At times, it is normal if your child forgets something, daydreams in school acts without thinking, or gets restless at the dinner table. When this behavior is fused with frequent bouts of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, it may be a sign of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD. ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders that generally appear in early childhood.

Research reveals that one in ten children between the ages of 5 and 17 years is diagnosed with ADHD in the country. ADHD in children is often associated with the problems they face at school—being inattentive most of the time, losing things, and more. It is a common observation that young boys are more likely to be diagnosed with the disorder than young girls, which may be because one of the significant symptoms of ADHD, hyperactivity, is more pronounced in boys’ behavior. A few girls might also display the classic symptoms of hyperactivity, but it’s rare among them. In girls, the disorder mainly manifests in the form of continually daydreaming or over-talkativeness.

However, parents must realize that many ADHD symptoms might only be typical childhood behaviors and can vary from child to child, which makes ADHD a challenging disorder to diagnose. But, if left undiagnosed, the symptoms can prolong, causing difficulty at home, school, and in making friends.

Some common symptoms of ADHD include the following:

• Fidgeting
• Talking too much
• Forgetting or losing things frequently
• Making careless mistakes
• Having difficulty in resisting the temptation
• Taking unnecessary risks
• Difficulty in getting along with others
• Daydreaming.

Types of ADHD

The American Psychological Association (APA) has essentially grouped the condition of ADHD into three types to make its diagnosis consistent.

Predominantly inattentive

Children diagnosed with this type of ADHD have a tough time focusing on a particular activity, finishing an on-going task, and following simple instructions explained to them. On an exciting note, experts say that several children with this type of disorder may never receive a proper diagnosis throughout their childhood because they don’t cause any disturbance in school. Studies have revealed that the inattentive type of ADHD is more common among girls.

Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive

Children with this type of ADHD keep fidgeting and are too talkative. Sitting silently at one place throughout the meal or doing homework is a challenge for them. They might feel restless, interrupt others while they’re talking, snatch toys from other children, or speak inappropriately. As they’re hyperactive most of the time, they encounter more accidents and injuries than others. Even though inattention is not a big concern with this type of ADHD, they might struggle with focusing on a particular task.

Combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive type

This is the most common type in children, in which children often display both inattentive and hyperactive symptoms.