How to recognize ADHD in a child

Bringing up a child is always a kind of challenge. Some parents faced more difficulties with kids’ behavior than another. The reason is not always a non-effective way of parenting but also a disorder when a child can’t concentrate or calm down when he or she wants. A child just don’t know how to do him or herself. According to the National survey more than 6.1 million kids from in the US have been ever diagnosed with ADHD. But what is ADHD and how to recognize it in a child?

Let’s go through the example: A mom with a son came to a doctor’s appointment. The boy was hyperactive, he never stopped moving, couldn’t sit still, was chatting all the time, his attention was leaping from one object to another… and his mom was always shouting: “Calm down! Sit down! Shut up! How tired I am!” Such a situation was typical in their life. Mom was very annoyed by her son’s behavior. The boy felt that he wasn’t like the rest and it drove him into depression and his behavior became the worst. So, what happened to him? This boy and 120 million other children around the world have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is considered to be a chronic, neurobehavioral disorder that is classically characterized by symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity.

The disorder is particularly relevant in today’s society as it is one of the most common diagnoses in educational and children’s mental health settings. ADHD is believed to typically onset in early childhood, although diagnosis is typically determined in the school-age years. Furthermore, many children diagnosed with the disorder go on to have problems related to education, social functioning, and/or other mental illness as adolescents and young adults. Three subtypes of ADHD are now recognized: predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive/impulsive, and a combined type, characterized by a combination of the first two subtypes.

What are the DSM-5 criteria for diagnosing ADHD?
DSM-5 is **Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition**
Fist type: predominantly inattentive

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Inattention is the inability to complete a task carefully, pay attention, or think about, listen to, or watch someone or something. When it comes to ADHD, children must have had 6 of the symptoms listed below (5 for individuals older than 17 years):

1. Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, at work, or with other activities;
2. Often has trouble holding attention on tasks or play activities;
3. Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly;
4. Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (e.g., loses focus, sidetracked);
5. Often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to do tasks that require mental effort over a long period of time (such as schoolwork or homework);
6. Often has trouble organizing tasks and activities;
7. Often loses things necessary for tasks and activities (e.g., school materials, pencils, books, tools, wallets, keys, paperwork, eyeglasses, mobile telephones);
8. Is often easily distracted;
9. Is often forgetful in daily activities. Diagnosis is based on the symptoms that have occurred over the past 6 months.

Second type: predominantly hyperactive/impulsive

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Hyperactivity is simply having a high level of activity or excitement. Impulsivity is defined as acting suddenly on an idea or emotion, without first thinking it through. In order to diagnose hyperactivity, a person must have had 6 of the following symptoms (5 for individuals older than 17 years):

1. Often fidgets with or taps hands or feet or squirms in seat;
2. Often leaves seat in situations when remaining seated is expected;
3. Often runs about or climbs in situations where it is not appropriate (adolescents or adults may be limited to feeling restless);
4. Often unable to play or take part in leisure activities quietly;
5. Often has trouble waiting for his or her turn;
6. Is often “on the go,” acting as if “driven by a motor”;
7. Often talks excessively;
8. Often blurts out an answer before a question has been completed;
9. Often interrupts or intrudes on others (e.g., butts into conversations or games). A diagnosis is based on the symptoms that have occurred over the past 6 months.

Third type: combined presentation

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The individual meets the criteria for both inattention and hyperactive-impulsive clinical features. Remember: In order for the diagnosis to be made, the following criteria also must be met:

1. Several inattentive or hyperactive/impulsive symptoms were present before age 12 years.
2. Several symptoms are present in 2 or more settings (such as at home, school, or work; with friends or relatives; in other activities).
3. There is clear evidence that the symptoms interfere with, or reduce the quality of, social, school, or work functioning.
4. The symptoms are not better explained by another mental disorder (such as a mood disorder, anxiety disorder, dissociative disorder, or a personality disorder).

The symptoms do not happen only during the course of schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder. Thus all forms of attention deficit disorder are officially called “Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder”, regardless of whether the individual has symptoms of hyperactivity or not. There are three forms of ADHD’s severity, they are:

1. Mild: Few, if any, symptoms in excess of those required to make the diagnosis are present, and symptoms result in only minor functional impairments.
2. Moderate: Symptoms or functional impairment between “mild” and “severe” are present.
3. Severe: Many symptoms in excess of those required to make the diagnosis, or several symptoms that are particularly severe, are present, or the symptoms result in marked impairment in social or occupational functioning.

ADHD symptoms and their impact may also vary across an individual’s lifespan. So if you mention several characteristics from the list please don’t hesitate to make an appointment with a doctor to ask for a qualified consultation and to get approval of the diagnose.

In the next posts, we will tell you about reasons for ADHD and will summarize the difference between ADHD and normal activity, we will share ways of treatment and diagnostic.

PIGPUG is the AI telemedicine brain training system for kids with ADHD and ASD. We developing a product that will help to diagnose and work on ADHD with AI technology and neurofeedback therapy. As a result, we are going to launch an available massive platform to help children with ADHD to study and socialize well enough to grow up confident and happy people.

Anastasiya Kuzniatsova M.D., Child Neurologist
Polina Santsevich CMO
#ADHD #ASD #AI #Health #Brainhealth #Telemedicine

Resources: Sharma, A., & Couture, J. (2013). A Review of the Pathophysiology, Etiology, and Treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 48(2), 209–225. DOI:10.1177/1060028013510699 Matthews, M., Nigg, J. T., & Fair, D. A. (2013). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences, 235–266. DOI:10.1007/7854_2013_249 American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2013