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Attention Deficit Disorder Symptoms

There are hundreds of symptoms that could be viewed as connected with ADHD but, there are very specific criteria that define what exactly ADHD (ADD) is..

Read this list of ADHD symptoms and see how many you come up with... Then checkout the specific criteria for Adult ADHD and see how you fare. If you're concerned you have the disorder it's better to find out now and seek treatment as you'll enjoy a higher standard of living. Trust me - I was there.

Attention Deficit Disorder Symptoms

Inattention + distractibility and/or hyperactivity + impulsive behavior are the major symptoms involved in the Attention Deficit Disorder symptom list.

Kids and adults that can't concentrate easily or have the mental direction to complete tasks - even simple ones, can be profoundly negatively affected by Attention Deficit symptoms. Problems in this cognitive area stress social interactions, home life, school life and workplace relationships.

Attention deficit disorder can have profound negative effects on the individual's life.

ADD symptoms usually start early on and are especially noticeable when the child enters school because their behavior contrasts with that of the other kids - sometimes remarkably.

The DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) created by the members of the American Psychological Association lists 3 important symptoms for the  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder diagnosis.

First Attention Deficit Disorder Symptom: Inattentiveness

A person with attention deficit disorder has issues with focusing on tasks - usually tasks they find uninteresting.

ADHD individuals are quickly distracted by outside stimuli - that is, stimuli going on outside of what one wishes to attend to. Sounds, sights, itchiness, heat and cold are all sensory stimuli that tends to pull the person with ADD away from what he or she was trying to focus on. Some individuals have symptoms of the disorder at such a high level that they are literally unable to concentrate on anything for more than a few seconds a ta time.

As a result of this inability to focus - sufferers of ADD may become bored easily with things they cannot focus on and seek other stimuli. Often times they may seem forgetful when asked questions about a task they were just doing or something they were reading. You can see how symptoms like this might make a child in school appear lazy and willfully disobedient.

These are all symptoms that comprise the inattentive type of ADHD.

Second Attention Deficit Disorder Symptom: Hyperactivity

Some people are hyperactive - meaning, they are very active physically and/or verbally. A person with the hyperactive type of ADHD may present to others as annoying and always revved up - full of energy to go and do things. Their body is always moving - whether nervous foot jiggling or needing to exercise or just "go" somewhere.

Individuals with this type of attention deficit disorder usually have problems with controlling their activity levels - and this puts them at odds with friends, teachers, parents, and other adults.

Third Attention Deficit Disorder Symptom: Impulsivity

This type of person with ADD lacks self control. Answers are blurted out in the classroom. Actions are taken first - seemingly without any forethought as to the danger, or annoyance their actions will cause.

Waiting for one's turn in a line at the grocery store is one of the worst situations for these types. Of course nobody likes to have friends that are seen as rude or aggressive, so these individuals often have a worse time socially than do the inattentive or hyperactive type ADD sufferers.

The 3 Clinical Types of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder):

* ADHD, Combined Type – The individual often has inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive type behaviors.

* ADHD, Predominantly Inattentive Type - Symptoms of this type revolve around inattention and inability to hold a focus. These people don't have profound issues with either hyperactivity or impulsiveness.

* ADHD, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type – A reverse of ADHD Combined Type above... the person has hyperactive and impulsive behaviors often and doesn't have profound inability to focus attention.

To sum it up...

Attention Deficit Disorder Symptoms as far as clinical psychology professionals are concerned, revolves around just 3 symptoms: Inattention; Impulsivity; and Hyperactivity. A number of behaviors children and adults do are attributed to ADHD - ADD - but, human beings have a wide-range of behavioral symptoms, none of which in itself is proof-positive of ADHD - ADD. If you think you might have ADHD in one of the flavors mentioned above please read our ADHD Diagnosis page and do some online testing to see what you find. The final step is always to meet with a mental health professional that can test you properly under the right conditions.  

Want to find more information about extended behavioral ADHD symptoms? Here is another page with details of each ADHD symptom.

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