Question
When a child’s behavior resembles ADHD, how should it be evaluated?
Answer
Quick identification methods for ADHD include:
- Attention Focus: Children with ADHD cannot maintain focus for long periods, regardless of the setting, including not being able to concentrate on TV, movies, or comic books; in contrast, normal hyperactive children can focus fully on one thing and dislike being interrupted.
- Purposefulness of Activity: Children with ADHD often act without clear purpose, showing childishness,capricious, poor self-control, and easily getting upset over small matters, being temperamental and impulsive without considering the consequences; on the other hand, normal hyperactive children have purposeful actions, planfulness, and some self-control, and do not randomly get upset.
- Learning Difficulties: Children with ADHD often encounter difficulties in areas such as writing words, distinguishing left from right, colors, and spatial orientation, and may misread sentences or have loose thinking and poor attention; in contrast, normal children do not exhibit these symptoms and can concentrate on completing one thing.