ADHD in children and teens

What are the signs of ADHD in children and teenagers? 

If your child has ADHD, they often have to work much harder than their peers to manage their focus, behaviours, and emotions. This constant effort to 'filter' the world can lead to significant fatigue and a loss of emotional regulation by the end of the school day. 

While every young person is unique in how their ADHD presents, most challenges fall into three main categories: inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive. You can find examples of how these may look below: 

Hyperactive behaviour

  • Often moving, fidgeting, or leaving their seat when they are expected to be seated
  • In constant motion, as if 'driven by a motor'
  • Difficulty settling
  • Poor sleeper, takes longer to settle
  • Talks excessively
  • Reflux is more likely 
  • Struggles to play or engage in hobbies quietly
  • Frequently climbing, jumping, or running in situations where it isn't appropriate. 

Inattentive behaviour

  • Frequently overlooks details or makes unintentional mistakes in schoolwork or other activities
  • Struggles to stay focused on tasks or play activities for long periods
  • Trouble staying on task or finishing
  • Often appears not to be listening when spoken to directly
  • Finds it difficult to organise tasks, manage time, or keep belongings in order
  • Distracted by what is happening around them or their own thoughts
  • Often forgets daily routines or scheduled activities
  • May do well in school, academically and behaviorally, but show signs of exhaustion and overwhelm at home.

Impulsive behaviour

  • Often blurts out answers before questions have been completed
  • Finds it very difficult to wait their turn in conversations, games, or while waiting in line
  • Frequently interrupts others
  • Struggles with 'delayed gratification', wanting things immediately and finding it hard to wait for a future reward
  • Acts without thinking of the danger or consequences.

Common ADHD symptoms in early development and childhood

Behind many of these symtoms are struggles with emotional impulsivity and executive dysfuntion. Here are some ways these can present: 

Emotional impulsivity/dysregulation

Children with emotional impulsivity or dysregulated emotions can be highly emotional, easily upset by others, and have low self-esteem. This can lead to trouble in friendships and other relationships. 

They can be impatient and easily frustrated, with difficulty controlling their temper. This can lead to tantrums and meltdowns. 

Children with emotional dysregulation may react more strongly to pain and sounds than expected. 

Executive dysfunction 

Children who struggle with executive function may seem generally disorganised, often losing things or forgetting things that are needed. 

They may have a poor concept of time, often be late, and seem to do little planning or thinking ahead. Executive dysfunction can also present as showing little to no automatic reflection (thinking) about actions or consequences. 

Other likely challenges

Children with ADHD are likely to experience other physical and developmental challenges, including the following examples: 

Developmental challenges 

Children with ADHD may experience developmental challenges from messy handwriting to specific learning disabilities in reading, writing, or math. 

They may also be diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), anxiety, or Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Dyspraxia, or Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) may also be an issue. This can present as clumsiness, poor balance, movement, coordination and core muscle control, poor ball skills, and mixed left-right dominance. 

Associated physical issues

There are number of physical issues that can be assocated with ADHD. These include: 

  • digestive upset
  • allergies, eczema, and asthma
  • poor temperature sense and control
  • headaches, muscle or stomach pains
  • food and drink cravings (ie sugar or milk)
  • ear troubles - grommet insertions, infections, glue ear and 
  • eye troubles - including visual tracking, dark circles, puffiness and allergic rhinitis. 

Common behaviours and symptoms of ADHD in teens and adolescents

The type, number, frequency, and severity of ADHD behaviour/symtoms is likely to vary between adolescents, but there are definite similarities. Below are some examples: 

Behaviour

Young people with ADHD can appear untidy and poorly organised. They may seem forgetful and often lose things.

They may have poor time management skills, often be late, and express feelings of being overwhelmed. They may seem day-dreamy and distracted and can be slow to process information and directions. 

Young people with ADHD may find completing tasks difficult, becoming easily distracted and finding it hard to concentrate or focus. 

They may engage in impulsive behaviour and take unnecessary risks for the fun of it, as they can't see the consequences of their actions. Adolescents with ADHD may be emotionally immature but intuitive, empathetic, and kind. 

School 

Teens and adolescents with ADHD my find studying extremely boring and frustrating, leading them to procrastinate. Unless they love a subject, they may have poor motivation and struggle keeping up with homework demands. 

Movement

Teens and adolescents who were hyperactive as children, may find this has settled a bit, but can still be fidgety, jittery or restless. 

They may either drive erratically, having lots of minor accidents, or be afraid to drive at all. 

Socialising

Adolescents and teens with ADHD can struggle with social norms, which can lead to significant friendship issues. These can often be due to missing or not paying attention to others' social cues, which can lead to offending or upsetting people without realising, rather than on purpose. 

They may interrupt others and talk excessively withouth necessarily noticing if others are bored or uninterested. They may get upset quickly and not be able to calm themselves easily, so can appear emotionally volatile. 

Young people with ADHD may be attacted to exciting people or relationships that can be unhealthy or destructive, without realising this is what they are doing. They may eat, drink, or do recreational drugs to excite or calm themselves, with little to no thought of the consequences. 

They may be a highly empathetic 'emotional sponge' and can be attracted to helping others, but also very affected by their emotional states. 

Where to find support 

For information on how you can support young people in your life with ADHD, and yourselves, check out the following pages: 

Young people with ADHD - for information on assessment, video resources, and events
Whānau living with ADHD - for events for parents and caregivers, information on government support, and getting help at school

ADHD support groups - online and in-person support groups and connections to ADHD support organisations 

Healthcare directory - ADHD healthcare professionals throughout the country.