Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
A lot of kids are what we call high energy. They seem to bounce off walls and find it impossible to sit still. For some kids, though, overactive and impulsive behaviors are severe enough to affect their schoolwork and home life. These kids may have a condition called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. ADHD is very common. In fact, it's the most common behavioral problem in children. About 3 to 5% of school-aged kids are diagnosed with ADHD. Most of them are boys. So, what causes ADHD? Doctors aren't sure exactly what causes ADHD, though we do know some things that contribute. And we do know that the brain looks different in kids with this condition than it does in kids without the disorder. Most kids with ADHD also have other problems with behavior, depression, sleeping, or learning. How do you know for sure that your child has ADHD? There are three types of ADHD inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive. Kids with the inattentive type get distracted easily. You'll find them staring out of the window in class instead of paying attention. They tend to lose their pens and pencils, and can't seem to ever finish their homework. Kids with hyperactivity are the ones who can't sit still. Their feet are always tapping and their mouth is always moving. It's like someone wound them up, but never wound them back down. Kids with impulsivity have trouble controlling themselves. They'll blurt out the answer to a question before the teacher has even finished asking it. They often won't let their friends finish a sentence, or a game, without butting in. In kids with these kinds of symptoms, ADHD can be a tricky diagnosis to make. Sometimes kids are mistakenly diagnosed with ADHD when they're just high energy. Other kids have ADHD and never get diagnosed. To get diagnosed with ADHD, kids need to have at least six symptoms of inattention and six symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity that have lasted for at least 6 months. A pediatrician, psychologist or psychiatrist can test the child and talk to the parents and teachers to make the diagnosis. How do doctors treat ADHD? Many kids with ADHD respond to a combination of medicines and behavior therapy. The drugs that are used most often for ADHD are called psychostimulants, like Adderall, Focalin, and Ritalin. A nonstimulant drug called Strattera may also be effective. Because these drugs can have side effects, kids should only use them under a doctor's guidance. Talk therapy that involves both the parents and child can help gain more control over ADHD behaviors. Parents can learn how to limit distractions, make sure their child gets enough sleep and eats right, and learn how to set consistent rules, rewarding good behavior and addressing bad behavior. Good sleep, good food, and plenty of physical activity, especially outdoors may help. About half of kids with ADHD eventually grow out of it. If they don't grow out of it, it can lead to problems in adulthood, like drug and alcohol abuse, difficulty keeping a job, and sometimes trouble with the law. Diagnosing ADHD early and addressing it right away can give kids the best chance for a healthy, happy future. So if you see any signs of ADHD in your child, talk to a pediatrician or child psychologist.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Review Date: 5/4/2024
Reviewed By: Fred K. Berger, MD, addiction and forensic psychiatrist, Scripps Memorial Hospital, La Jolla, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Videos
Browse All
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm
- Abdominal pain
- ACL injury
- Acne
- Adenoid removal
- Adolescent depression
- After your child's ear tube su...
- After your child's inguinal he...
- After your child's tonsil or a...
- After your child's umbilical h...
- Alcoholic liver disease
- Allergic rhinitis
- Allergies
- Allergy testing
- Allergy to mold - animal dande...
- Alzheimer disease
- Anemia
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Anterior shoulder stretch
- Anti-reflux surgery
- Appendectomy
- Appendicitis
- Arm reach
- Arthritis
- Asperger syndrome
- Asthma
- Asthma - children
- Atopic dermatitis
- Atrial fibrillation
- Attention deficit hyperactivit...
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Basal cell carcinoma
- Before a child's tonsil or ade...
- Bipolar disorder
- Breast cancer
- Breast engorgement
- Breast self-exam
- Breastfeeding
- Bronchitis
- Bronchoscopy
- Cardiac catheterization
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Cataracts
- Cerebral palsy
- Cervical cancer
- Chest pain
- Childhood obesity
- Cholesterol and triglyceride t...
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary ...
- Cluster headache
- Cold treatments for kids
- Colon cancer
- Colon cancer screening
- Colorectal polyps
- Common cold
- Concussion
- Crohn disease
- C-section
- Cystic fibrosis
- Cystic fibrosis - nutritional ...
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Dialysis
- Diarrhea
- Ear infection - acute
- Ear infection - chronic
- Ear tube insertion
- Earache
- Electrocardiogram
- Endometriosis
- Enlarged adenoids
- Enlarged prostate
- Epilepsy
- Erection problems
- Essential hypertension
- External rotation with band
- Fibromyalgia
- Flu
- Food poisoning
- Foot pain
- Gallstones
- Gastroesophageal reflux diseas...
- Gastroesophageal reflux in inf...
- Getting rid of lice in the hom...
- Glaucoma
- Hardening of arteries
- HbA1c
- Head injury
- Head lice
- Healthy Guide to Fast Food
- Hearing loss
- Heart attack
- Heart failure
- Heel pain
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Hernia
- Herniated disk
- Hip joint replacement
- Hodgkin lymphoma
- How do ear tubes come out?
- How to remove a splinter
- How to stop bedwetting
- How to treat a nosebleed
- How to treat a sunburn
- How to use a peak flow meter
- How to use a pill cutter
- How to use eye drops
- How to use nasal sprays
- Hypertension
- Hyperthyroidism
- Hypothyroidism
- Hysterectomy
- Infant formulas
- Inguinal hernia repair
- Inhaler with no spacer - adult...
- Inhaler with no spacer - child...
- Inhaler with spacer - adults
- Inhaler with spacer - child
- Insomnia
- Internal rotation with band
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Isometric
- Kidney stones
- Knee joint replacement
- Let's talk about pink eye
- Lung cancer
- Lyme disease
- Melanoma
- Menopause
- Migraine
- Multiple sclerosis
- Nasal congestion
- Neck pain
- Newborn jaundice
- NICU consultants and support s...
- Nuclear stress test
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Pap smear
- Pendulum exercise
- Peptic ulcer
- Pharyngitis
- Plantar fasciitis
- Pneumonia
- Pregnancy care
- Prepare for your child's ear t...
- Prepare for your child's herni...
- Prostate cancer
- Psoriasis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Rotator cuff problems
- Sciatica
- Scoliosis
- Seizures
- Shingles
- Shoulder blade retraction
- Shoulder blade retraction with...
- Shoulder pain
- Sinusitis
- Sleep disorders
- Smoking tips to quit
- Spinal stenosis
- Stent
- Storing breast milk
- Strep throat
- Stretching back of your should...
- Stroke
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Tension headache
- The difference between a cold ...
- Tips on buying cold and flu me...
- Tips on removing ear wax
- Tonsillectomy
- Tonsillitis
- Tracking your blood pressure a...
- Treating congestion in babies...
- Treating eyelid bumps
- Type 1 diabetes
- Type 2 diabetes
- Ulcerative colitis
- Understanding cholesterol resu...
- Up the back stretch
- Urinary incontinence
- Uterine fibroids
- Vacation health care
- Varicose veins
- Venous insufficiency
- Wall push-up
- Wall stretch
- Warts
- What are hives?
- What are night terrors?
- What causes wheezing?
- What in the world is a neti po...
- What is tennis elbow?
- What makes your heart beat?
- What to do when kids put thing...
- What to do when kids put thing...
- What to do when something gets...
Animations
Browse All
- Allergies
- Alzheimer disease
- Ankle ligament injury
- Arrhythmias
- Atherosclerosis
- Athetosis resulting from basal...
- Balloon angioplasty - short se...
- Bladder function - neurologica...
- Blinking
- Blood clotting
- Blood flow
- Blood pressure
- Bone fracture repair
- Brain components
- Breast lift
- Breathing
- Bunion
- Cancer of the throat or larynx...
- Cardiac conduction system
- Cardiomyopathy
- Cardiovascular system
- Cataract
- Cell division
- Cerebral aneurysm
- Cesarean section
- Components of skin
- Conception - general
- Conception - pregnancy
- Conception of identical twins...
- Concussion
- Corneal injury
- Coronary artery bypass graft (...
- Coronary artery disease
- Cosmetic surgery of the face
- Coughing
- Diabetes - retinal conditions...
- Digestion
- Directional coronary atherecto...
- Early labor
- Egg cell production
- Egg production
- Endocrine glands
- Enlarged prostate gland
- Epinephrine and exercise
- Exercise
- Feeling pain
- Fetal ear development
- Formation of twins
- Gas exchange
- Glaucoma
- Gout
- Hearing
- Hearing and the cochlea
- Heart bypass surgery
- Heart formation
- Heartbeat
- Heartburn
- Herniated nucleus pulposus (sl...
- Homeostasis
- Human face formation
- Hypertension - overview
- Immune response
- Kidney stones
- Kids - How big is the baby?
- Kids - How does the baby come ...
- Kids - Is it a girl or boy?
- Kids - Umbilical cord
- Kids - Where do babies come fr...
- Liposuction
- Lymph nodes
- Lymphatics and the breast
- Macular degeneration
- Muscle types
- Nerve conduction
- Nervous system formation
- Nutrient exchange
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Ovulation
- Parkinson disease
- Percutaneous transluminal coro...
- Peristalsis
- Phagocytosis
- Pituitary gland
- Placenta delivery
- Placenta formation
- Preeclampsia
- Pregnancy
- Red blood cell production
- Reflex response
- Retina
- Retinal detachment
- Rupturing membranes
- Seeing
- Sexual differentiation
- Shoulder joint dislocation
- Skeletal formation
- Skeletal muscle
- Skeletal system components
- Skin conditions
- Smelling
- Smoking
- Snoring
- Sperm production
- Sperm release pathway
- Stomach ulcer
- Stomach ulcer
- Stroke
- Stroke - secondary to cardioge...
- Sun's effect on skin
- Swallowing
- Sweating
- Tachycardia
- Tasting
- The role of amniotic fluid
- Tobacco use - effects on arter...
- Twin-to-twin transfusion syndr...
- Ultrasound
- Urination
- Vaccines
- Vaginal delivery