Welcome to the ADHD Module! This module will explore the definition, causes, types, and negative impacts of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Remember, this module is designed to educate you about the disorder. It is NOT here to encourage bullying or stereotyping of students who may have ADHD. As you will see in this module, bullying and victimization of people with ADHD can lead to worsening behavior.
What is ADHD?
ADHD is a disorder of the brain that is defined by problems with inattention, distractibility, impulsivity, and/or overactivity . People with ADHD may only show some of these behaviors, or may show all four of them. ADHD has three different subtypes: Inattentive type, Hyperactive type, and the Combined type , which all have a different combination of the above problem areas. It is important to remember that ADHD is not a learned behavior, and is not something that people choose to do or have . The disorder is not caused because kids or adolescents are lazy, “slow” or have bad parents . People with ADHD can also be affected academically or socially because of their behavior , usually resulting from the problems defined above.
Logically, the Inattentive subtype is characterized by predominantly inattentive behaviors such as making careless mistakes, keeping attention in one activity, or having trouble listening when spoken to directly . The Hyperactive subtype contains symptoms such as talking excessively, frequent fidgeting or squirming, or feelings of restlessness (especially in adolescents) . Thus, the Combined subtype would be for people who display symptoms from both categories, and cannot fit into one or the other.