Many times it happens that, before a child who is moving all the time incessantly, the label of an overactive child is often put (possibly wrongly). But this is not the case, since the child may simply be restless and not have any serious problem of impulsivity. So, When can we say that a child has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?.
In a very generic and simple way, we could talk about hyperactivity when we see a behavior on the part of the child where there is a great concernas well as a lack of high attention and great impulsiveness.
However, it should be clarified that hyperactivity or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder, so it should be treated as something very serious and not as something that we can use without having knowledge of its main characteristics.
ADHD usually begins between two and six years and persists throughout life, although the symptoms can improve greatly during adolescence, although we must bear in mind that derivatives of hyperactivity can arise different problems that should be treated properly. as soon as possible.
In the child who has ADHD has a way of behaving that persists over time. This means that, if we notice that our son or daughter is somewhat restless for a more or less long time and then, spontaneously, this behavior disappears, we cannot say that he has ADHD.
ADHD characteristics
What is necessary to be able to say that a child has ADHD are mainly two. On the one hand we find a characteristic behavior of the child with ADHD, where we can observe lack of attention, excessive motor activity and impulsivity. These signs should occur for a prolonged period of time, as we have indicated before.
The second main characteristic that we should consider to talk about a possible case of ADHD is that the behaviors previously mentioned they must occur in various situations: the little one can not be so calm at home, playing with his toys or watching cartoons, and then restless when he goes to visit someone's house.
Detect ADHD
ADHD is usually detected more clearly when the school stage begins since it is when he joins the school when it is necessary for the child to be able to stay focused for increasingly longer times.
However, it is not the only place where you can check, since at the table during meals, when visiting with the family, on television, at the cinema or in any place or situation where the child must remain still .
For example, the child with ADHD is not able to sit for a long time in a chair at lunchtime or when asked to fill out a card in the classroom. Instead, the little one will be wandering around the dining room, the house or the class. We can also find cases where the child can be sitting in the chair while watching TV, but instead we see how he moves his legs, feet, hands, arms ..., nervously and compulsively.
We must not forget that, as we said at the beginning of this post, that the term “hyperactive” is often used interchangeably when we want to refer to children who are simply restless. The children who have ADHD are very special children and have a very striking symptomatology, and it is very important to be precise in terms and to carry out a rigorous and concrete diagnosis.
For all this, we must be very careful when we refer to the little ones, since it is very easy to label them, but removing it is not always so easy and in the end a self-fulfilling prophecy may be fulfilled.
