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ADHD Characteristics

I have created an ADHD Characteristics chart. It will give more detail when describing the symptoms: Inattentive, Hyperactive and Implusive.

The three core symptoms of ADHD are a little too abstract for daily use.
It is hard to deal with misbehavior when it is described in a general way like this. I wanted to make it easier to talk about the symptoms of ADHD.

I broke down the ADHD symptoms into talking points. Each point is a few words showing the relationship between ADHD symptoms and real life situations. I call them ADHD Characteristics.

Lets Look at Real Life Situations

If a child is misbehaving a care taker can describe the situation in a few different ways. Each example is more detailed
They can say:

1. “the child is being hyperactive.”
This is a general statement. It is true but it does not give much information on the situation. To treat the problem we need more information.

2. “the child fidgets all the time.”
This is a characteristic of hyperactivity. It is more specific. You know that the hyperactivity is fidgeting rather than running around or being loud. The situation is taking shape with more detail. You can address the fidgeting using many different techniques and treatments.

3. “the child often fidgets with hands and feet or squirms in seat.”
This is a sign of hyperactivity and sheds even more light on the problem. It is a description of what it actually looks like to be hyperactive.
With this information you can provide a direct treatment to improve the situation.

When you know what, when and why you can form treatments for the problem.
In this case you could ask them to stop fidgeting, provide activities that reduce the causes of the fidgeting, providing a more comfortable seat and so on.

A Call for More Detail

By drilling down into detail and outlining the ADHD characteristics and signs of the situation. You can treat the issue directly.
Often when you ask a parent:
“What symptoms is the child having?”
You get answers like:
“Oh, they are hyper all the time.”
“They are just ADHD.”
"They are being bad, I can't help it, Its the ADHD."

Using the criteria list for ADHD in the DSM-IV. The list the doctors use in the definition of ADHD. I gave a name to each level of detail for the symptoms of ADHD. I grouped them into three degrees of detail.
It groups as follows:

The First Degree of a symptom is simply called an ADHD Symptom.
– The core symptoms of ADHD. (Ex. Inattention, Hyperactivity and Impulsivity.)

The Second Degree of a symptom is called an ADHD Characteristic.
– A few word description the symptom. (Eg. Poor attention to detail, restlessness, interruption.) All Characteristics fall under one of the three ADHD Symptoms.

The Third Degree of a symptom is called an ADHD Sign.
– The the symptom in a real life situation. (eg. makes careless mistakes in school, work, or other activities, often runs about or climbs excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate, often blurts out answers before questions have been completed.) Each sign falls under a certain ADHD Characteristic.

What follows is a chart of the 3 degrees:
ADHD Symptoms, ADHD Characteristics and ADHD Signs.
char grid

Symptom	Characteristic	Sign
Inattentive	poor attention to detail	Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in school, work, or other activities
	loss of interest	Often have difficulty sustaining attention and tasks or play activities
	unable to listen	Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
	does not finish	Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish school work, chores, or duties in the workplace
	unorganized	Often have difficulty organizing tasks and activities, doesn’t know what to do next
	avoids work	Often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort
	loses things	Often loses things necessary for tasks or activities (e.g., toys, school assignments, pencils, books, or tools)
	easily distracted	Often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli
	forgetful	Often forgetful in daily activities
Hyperactive	fidgets	Often fidgets with hands or feet or squirmed in seat
	leaves seat	gets up at inappropriate times, stands due to discomfort
	restlessness	Often runs about or climbs excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate
	loud	Often has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly
	high energy	Often “on the go” or often acts as if “driven by a motor”
	talks a lot	Often talks excessively
Impulsive	interruption	Often blurts out answers before questions have been completed
	can’t wait	Often has difficulty awaiting turn
	invasion	Often interrupts or intrudes on others (e.g., but into conversations or games)

What are we to do with all of this information?

If you are familiar with the behaviors that each individual presents then you can treat those behaviors directly.

As you get more detailed in what your problems are you will find that the causes will be more specific too.

The caveat is:
Not all signs, characteristics, or even symptoms are caused by ADHD. ADHD related disorders are weeded out by a proper ADHD diagnosis.

You may find the fidgeting is caused by other problems and not ADHD. The child may be fidgeting because they ate five cookies and a can of pop for lunch. They might eat that every day at lunch time and spend the rest of the day being “hyper”. The hyperactivity may be due to a neurological disorder or even side effects from medication.

The reason I get so detailed is that I want to truly understand what is causing the symptoms of ADHD in each situation. The only way you can do that is by getting into the nitty gritty of each situation. This detailed language makes it easier for you to find the cause of the ADHD symptom. It seems complicated at first but once you are familiar with the chart and many of the situations. You will find many more solutions to control ADHD.

It is not just as easy as saying: “she’s ADHD” every time they act up.
Knowing your child's ADHD characteristics and signs of ADHD will arm you with a detailed knowledge of what is happening.

You can use that knowledge to take action using the many treatments for ADHD.

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