ADHD is associated with abnormal, persistent symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsiveness that cause educational, social and emotional problems.
Children with ADHD have difficulty learning, communicating and interacting. Because of this, they may have problems at school, may find it difficult to make and keep friends, and can be unpopular with their peers and teachers because of their challenging behaviour.
Children with ADHD may show mainly symptoms of inattention, or of hyperactivity and impulsiveness or, more commonly, both.
To qualify as ADHD, these problems:
Some children only have problems with inattention and some (actually very few) only have problems with hyperactivity and impulsiveness, but many have a combination of both types.
The term "hyperkinetic disorder" is also sometimes used to describe those children with severe ADHD associated with significant hyperactivity.
Visit our resource centre for useful information and helpful activities for parents, teachers and teenagers living with ADHD.