There are three specific characteristics, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and distractibility, exhibited in children with a diagnosis of AD/HD. Let's take a look at each one individually.
Hyperactivity is evident physically in the AD/HD child through a physical state of continuous movement or motion. This movement may exhibit itself as a restlessness. Restlessness makes a child with AD/HD appear as if he or she is driven by a hidden motor, and the hyeractive child may be unable to sit or stand without fidgeting. Hyperactive children are often good runners, jumpers, and climbers.
The AD/HD child often has difficulty self-regulating and self-controlling physical actions which leads us to impulsivity. Impulsivity is often exhibited through high risk taking behaviors. High-risk behavior often peaks in males around the age 10 or 12 and can continue well into the twenties. Impulsivity often rears it's ugly head when the AD/HD child reaches adolescence and has difficulty establishing peer relationships.
When confronted by peer pressure regarding the use of alcohol, illicit drugs, and tobacco the adolescent with AD/HD does not necessarilty make a conscious choice, instead he or she has a reaction to the situation and rarely thinks through what the consequences of his or her action may have in the long run. Impulsive choices in the AD/HD adolescent is not necessarily a conscious decision, and often is a rapid reaction to a particular situation.
Distractibility, often called inattentiveness, is not simply being unfocused or having a short attention span. There are many ways that distractibility is evident in a child with AD/HD. Distractibility or inattentiveness is often exhibited by difficulty concentrating, disorganization, memory problems, and being overly sensitive to one's environment.
This is never more obvious than when the Ad/HD child must finish a task tasks he or she considers "boring" or mundane. When bored the AD/HD child will often rush through mundane tasks. When rushing the AD/HD child may not follow or read directions and this can lead to careless mistakes and poor grades, despite the fact the AD/HD child is often extremely intelligent and may test above average.
The AD/HD child often instictively knows how to multi-task or do multiple tasks at one time, especially when it is something he or she enjoys. This ability to multi-task often confuses non-AD/HD people or parents of an AD/H0D child who may wonder if the AD/HD child is at times choosing to be lazy, rather than do what is expected of him or her. AD/HD children are not lazy, simply because he or she can focus for hours on a fast moving video game, but is bored reading an assigned school book.
The AD/HD child is often hyperactive, impulsive, or inattentive, but is not stupid. These characteristics are not always a downfall, especially when parents and teachers choose to learn how AD/HD works for an AD/HD child. By learning how AD/HD affects a child, parents or teachers may only need to adjust aspects of the classroom or home routines to help the child function more efficiently. By allowing the AD/HD child to use his or her characteristics positively can benefit a child both at home and at school.
Applied Chaos
- Erika Lyn Smith
- Midwestern USA
- Applied Chaos is how life feels living with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder or ADHD. This theory is definately put to the test when three AD/HD people live under the same roof. I am an AD/HD mom raising two AD/HD children and being mom is the most extraordinary experience of my lifetime. My husband WES, is NOT AD/HD and most days the three of us make his head spin. YET he is sooooo amazingly patient, despite the unannounced and sudden mood shifts that can occur when something that should be simple is not. That is the hardest part of living with AD/HD. When things that should be simple are not. I have little tolerance for my downfalls. Sheer frustration can lead to angry outbursts when I have once again misplaced my cell phone, the house phone, any number of bills, the car keys, the dog, or my portable brain (calendar)!
