The number of diagnosed cases of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may be on the rise – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that 5-percent of children in the U.S. have the disorder (based on a 2013 manual), and that the number of young children aged 2 to 5-years rose 50-percent between 2007-2008 and 2011-2012 surveys.
However, it’s important to be able to distinguish this disorder from other problems with similar behavioral traits to get a proper diagnosis. There are some major defining traits of the disorder and some less obvious ones, so let’s stop and focus on 12 of them…
1. Difficulty Paying Attention
We can get possibly the most obvious symptom out of the way first. WebMD notes that those with ADHD are easily distracted – so it may be difficult to carry on a conversation with them.
It also makes it difficult for the patient to focus on one task – they may be pulled in different directions, or not complete the task at hand. This can lead to problems finishing homework, or miss key information in class because they’re distracted by a seemingly unimportant details or sounds in the room.