Common Signs and Symptoms of ADHD in Children

Concerned your child might have ADHD? Let the team at Mid Kansas Pediatric Associates in Wichita & Derby, KS help you receive an accurate diagnosis and management plan to give your child the best path forward.

Signs and Symptoms of ADHD in Children

It can often be difficult to tell if a child has ADHD or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The core of childhood is to play, and kids don’t typically like sitting still for long periods. Additionally, children – like adults – can have a hard time paying attention to something they aren’t interested in. How, then, can parents determine if attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is the root of their child’s struggles?

It begins with recognizing the common signs and symptoms, which our team at Mid Kansas Pediatric Associates of Wichita & Derby, KS share below. If you notice these signs, a visit to your pediatrician can help provide clarity and a proper diagnosis.

Understanding The Signs

As symptoms can often be confused with regular childhood characteristics, a diagnosis requires that multiple of the following signs be present for at least six months. Additionally, where children display these signs are factored in. If, for example, they only seem to struggle at school, it might not be attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder but a learning disability or an issue with the school work or the school itself.

Potential Signs To Look For

Inattention is one part of this condition and often shows up in signs such as:

• Having difficulty paying attention, especially to activities they normally enjoy
• Beginning but not completing homework or chores
• Having trouble following instructions
• Making careless mistakes – You might say something often like, “You know how to do this. You’re just not paying attention.”
• Having difficulty with organization and losing belongings often
• Getting easily distracted
• Seeming to avoid tasks that require too many steps or too much time

Hyperactivity and/or impulsivity are the other key parts of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and are typically represented in signs such as:

• Being unable or having a very difficult time waiting their turn, whether that’s at the water fountain or trying to speak
• Fidgeting, squirming, tapping their pencils or feet, as though they simply cannot sit still
• Talking excessively and blurting out answers before you finish asking a question
• Seeming to always be “on the go” or “climbing the walls”

You might also notice them jumping into risky situations, like trying to jump off of something high without taking a moment to think about it.

If you’ve noticed any signs of ADHD in your child, schedule an appointment with our team at Mid Kansas Pediatric Associates in Wichita & Derby, KS by calling us in East Wichita at (316) 634-2000, in West Wichita at (316) 773-3100, and in Derby, KS, at (316) 719-2001.