Does My Child Have Inattentive ADHD?

It has been calculated that a child with undiagnosed ADHD receives over 20,000 criticisms by the age of 20 just from teachers at school—e.g. stay in your seat, you need to pay attention, you were late handing in this assignment. Unfortunately, the child internalizes many of these criticisms and becomes his own biggest critic. This picture from the ADHD non-profit in Singapore shows the impact on a child who doesn’t thinks he is acceptable.

A sad boy with ADHD

How is ADHD Diagnosed?

Healthcare providers use the guidelines in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) to help diagnose ADHD. Here are the criteria in shortened form. Please note that they are presented just for your information. Only trained healthcare providers can diagnose or treat ADHD.

DSM-5 Criteria for Inattentive ADHD

Six or more symptoms of inattention for children up to age 16 years, or five or more for adolescents age 17 years and older and adults; symptoms of inattention have been present for at least 6 months, and they are inappropriate for developmental level:

• Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, at work, or with other activities.

• Often has trouble holding attention on tasks or play activities.

• Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly.

• Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (e.g., loses focus, side-tracked).

• Often has trouble organizing tasks and activities.

• Often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to do tasks that require mental effort over a long period of time (such as schoolwork or homework).

• Often loses things necessary for tasks and activities (e.g. school materials, pencils, books, tools, wallets, keys, paperwork, eyeglasses, mobile telephones).

• Is often easily distracted

• Is often forgetful in daily activities.

In addition, the following conditions must be met:

• Several inattentive symptoms were present before age 12 years.

• Several symptoms are present in two or more settings, (such as at home, school or work; with friends or relatives; in other activities).

• There is clear evidence that the symptoms interfere with, or reduce the quality of, social, school, or work functioning.

• The symptoms are not better explained by another mental disorder (such as a mood disorder, anxiety disorder, dissociative disorder, or personality disorder). The symptoms do not happen only during the course of schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder.

The Primarily Inattentive Child

by Primarily Inattentive ADD

Do you see that kid in the corner of the room. She is in 5th grade and is lost in her own thoughts.  She knows better than to look out the window.  She is staring straight ahead.  She has not heard a word the teacher has said.  She is thinking about why her teenage cousin is so obsessed with that boy with the funny hair.

Now everyone has reached for their math books.  Now all the math books are on the desks.  Now everyone is writing.  Where is my math book?  What page are they on?  Where is my pencil? She wonders.  She finally finds her book and her pencil and manages to sneak a look at the desk in front of her to find the correct page but the lesson is over.  The teacher is talking about homework.  She is confused and way behind.

Full article “The Primarily Inattentive Child”

Symptoms of Inattentive ADHD

“I’ve learned it’s important not to limit yourself. You can do whatever you really love to do, no matter what it is.” – Ryan Gosling, Actor with ADHD

The different types of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) display distinct symptoms and are diagnosed using specific differentiating criteria. Unlike hyperactive-impulsive ADHD, inattentive ADHD is often overlooked as children without ADHD can present similar behaviors from time to time. It’s important for both teachers and parents to identify and understand these symptoms from the outset to be prepared to take the appropriate next steps. To be formally diagnosed with inattentive ADHD, a child must exhibit six of the following nine symptoms across a range of environments within a period of six months with on set of symptoms seen before the age of 12 years.

For full article “Symptoms of Inattentive ADHD”

Can You Outgrow ADHD?

Is There an ADHD Spectrum?

by Understood

No two kids with ADHD are exactly alike. Their symptoms can vary in type and severity… This is why diagnosing ADHD can be tricky. ADHD isn’t an all-or-nothing thing. ….Kids whose symptoms fall on the more significant end of the spectrum might receive multiple treatments. These might include tutoring, ADHD medication and behavioral strategies. Kids with milder symptoms may receive only behavioral strategies.

Full article “Is there an ADHD spectrum?”

ADHD Across the Lifespan

by Sach Center

About 1/3 of children who are diagnosed with ADHD are said to no longer meet criteria for it when they reach adulthood. Still, this leaves a majority of the children diagnosed with ADHD, experiencing the symptoms throughout their life time. 

Full article “ADHD Across the Lifespan”

Is It Possible to Outgrow ADHD?

by Keith Low

ADHD changes over time, but it's rarely outgrown. It was once thought that children simply outgrow ADHD as they develop, mature, and age. We now know that although ADHD begins in childhood, troubling symptoms can continue into adolescence and beyond—throughout a person's life. 

Though ADHD is chronic in nature, symptoms may certainly present in differing ways as a person moves through life stages. These symptoms may even diminish as that person grows older—for example, ​hyperactivity and fidgetiness may decrease with age.

Full article “Do Kids Outgrow ADHD?”

Other Concerns and Conditions with ADHD

by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

ADHD often occurs with other disorders. Many children with ADHD have other disorders as well as ADHD, such as behavior or conduct problems, learning disorders, anxiety and depression.

The combination of ADHD with other disorders often presents extra challenges for children, parents, educators, and healthcare providers. Therefore, it is important for healthcare providers to screen every child with ADHD for other disorders and problems. 

Full article “Other Concerns and Conditions with ADHD”

What I Wish People Understood About
My Child With ADHD

by My Little Villagers

When I tell people that my daughter has ADHD, they automatically assume she is constantly running around nonstop like the Energizer Bunny and a nightmare for her teachers. Neither are true, of course. There are three types of ADHD:

1. Inattentive
2. Hyperactive-impulsive
3. Combined (what my daughter has)

While it is true that some children with ADHD may appear like they never stop moving, there is so much more to ADHD than that. ADHD affects children in many different ways and it is not something people can simply “see.” Besides not being able to focus well, there are many other issues that can coincide with ADHD, such as low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD).

For full article scroll below video at that web page “What I Wish People Understood”

Why is ADHD Missed in Girls [and Boys] ?

by The BBC

If girls are losing out because they have less stereotypical symptoms, they might not be the only ones: boys with purely Inattentive ADHD are probably being missed, too.

It’s a commonly held belief that girls are more likely to be inattentive than boys. But that’s a myth, says Elizabeth Owens, assistant clinical professor in the department of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. She says the current best evidence shows that rates of inattention are the same for boys and girls.

Full article “Why Is ADHD Missed?”

ADHD in Girls:
How to Recognize the Symptoms

Not Ditzy. Not Lazy.
And Definitely Not Dumb 

by ADDitude Magazine

Girls with ADHD are called many things before they ever receive an accurate diagnosis. Here is everything you need to know about ADHD in girls and women, so you – or your daughter – don’t slip through the cracks.

Full article “Not Ditzy. Not Lazy. And Definitely Not Dumb.”

Girls with ADHD Are Slipping
Through the Cracks

by Kathleen Nadeau, Ph.D.

ADHD in Girls: Overlooked?

For the source

(Self-Test)
The ADHD Symptom Test for Girls

by Kathleen Nadeau, Ph.D.

Girls with ADHD are more likely than their male counterparts to demonstrate inattentive symptoms. These inattentive girls are the ones staring out the window or picking their split ends or doodling incessantly when they should be listening in class. They may be called daydreamers or ditzy or worse. Early detection and effective treatment is essential to prevent real psychological damage.

Full article and self- test “[Self-Test] The ADHD Symptom Test for Girls”

Common Misconceptions About ADHD

by Dr. Robert J. Hudson, MD, FAAP (aka Dr. Bob)

ADHD is not a behavioral problem. All kids with ADHD are not alike

Every child is much more than the ADHD part. In children under 10 I prefer to use symptoms rather than diagnoses. A diagnosis puts a child in a box of preconceived and misconceived concepts. No two children with an ADHD label are the same, have the same personalities or challenges. In addition, a diagnosis of ADHD is very limiting (six of nine symptoms in either inattention or hyperactivity categories is mandatory to meet diagnostic criteria). What if your child has four of one and five of the other? No ADHD diagnosis but the child is still struggling and suffering with these symptoms; so, you do nothing? With a focus only on the ADHD symptoms much of who your child really is may be overlooked. A more wholistic approach of behavior and learning assessment is the best practice.

For full article My Little Villagers which is also a good website for parents

Is It ADHD or Immaturity?

by Caroline Miller

Several studies in recent years have found that children who are among the youngest in their class are diagnosed with ADHD at a much higher rate than their older classmates.

This suggests that a significant percentage of kids with ADHD are being misdiagnosed just because they are less mature. It raises important questions about how kids are being diagnosed, and how to avoid misinterpreting the behavior of children who might be having trouble meeting expectations just because they are younger.

Full article “Is It ADHD or Immaturity?”

ADHD Symptoms at Different Ages

It’s not always easy to spot ADHD symptoms. That’s partly because everyone acts in ways that can look like ADHD from time to time. But kids and adults with ADHD (also known as ADD) struggle a lot more with these behaviors than other people their age.

Full article “ADHD symptoms at different ages”

ADHD in Grade School: 4 Signs You Might See

by Amanda Morin

Are you concerned your grade-schooler has ADHD ? There are a lot of things you might notice beyond kids being fidgety or “ hyper .” Here are signs of ADHD you might see in grade school.

Full article “ADHD in Grade School: 4 Signs You Might See“

Early Warning Signs of ADHD

Most experts agree that the tendency to develop ADHD is present from birth, yet ADHD behaviors are often not noticed until children enter elementary school. One reason for this delay is the fact that nearly all preschool-aged children frequently exhibit the core behaviors or symptoms of ADHD—inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity—as part of their normal development. As other children gradually begin to grow out of such behaviors, children with ADHD do not, and this difference becomes increasingly clear as the years pass.

The end of the article focuses on what parents of children with Inattentive ADHD say.

Full article “Early Warning Signs of ADHD-“

The Other Face of ADHD: Inattentive Type

by Dr. Barbara Howard

The children most likely to be diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are the obvious ones: stir crazy after a bit of time in the waiting room, in trouble at school, and bouncing off the walls at home.

It is children with the other face of ADHD–technically diagnosed as ADHD, predominantly inattentive type–who might be silently impaired and flying below the radar in your office and at school.

They are often diagnosed at older ages than children with ADHD predominantly characterized by hyperactivity and impulsivity, largely because their symptoms make them easy to overlook at school.

They don't get sent to the office, but might bring home report cards that seemingly fail to reflect their intelligence. Their work remains unfinished, and they seldom know the answer when called on in class. Yet if neuropsychological testing were performed, they would be likely to test in the normal range.

Full article “The Other Face of ADHD: Inattentive Type“

10 Symptoms Never to Ignore
with Childhood ADHD

More than six million children in the United States have been diagnosed with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Of these, about 60% also have other conditions, such as conduct disorders, anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, or learning disabilities. Some of the symptoms of these overlapping disorders are the same as for ADHD, which can make diagnosis difficult. However, it's important to find out if your child has another disorder, because early treatment can often help. Learn more about the childhood ADHD symptoms that might be signs of co-occurring conditions.

Full article “10 Symptoms Never to Ignore with Childhood ADHD“

A Day in the Life of a Child with ADHD

by Julie Rawe

A good depiction of a child with Inattentive ADHD except for the time frame where she is hyperactive, tapping her pen and shaking her leg.    

Meet Kayla, a seventh grader with ADHD . She’s a smart kid, but it’s hard for her to stay focused. … To understand some of the ways ADHD affects kids, take a look at a day in Kayla’s life.

Full article “A Day in the Life of a Child with ADHD“