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Are you worried your child seems to have great difficulty with
maintaining attention?
Do they seem to get easily distracted and seem not to listen?
Does it take ages for them to get started on things and then often leave things unfinished?
As a parent, does your child’s endless energy, constant talking and
frequent interruptions due to
impatience
leave you feeling exhausted?
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. It is characterised by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that has a direct negative impact on academic, occupational, or social functioning. Everybody can have difficulty sitting still, paying attention or controlling impulsive behavior once in a while. For people who have ADHD, these difficulties are so pervasive and persistent that they interfere with their lives at home, in an academic setting, socially and at work.
Children with ADHD may behave younger than their peers, especially when developing independence. Looking back at developmental milestones, there may be some delays in things like language development, walking and co-ordination. Children with ADHD often have quite a low frustration tolerance and difficulty regulating their emotions.
Adolescents with ADHD may struggle with the transition to secondary school where there are greater academic and social demands as well as increased expectations around independence and organisation. Parents and teachers may have concerns that the young person is not reaching their full potential despite wanting to put the effort in but feeling like something is getting in the way. This can lead to low-self esteem and difficulties with their mental wellbeing.
It is important to remember that children and adolescents with ADHD are not always hyperactive as they may have the Inattentive subtype of ADHD. Many of the symptoms classified as ADHD symptoms of inattention are actually symptoms of executive function impairments. Executive function refers to a wide range of central control processes in the brain that activate, integrate, and manage other brain functions. Thomas E. Brown, Ph.D., of Yale University compares executive function to the conductor of an orchestra. The conductor organises, activates, focuses, integrates and directs the musicians as they play, enabling the orchestra to produce complex music. In a similar fashion, the human brain’s executive function organises, activates, focuses, integrates and directs. This allows us to hold facts in mind while processing information, get started on tasks, pay attention, complete tasks, think before acting and solve problems to name a few.
Children and Adolescents with ADHD also have some pretty amazing super powers. They can hyperfocus on things that interest them in a way that non-neurodivergent people can’t. Creativity in someone with ADHD can be fantastically out of this world. They are often the life and soul in a group and others love being in their company because they are such great fun. Being forgetful isn’t always bad as letting things go more easily and moving on to the next thing can be just what is needed.
The great news is that we continue to understand more about the struggles encountered by people who have ADHD and therefore have ways to offer support to help these difficulties. This includes recommendations around adjustments at home, school, individual therapy and pharmacological options. The team at Eton Psychiatrists would like the opportunity to be the professionals you trust with embarking on the journey to understanding your child’s difficulties and exploring the options on how to help your child thrive and reach their full potential. We are here to help children and adolescents as well as their families because we know the impact ADHD can have on the entire family unit.
If you would like to learn more about what your child’s journey would look like with us please follow: (tab for Child ADHD assessment and treatment pathway)
