"Is he just a lively kid? Or is his hyperactivity a cause for concern?" 

One of the questions I keep being asked by parents is whether their child has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or do they just have a boisterous, very active, child on their hands? Gradually more is becoming known about ADHD, since it is now more widely accepted and recognised as a genuine disability needing treatment and understanding. And whilst this brings comfort to some parents it has raised the anxiety level of others.

Like so many ‘invisible’ disabilities ADHD is characterized by a number of symptoms. And here I urge caution: some of the symptoms which may indicate a child has ADHD encompass behavioural indicators which show themselves in most children at one time or another. So, don’t overreact too hastily. Also, note that a child with ADHD will sometimes have many of the same difficulties as the child with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), such as being easily frustrated and distracted or disorganized and losing things. The difference is that the child with ADHD is hyperactive as well.

Hyperactivity can manifest itself in many ways. And so we need to establish just what hyperactivity entails. All kids are restless, fidgety, forever on the go, and at times find it hard to sit still in class or at the table, especially when they are anxious or distressed. But if a child has ADHD it is like being caught in a whirlwind of activity and these symptoms and the behavioural difficulties that result form them are present all the time. Parents who have a child with ADHD tell me how they dread his arrival home because of the chaos which follows. They describe how they have to protect their younger children from the repercussions. How the siblings have to be helped to cope in a way often beyond their understanding, since every game is interrupted and they never have a peaceful family meal.

A child with ADHD may need very little sleep. And I heard over and over again of such children who have enormous energy from the moment they wake up. This is not the occasional difficult night all parents know about. Constant lack of peaceful sleep was one of the main things parents reported as a major characteristic of ADHD.

So be circumspect before coming to a conclusion, particularly as very often normally lively children may be picked on in unfair ways by exasperated people outside the family. One mother reported how she was told: ‘That child has a real problem - he has that hyperactivity thing and he should be on drugs to calm him down.’ And, as one father warned: ‘Watch out for schools - as soon as a child is a bit of a problem or challenge, parents are called in and told their child has ADHD.’

Remember, all children show occasional behavioural problems, so don’t jump too quickly to conclusions. A diagnosis should only be made by someone who is properly qualified to give one, a professional experienced in looking at the whole picture so as to avoid a misdiagnosis. Only after a lengthy and detailed observation of a child should the diagnosis of ADHD be made.

© Jill Curtis 2003

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