ADHD affects around 11.4% of children in the U.S, according to poll data from 2022. Boys are diagnosed more frequently than girls, although new studies suggest girls are underdiagnosed because they don’t display the same symptoms as boys.
Our understanding of ADHD has grown greatly in the last decade. Gone are the assumptions that someone has to be the class troublemaker, rowdy, and loud to be diagnosed with ADHD. Now, we understand that ADHD can affect the quiet kids, too.
As a parent, if you have a child who is struggling, you might wonder if it’s ADHD. The only way to know for sure is to get them tested by a licensed child psychologist. These are comprehensive exams, and the psychologist can recommend the best course of treatment.
Treating childhood ADHD is very possible. Kids who get treatment earlier on are more likely to thrive as adults. Although ADHD is a lifelong disorder, treatment (especially treatment given at a young age) can significantly reduce symptoms and promote important life skills.
The first step is getting diagnosed, so let’s dive into the early signs of ADHD.
How Do I Know if My Child Has ADHD?
Most researchers agree that ADHD is present from birth. For more severe cases, children may be diagnosed before entering elementary school.
However, most children are diagnosed around elementary school. Before elementary school, the most common signs of ADHD, such as impulsivity, inattentiveness, and hyperactivity, are common and age-appropriate.
You don’t expect a 2-year-old to sit through a class. You do, however, expect a 6-year-old to sit through normal 1st grade activities, like story time or short worksheets.
It’s around age 5 and 6 that the developmental issues kids with ADHD face start to show. Whereas other kids are able to wait in line for the water fountain, sit through story time, and follow basic instructions, kids with ADHD get in trouble for running around, zoning out, and forgetting basic instructions.
Early Signs of ADHD
There are many reasons why you might be concerned that your child has ADHD. Some common ones we hear from parents are:
They can’t stay on task.
A typical ADHD symptom, the ADHD child will be unable to stay on task, whether that task is finishing their meal, doing homework, or even watching TV. They may drift off during conversation or wander off when doing something.
They’re always daydreaming.
Daydreaming is commonly found in girls with ADHD. Instead of running around, they’re more restless in their mind and prone to zone out during conversations, staring out a window, for example.
They’re always losing things.
How many lunch boxes have been left at school? How many jackets are abandoned in a locker? If you are constantly having to send your child back inside to grab their school bag, they might have ADHD.
Consider what is age-appropriate. A kindergartner will forget their things, certainly. But if your child is forgetting their things nearly every day, multiple times a day, it could be a sign that something is wrong.
You have to supervise them during multi-step tasks.
Even something as simple as “put away your shoes and then pull out your homework” won’t get finished. They might start the first item but get lost somewhere in between. Kids with ADHD have a hard time remembering directions, and staying on task through a multi-step task can be difficult.
They lash out when they don’t get their way.
Kids with ADHD have trouble with emotional regulation more than most kids. As a result, they may lash out by hitting, crying, or running away when things don’t go their way. They may feel bad about it afterward or frustrated at themselves for acting that way. Often, the behavior isn’t actually malicious. It’s an impulse they have trouble controlling.
They’re constantly moving.
All kids are wiggly. But kids with ADHD may go to extreme lengths to move their bodies. They may climb on inappropriate or dangerous things, be unaware of their body as they’re running and trip or run into people, and have a really hard time sitting still during calm activities, even if it’s an activity they enjoy like watching TV.
Little things get them overwhelmed.
Things like loud noises, bright overhead lights, or big crowds can easily overwhelm your little ones with ADHD. ADHD is not actually a deficit of attention but rather an overloading amount of attention. Kids with ADHD can’t filter the important from the unimportant. So if you’re trying to tell them to hold your hand in the grocery store when there are people around, someone’s talking over the loudspeaker, and there’s music playing overhead, they might not be able to understand you.
They really hate wearing certain clothes.
ADHD comes with sensitivities to some textures, lights, and sounds. This might mean that your child will absolutely not wear that nice Sunday shirt or may only wear one specific sweatshirt. This is commonly seen in winter when kids have to bundle up with many layers of uncomfortable, stifling clothing. Kids with ADHD may refuse to wear a coat.
They struggle to make friends.
The developmental delay of ADHD can make it hard for kids with it to make friends. They struggle with taking turns, interrupting their peers, sharing, and understanding social cues, all important parts of play at this age. All of this can lead to conflicts and make other kids in their class not want to hang out with them as much. Loneliness is often a good external cue that your kid has ADHD.
Kids with ADHD will struggle more than just in the classroom. It can be impossible to get them to finish their meal or put them to bed. They may run out into the road without looking both ways. They’re unable to stay in after-school activities because of their inability to follow complex directions.
ADHD is a developmental disorder, but it can affect all areas of their lives.
If you think your child has ADHD, reach out to Lifebulb Counseling. We have ADHD specialists who can diagnose and treat ADHD.
