ATTENTION-DEFICIT/ HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER

Overview Of Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder 

The essential feature Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder is a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequently displayed and more severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development.

  Symptoms / Characteristics Of Attention-deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder Inattention

* Inattention

ØInattention may be manifest in academic, occupational or social situations.

ØIndividuals with this disorder may fail to give close attention to details or may make careless mistakes in schoolwork or other tasks.

ØWork is often messy and performed carelessly and without considered thought.

ØOften have difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities and often find it hard to persist with tasks until completion.

ØOften appear as if their mind is elsewhere or as if they are not listening or did not hear what has just been said.

ØMay be frequently shifts from one uncompleted activity to another.

ØOften do not follow through on requests or instructions and fail to complete schoolwork, chores or other duties.

ØOften have difficulties organizing tasks and activities.

-ØTasks that require sustained mental effort are experienced as unpleasant and markedly. As a result, these individuals typically avoid or have a strong dislike for activities that demand sustained self-application and mental effort or that require organizational demands or close concentration (eg homework or paperwork).

ØWork habits are often disorganized and the materials necessary for doing the task are often scattered, lost or carelessly handled and managed.

ØEasily distracted by irrelevant stimuli and frequently interrupt ongoing tasks to attend to trivial noises or events that are usually and easily ignored by others (eg a car honking, a background conversation)

ØOften forgetful in daily activities (eg missing appointment, forgetting to bring lunch).

ØIn social situation, inattention may be expressed as frequent shifts in conversation, not listening to others, not keeping one’s mind on conversation, and not following details or rules of games or activities.