associated with ADHD and is an expression of nervous energy. Fidgeting, like ADHD, has also been linked with low dopamine which makes it hard for people to sit and focus on a single task. Some suggestion has been made that fidgeting might actually be a useful release of energy and that this could help sufferers to better stay focused. This has led to the popularity of ‘fidget toys’ including the massively popular ‘fidget spinners’ which are designed for this purpose.