Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

The ability of our brain to focus and concentrate on a single task depends on the structure or our brain. Most of us are able to ignore distractions and focus our attention at a task in hand. But sometimes the harmonious growth of the brain is hampered in children and these children grow up to become restless, clumsy and inattentive. When this kind of behaviour stretches beyond a certain limit, its undesirable results are noticed in the child and the people around him. Such children are said to be suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Main Symptoms of ADHD

The following are some of the symptoms of ADHD:

These children are generally careless. Due to lack of attention and careless behaviour, they make silly mistakes.
They are unable to concentrate while studying, talking or playing.
They are unable to maintain a steady gaze.
They do not pay attention to instructions given to them neither do they listen to these instructions completely.
They answer (usually wrongly) before one has finished asking them a question.
Work/play that demands total concentration is disliked e.g. drawing, homework, reading etc.
They usually forget or lose things due to absentmindedness.
They do not sit in one place. If forced to do so, they become restless and agitated.
In school and at home they are constantly running around.
They are constantly falling down/-climbing up/ jumping around/ running helter skelter etc.
These children are constantly picking up things around them / breaking things or throwing things around.
They are unable to maintain healthy relations and usually pick fights with friends. This leads it their being ignored and left out by others.

Some of this behaviour may be observed in normal children too. Some of it can be observed in children of a specific age group e.g. 1- 1 ½ year old children pick up any and every thing within their reach and throw it or break it. Children between 2 - 2 ½ years are usually moving around while having their food.
However if most of the above-mentioned behaviour is observed in your child and if it has been present for more then 6 months, then there is a possibility that your child suffers from ADHD.

Lack of concentration and attention lead to numerous everyday problems such as:

Managing the child becomes difficult for the family.
Due to lack of concentration the child's studies are negatively affected. Lack of concentration also leads to constant unwanted activity in class. Thus the schoolteacher has an unfavourable opinion about the child and he/she gets labelled as undisciplined and mischievous.
These children do not get along with other children. They are usually seen as either disrupting others play or they do not play according to other children's expectations. This makes them either lonely or irritable.
Since they do not get along with anyone at home or at school or with friends, their self-confidence level falls down and their feeling of loneliness increases.
In a severe case of ADHD, the child's performance at school is badly affected and his/her intellectual development may also be hampered.

Situational or False ADHD

The surrounding environment can cause even normal children to behave as described above e.g.

If the environment at home or school is extremely dull, unexciting, and without novelty then children tend to get bored and become restless.
Sometimes there is exaggerated disciplining at school or at home e.g. keeping quite all the time or over emphasis on tidiness etc are rules, which must be followed. Such an environment does not allow children to act or behave normally and they may appear to be restless and fidgety.
If the people at home or teachers in school and older members are less active or less enthusiastic, then a normal, active child may seem as hyper active or abnormal.
Children who suffer from specific illness like thyroid disorder; anaemia (iron deficiency in blood); epilepsy, malnutrition etc are unable to concentrate. They may be irritable or constantly fidgety. However such behaviour is only temporary.

This makes it necessary to understand exactly which are the types of symptoms observed in your child. Before you attach the label of ADHD to your child. Find out whether his/her behaviour is similar to what is mentioned above (false). Once you have confirmed that the surrounding environment is not forcing your child to behave in a particular manner, then it is time to consider other causes for his/her behaviour. You then need to consult an expert.

Very often our inability to manage children's behaviour is also wrongly diagnosed and labelled as a disorder. At the same time, some parents can be in denial when their child is correctly diagnosed as suffering from a mental illness. This denial can result into unwanted complications if the child is not given appropriate treatment. Thus it is imperative that parents are at all times well aware, informed and cautious while analysing their child's difficult behaviour.

Original Author-Dr. Bhushan Shukla (Psychiatrist)
Translate by – Ms.Nilima Barde (Psychologist)