GENERAL IDEA OF ADD DISORDER IN KIDS

Parents and teachers normally refer, to a doctor, children between 8 to 10 years old who are diagnosed with ADD. It is more serious among younger children. But when older kids are diagnosed with ADD they do not exhibit much serious disorder. Normally when a child is required to work independently or in group or face new situation that they exhibit such disorders related to ADD.

To diagnose ADD the American Psychiatric Association looks for these things:

v      Children with ADD may or may not have hyperactivity. If they do have hyperactivity then they move around even when they are asleep, fidget unnecessarily, moved around continuously and cannot stay seated quietly.

v      They are very inattentive, can be easily distracted, don’t complete the works they start doing, does not stay with a play activity and cannot focus on schoolwork.

v      These symptoms last for 6 months only.

v      They move from one task to another and does not think of the consequences before talking out in the class, does not wait for one’s turn when in a group and due to lack of cognitive impairment cannot organize a work properly.

v      Profound mental retardation, affective disorder and schizophrenia do not cause them.

v      Usually before the age of seven ADD symptoms are seen.