In this day and age with smart phones, tablets and video games it is often hard to recognize if your child has ADHD. We see times when they can focus intently and others where they are just out of control. All of this is normal for every child, the difference with ADHD is the extent and frequency of their behaviors. A child with ADHD will have repeated difficulties with impulsivity and focus, enough that it begins to negatively impact their friends, family and school days.
Five things you should look for if your child has ADHD is:
- They make careless mistakes, like forgetting to dot T’s, finish all the math problems or leave a few socks when picking up their clothes.
- They frequently interrupt conversations or butt in when others are talking.
- They don’t finish their chores or complete all their homework assignments. As they get older this changes to procrastinating on tasks that need a lot of mental focus, like projects or reading assignments
- Their stuff is totally disorganized. No matter how many systems you have in place they leave their clothes, sports equipment and school belongings all over the house. This also means that they lose or misplace things constantly.
- They have a hard time listening even when spoken to directly. They start the conversation looking you in the eye and about 2 minutes in they are looking down, around the room, pretty much anywhere except at you.
If this sounds like your child give me a call, together we can make a plan of how to help you and your child feel better.