Signs of ADD or ADHD in Children

Teenagers and young children are filled with a seemingly limitless supply of spunk and energy, enough to make the world spin on its head. Some children tend to be impulsive, unorganized and immature. That's all part of growing up. However, there are other red flags that may signal something else is wrong with your child. ADD, attention deficit disorder or ADHD attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are common traits that thousands of people deal with on a daily basis. If you suspect your child is overly impulsive or goes through drastic mood swings, it's a good idea to take heed to the following information.

Children prone to excessive procrastination, those lacking a lot of the maturity for a specific age range, or are less able to manage peer interactions, may be dealing with ADD. There is help. First and foremost, when some people think of a child who is ADD, they envision an extremely hyperactive, loud-mouthed child who has difficulty respecting peer boundaries. This, however, is not always the case. Some children with ADD lack in the ability to maintain attention spans, but they are not hyperactive. Some very intelligent teens with ADD are even cast into a category of underachievers. Others with ADD go to the other extreme and spend entire nights trying to finish a science project that was assigned six weeks ago.

ADD and ADHD has different characteristics depending on age and gender. ADD and ADHD, for some individuals, appears with different behaviors in the teen years as opposed to pre-teen adolescence. Some children who were hyperactive as children lose that characteristic in their teen years. When considering gender, girls with ADD or ADHD, by and large, are often extremely moody, especially when the body phases through PMS week. These girls, often times, overreact with their emotions, are extremely sensitive when the slightest issue of stress is brought to light. Girls can become very argumentative and display difficulty with normal daily life events.