The term ADHD has been overly used recently. By parents, teachers and sometimes even by the youngsters themselves. What is it really? If a child is energetic and maybe sometimes a bit mischievous, does that mean that he or she has ADHD? Not really. Firstly it is important to point out that there are three different types of attention and over activity disorders, not all of which involve bad behaviour.
Attention Deficit Disorder (more commonly known as ADD or the inattentive type) is more commonly seen in girls than boys and is more difficult to detect than ADHD. A child with ADD would find it difficult to sustain attention in different tasks, may seem careless in schoolwork, does not seem to listen properly when spoken to, finds it difficult to complete tasks, follow instructions or organizing tasks and activities. The child would most likely avoid tasks that require sustained mental effort, lose things, get very easily distracted by anything or anyone and be forgetful in daily activities. It is important to note here that these do not all have to be present in order for the child to be diagnosed with ADD, so the opinion of a professional is always a good idea if you suspect anything of the sort.
The other two types will be explained in the following blog.