ADD / ADHD
Attention Deficit Disorder / Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
ADHD is classed as a neuro-developmental disorder characterised by inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.
ADD is when your child is inattentive but without the impulsive and hyperactive behaviour.
It is a primarily behavioural diagnosis and very often this overlaps with other labels such as dyslexia, auditory processing disorder and others.
The main signs of either ADD or ADHD are: -
Inattentiveness
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having a short attention span and being easily distracted
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making careless mistakes – for example, in schoolwork
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appearing forgetful or losing things
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being unable to stick to tasks that are tedious or time-consuming
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appearing to be unable to listen to or carry out instructions
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being unable to concentrate in background noise
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constantly changing activity or task
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having difficulty organising tasks
Hyperactivity / Impulsiveness
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being unable to sit still, especially in calm or quiet surroundings
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constantly fidgeting
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being unable to concentrate on tasks
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excessive physical movement
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excessive talking
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being unable to wait their turn
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acting without thinking
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interrupting conversations
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little or no sense of danger
ADHD and ADD are often treated as a medical condition and this can lead quickly to medication being prescribed to improve concentration and reduce impulsivity.
There has been a large increase worldwide in the number of children being diagnosed with ADHD and this has led to great concerns about diagnosis. In fact, research now shows that children with ADHD have delayed maturation of the brain rather than brain differences. They show the same development of the brain, it is just 1 - 3 years behind their peers. Research also shows that younger children in a class are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. These are useful things to be aware of for your child.
It is also well understood that there are many overlaps with other areas such as Sensory Processing Disorder, Auditory Processing Disorder, gross and fine motor skill delays and others. Take a look at our pages on these areas for more information.
It is not surprising that these would lead to challenges with attention and focus as all sensory information is not being processed in the same way as their peers. In fact, children with ADHD are 2 - 7 times more likely to have significant developmental delay than their classmates.
We understand that your children can improve their sensory processing, gross and fine motor skills, timing and other areas. This can have a large impact upon attention, concentration, listening skills and all the areas listed in the boxes above.
Contact us at Learning Solutions today to discuss how we can help your child develop the underpinning sensory and developmental skills to build their attention and reduce impulsiveness.
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