10 Traits of Kids with ADHD

Tips For Parents With ADHD Children

Most people associate children and teens with ADHD with hyperactivity, or the inability to sit still. However, there are many traits in kids with ADHD that you probably wouldn’t recognize and might surprise you. Symptoms manifest differently in different children, depending on severity, age, treatments and more. Once you learn the most common traits associated with ADHD, you’ll be able to better understand the condition and generate more understanding for the children and teens with ADHD.

Here are 10 typical traits of kids with ADHD and potential signs your teen has ADHD

Trait #1. Poor time management skills

Children and teens with ADHD have a difficult time with gauging how long a task will take or how to divide up tasks so they can get done. Their brains function differently from other people and it’s harder for them to mentally organize their time. Often, checklists and reminders work well to help children and teens with ADHD to build time management skills that stick.

Trait #2. Disorganized

The same hindrances in time management also affect a child or teen with ADHD’s ability to organize physically, from books and toys to work files and accounts.

Trait #2. Difficulty establishing learning habits

Because ADHD affects neurotransmitters, it makes it more difficult for those with ADHD to imprint the things they need to learn. It may take a child with ADHD up to 20 times longer to learn something that a more typical student

Trait #3. Impulsive communication

Children and teens with ADHD are often creative and impulsive, which makes it harder for them to engage in steady one-on-one communication. They may be so vocal that they shut others out, or constantly interrupt when another is talking.

Trait #4. Inattention

Inattention is when a child or teen has difficulty paying attention to details in school or during work. It includes careless mistakes, inability to keep focused on the task, procrastination and forgetfulness. At the school level, it often means missed assignments and low test grades due to mistakes.

Trait #5. Impatience

Those with ADHD struggle with waiting, such as waiting in line, waiting for a turn or waiting for someone to return, like a parent or teacher. Impatience can often transition into the child or teen’s inability to sit still and they feel like they need to do something else to occupy the time.

Trait #6. Impulsiveness

Impulsive behavior is closely tied to impatience and often includes blurting out answers, interrupting speakers, inability to share (like a toy or the swing) and telling others the punch line of a joke or the end of a story before it is revealed.

Trait #7. Easily Distracted

Even if a child or teen with ADHD is wholly focused on a task, it doesn’t take much for them to move on to something else. When they are distracted, it makes it that much more difficult for them to return to the first task and finish it.

Trait #8. Frustration

Because so much of ADHD includes a struggle to fit into social situations and failing, children and teens often face rejection, and therefore frustration. Frustrated children and teens can be rude and sarcastic, and might include tantrums in younger children and moodiness in teens.

Trait #9. Hyperactivity

This is the main trait that people associate with ADHD, but it may not look like what people envision. Hyperactivity in children and teens doesn’t mean tantrums and running around all the time. Generally, it means having difficulty playing quietly, talking too much, fidgeting, frequently leaving the desk or table, and overall restlessness.

Trait #10. Secondary conditions

Children and teens with ADHD are more likely to experience anxiety and depression, which are secondary conditions that need professional intervention in order to make sure they don’t add to the challenges the child or teen faces.

Request Free Admissions Information

Step 1 of 3 - Your Contact Info

Written by Natalie

26 Feb, 2014

Recent Posts

Is My Teenager’s Behavior Normal?

Is My Teenager’s Behavior Normal?

It is natural for parents to seek assurance that their children are behaving normally or as expected for their age group. Likely, it is a holdover from closely watching infants and young children to ensure they were hitting developmental milestones. And for parents of...

How Soon Can My Son Come Back From A Residential Treatment Center?

How Soon Can My Son Come Back From A Residential Treatment Center?

One of the top questions parents ask when considering a residential treatment center for their teenage son is how long does their teen need to attend. However, that isn't an easy question to answer. In general, we here at Help Your Teen Now can tell you the ballpark...

Coronavirus: Is My Teenager Safe To Go To A Resident Care Center?

Coronavirus: Is My Teenager Safe To Go To A Resident Care Center?

As public schools close and move students to online settings due to coronavirus, there are growing concerns that this means young children and teens are at risk of coronavirus. Along with these concerns, parents of troubled teens have reached out to us here at Help...

8 Healthy Habits To Help Teens Overcome Their Struggles

8 Healthy Habits To Help Teens Overcome Their Struggles

The formation of healthy habits are best learned early, and as your teen prepares to become a young adult, what better time to learn than now? However, the teenage years are also marked with a variety of struggles as teens try to explore who they are and who they want...

6 Ways To Help Your Son Develop Social Skills

6 Ways To Help Your Son Develop Social Skills

The teenage years are often tricky, and with more socializing done via technology, some teen boys struggle to develop the social skills that girls often find easier to acquire. Also, many boys aren’t taught how to socialize outside of playing sports together, making...

You May Also Like…

Internet Addiction and Teens

Internet Addiction and Teens

Teen internet addiction, also known as gaming addiction or online addiction, includes a range of issues dealing with...

Difference between ADHD and ODD

Difference between ADHD and ODD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiance disorder (ODD) are disorders that are...

Setting Goals With Teens

Setting Goals With Teens

Some of the most successful people have figured out that setting and reaching professional, personal or educational...

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *