4 ADHD Symptoms in Kids that Get Missed

You might know someone who has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or ADHD. You might even be someone who was recently diagnosed. It’s important, however, not to pigeonhole others who have ADHD or to assume your child doesn’t have it simply because he or she doesn’t fit the obvious profile. There are several ADHD symptoms in kids that may not be as recognizable.

Four to watch for are hyperfocus, difficulty with change or transition, talking excessively or appearing consistently impatient, and doesn’t seem to listen when spoken to directly.

Commonly missed ADHD symptoms in kids.

Here we will break down each of these ADHD symptoms in kids so that you can make an informed decision about whether to contact an educational psychologist for further assessment. At Spokane Christian Counseling, we would be happy to help you discern your next steps.

Hyperfocus.

Hyperfocus is not something many attribute to those with ADHD. It’s often just the opposite.

We tend to be familiar with stereotypical ADHD: a child can’t sit still in class, he or she has trouble sitting through a meal without popping out of his or her seat, and he or she blurts out answers without raising his or her hand. These are the behaviors that are more expected when it comes to ADHD.

However, there are three types of ADHD, and their symptoms vary. The three types include predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, predominantly inattentive, and a combined presentation. Traditionally, you hear about or meet people who have hyperactive-impulsive ADHD.

These children learn differently, and they often squirm, struggle to sit still when necessary, and interrupt often. A combination of symptoms, which are much more exhaustive than this, must be present in more than one environment for more than six months to be diagnosed.

Inattentiveness.

The second type of ADHD, inattentive, seems like what it sounds. You’d assume someone simply cannot pay attention for long periods to any one thing. However, this is a misnomer.

Children with inattentive ADHD can become hyperfocused on an activity that they enjoy, such as art, writing, or film, for long periods. While this can be a positive trait of inattentive ADHD, it can also cause a struggle when there are other activities or tasks to complete.

An example might be if a child who has ADHD focuses for long periods on building and engineering projects. He might be able to stay in his room for hours building, rearranging, or drawing. But when asked to switch gears and come to the dinner table, a meltdown or defiant attitude could be the norm. Unfortunately, it may not be just a typical behavior.

Intense feelings.

Your child may fluctuate between feelings of shame or guilt, low self-confidence, or general moodiness. While these are not necessarily indicative of an ADHD diagnosis, many children who go misdiagnosed or who are diagnosed later in their growing up are used to hearing negative aspects of their personhood.

They may have been told that they are impatient or too sensitive. Often, children with ADHD are told they lack discipline, motivation, or focus too much on themselves. Sadly, this can cause them to believe their worth is only in productivity and/or making others happy.

Heightened sensitivity.

Another area with which some children and teens with ADHD have to contend is a heightened level of sensitivity. Emotional dysregulation isn’t exclusive to those with ADHD, but it can seem like it at times.

All of us go through periods or seasons of emotional dysregulation, which is characterized by a struggle to control or regulate emotional responses when triggered by specific stimuli. To be clear, most people will have uncharacteristic emotions to specific triggers, but some children and teens with ADHD may experience heightened emotions that can be exacerbated by comments related to their lack.

For example, if a child hears that he or she is “too sensitive” or “too disorganized,” it’s easy to internalize that and have strong emotions when triggered by something that a parent or teacher would characterize as not a big deal. Children and teens who seem to have fluctuating moods or strong outbursts may also be dealing with depression or anxiety, which can make triggers of the outburst or moodiness difficult to pinpoint.

Struggles with decisions and motivation.

Your child or teen scores well on tests and gets good grades, but he or she struggles to make decisions, and motivation can be a problem.

Many very bright kids are missed in being diagnosed at a young age because their grades are too good. Unfortunately, the early literature on the subject of attention-deficit hyperactive disorder focused on poor school performance as a key indicator of ADHD.

From more recent evidence, researchers know that even students who do well on tests and get excellent grades can have undiagnosed ADHD.

Children can learn how to mask their struggles. They may not be very motivated, but they can pull out all the stops and get the work done. Or they may work very hard on an assignment, and it’s an assignment that took other students half the time to complete. Maybe your child scored high on it, but he or she spent much more effort than other students who achieve at about the same level.

Another possible indicator of ADHD is that your child struggles with decision-making. Of course, no parent wants to offer a 4-year-old five different options for lunch. Most parents and professionals who work with children regularly know that childhood is a time to offer a few choices, not multiple, so that kids don’t get confused.

However, a child with ADHD may struggle with decision paralysis when asked to make even just one choice.

One example is a teen who has spent the better part of his childhood in Boy Scouts of America. He enjoys the camping trips, hikes, and even the required fundraisers. But when faced with the choice of merit badges or achieving the next rank, he finds it hard to even make a decision about which one to pursue, much less do the planning and organization for it.

Making a decision also requires excellent working memory. This is simply the brain’s ability to remember options for a period of time necessary to choose one.

Other decision-making hindrances include difficulty sifting through too many options or dealing with the fall-out of having made a choice with a less-than-desired outcome. This may bring fear into the decision-making realm, which also acts as a form of paralysis. The fear of making a wrong choice or a choice with negative outcomes can be incapacitating.

On the flip side, a child with predominantly hyperactive ADHD or combined type ADHD can be impulsive. This means that decision-making may result in poor choice, which is negatively rewarded and then causes anxiety later.

Sleep issues.

Sleep is an issue for your child or teen. This may seem like a very generalized problem since many teens especially stay up late and then struggle to rise early in the morning. However, it is estimated that 75% of children and adults with ADHD have sleep problems.

A lack of regular circadian sleep means that there is a disruption in a child’s sleep-wake cycle. While research on the connection between sleep and ADHD is still ongoing, what brain science once thought was a separate issue may be linked to brain wiring.

This means that the sleep-wake cycles are disrupted in addition to other patterns of disruption, such as temperature, body movements, and even the timing of meals. Not everyone with ADHD has a sleep issue, but recent research suggests there is a very probable link between the two.

Treatment for children with ADHD.

Solutions to ADHD are as varied as the neurobiological background of children and teens themselves. This means that there are a variety of ways to treat ADHD. But first, you’ll need to have your child or teen evaluated for the brain-based biological disorder.

Often genetic, ADHD still needs a diagnosis from a trained psychologist to be able to find options for treatment.

At Spokane Christian Counseling, we will work with you and your child to help diagnose ADHD. Your counselor will likely work in tandem with your child’s pediatrician. There is no specific test that your child can take to let you or your doctor know if he or she has ADHD, but a variety of factors will be assessed to rule out other causes and determine the best course of treatment.

Some of the treatment options they may recommend include educational services, behavioral therapy, medication, and counseling. A combination of therapies may be recommended based on the age of your child and their individual needs.

Further assessment may be important to help come up with a holistic treatment plan that includes possible co-existing conditions. Practical tools and family awareness are also important parts of any treatment.

Tips to deal with decision-making.

Some practical steps that can help someone who struggles to make decisions are, first, to write down the problem in a journal. Once a child or teen can identify what the true problem is, he or she can face the options ahead.

Second, the simple act of writing down his or her thoughts about the problem will help your child or teen understand what he is facing and how he feels about it. Third, you and your child can make a list of the options and/or tasks necessary to complete a task or make a decision.

For example, if your child has a large project to complete, help him or her make a conclusive list of all the smaller tasks that are needed to finish the project. Then, help them decide how long it will take them to complete each smaller task. Writing out the time they need next to each task will help them have a wider vision of the entire amount of time it will take to complete the overall project.

Sometimes, decisions carry weight because of the amount of time they’ll take to do or make. This is an exercise that can especially help an older child or teen learn to decide what to take on and what to say no to as he grows and receives opportunities.

Other life skills that can help ADHD in kids.

Setting a self-imposed deadline. When a task feels overwhelming or a decision looms in the future, it’s easy to get stuck in overanalysis which leads to paralysis for some. Setting a deadline can give your child or teen the awareness that some decisions need a time-bound goal.

Spend time regularly in a quiet space. Teaching your child to spend five to ten minutes daily in a safe place that refuels him is important. It helps with the overall ability to think, process emotions, and discern the next steps. It’s a valuable life skill for any child or teen but especially one who has been diagnosed with ADHD.

Learn how to limit his or her options. If your child is given an open-ended decision or project, it can feel difficult to narrow down an infinite list of possibilities. Help him or her to decide that only three to five options will be allowed. This way, he or she knows to limit the number of choices and you can teach him or her how to quantify options.

For example, if your senior is trying to decide where to apply to go to college, limiting it to three to five options can help him decide which schools he wants to pursue. He can qualify these by the type of majors they offer, the affordability, or the proximity to home.

Ask for help. This seems obvious, but some students feel obligated to sort through their decisions and emotions by themselves to be considered competent. It’s important to help your child or teen know that he or she is always welcome to come to you or another trusted adult for help.

Christian counseling for ADHD symptoms in kids.

Would you like to learn more about getting help for your child? Reach out to one of our offices today to find resources for ADHD symptoms in kids, how to approach diagnosis, and develop a well-rounded treatment plan.