Symptoms of ADHD in Children – DSM Criteria

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD for short. It’s really not a great name. ADHD is more than just problems with attention or having too much energy. It’s more complex and nuanced than its name suggests. And how do you even know if a child is having problems with their attention or focus or energy level? Here, you’ll find answers to these important questions and a list of the formal symptoms of ADHD in children. In the attached video, I’ll give you real life examples that might be signs of ADHD in kids. And talk about the 3 key things to pay attention to when it comes to ADHD symptoms.

ADHD can look different for everyone. There are actually three types of ADHD:

• inattentive, meaning most of the symptoms are about trouble with focus and distractibility
• hyperactive, where the symptoms are more about outward energy, like sitting still, fidgeting, and talking a lot
• combined, where someone has symptoms of both inattention and hyperactivity

These symptoms have to be causing problems in more than one setting, like both at home and at school. And they have to be causing those problems for at least 6 months. Technically, to meet formal criteria, you have to have trouble with 6 or more of the signs of ADHD in children below.
NOTE: If you suspect that your child may have ADHD, it’s best to consult with a healthcare provider for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. With the right support and intervention, children with ADHD can thrive and reach their full potential.

Formal DSM Symptoms of ADHD in Kids:

Inattention: Six or more symptoms of ADHD in children up to 16 years old.

• Often doesn’t pay attention to details or makes careless mistakes.
• Often has trouble keeping attention on tasks.
• Often does not seem to listen, even when spoken to directly.
• Problem following through on instructions.
• Trouble organizing tasks and activities.
• Trouble doing tasks that require mental effort over a long period of time.
• Often loses things.
• Easily distracted.
• Forgetful in daily activities.

Hyperactivity and Impulsivity: Six or more symptoms of ADHD in children up to 16 years old.

• Often fidgets or squirms in seat.
• Trouble staying seated when it’s expected.
• Runs about or climbs in situations where it is not appropriate.
• Trouble staying quiet in activities.
• Is often “on the go”, as if “driven by a motor”.
• Talks excessively.
• Blurts out answers.
• Trouble waiting their turn.
• Often interrupts or intrudes on others.

But what do all of these symptoms really mean? Because in reality, we all have trouble with some of them at different times.

Watch the video below to learn this and the 3 key things to pay attention to when it comes to symptoms of ADHD in children.

What to Do if You Need More Support:

I know there can be a lot of options and recommendations to sift through when it comes to kids and ADHD, whether that’s from an evaluation or just from advice you find online. And it can be truly overwhelming. So, I’ve got all the most important ideas laid out in a comprehensive child ADHD online course for parents of children with ADHD ages 3-12. In this online class, I go through how to get more clarity on what kids with ADHD need, ideas for how to deal with really big emotions, create supportive routines and habits that make sense for your family, and how to have that close relationship with your child even when things are hard and frustrating. So, if you need more support in a clear and actionable way, I really recommend you check that out next.

Video Transcript & Notes:

In this video, I’m going to answer these important questions and talk about symptoms of ADHD in children. Toward the end, I’ll give you real life examples that might be signs of ADHD in kids. And talk about the 3 key things to pay attention to when it comes to ADHD symptoms.

Before we jump in – the information in this video is meant to be educational and does not replace the advice of your doctor or mental health professional. Information in this video or any other video on YouTube does not equal a diagnosis of ADHD. It’s meant to help you get a better understanding of ADHD in kids and get the support you need for your family.

Let’s get into it. ADHD can look different for everyone. There are actually three types of ADHD: inattentive, meaning most of the symptoms are about trouble with focus and distractibility, hyperactive, where the symptoms are more about outward energy, like sitting still, fidgeting, and talking alot, OR combined, where someone has symptoms of both inattention and hyperactivity. These symptoms have to be causing problems in more than one setting, like both at home and at school AND they have to be causing those problems for at least 6 months. Technically, to meet formal criteria for ADHD, you have to have alot of trouble with 6 or more of these or these. Don’t worry about pausing the video – you can find these and more info in the description below.

But what do all of these symptoms really mean? Cause in reality, we all have trouble with some of them at different times. I think it’s helpful to think of ADHD in kids as a different wiring of the brain. The brain truly has more trouble with self-control and self-regulation. For example, with self-control, an ADHD brain has trouble ignoring and filtering distractions. This leads to things like rushing through something or having trouble holding information or directions in mind as someone talks to them. And this wiring that causes trouble with self-control can also make it really hard for the brain to switch gears. When kids with ADHD are really interested or excited by something they can become hyperfocused on it, where they can get really into it. And then it might be even harder for them to stop and do something else or do something less interesting or fun.

Also, this ADHD wiring can make regulating their impulses and their emotions hard. Kids with ADHD can have big emotional meltdowns. They feel things more strongly and can be more sensitive to emotions, criticism, and feedback. This trouble with self-regulation can also make them move their body alot or talk alot, whether that’s interrupting parents or friends or siblings, or blurting out answers before they’re called on, or just talking or asking alot of questions for most of the day. Which can get exhausting for everyone.

By the way, if you’ve found this video helpful so far, let me know by tapping the like button and subscribing. It’ll help it spread to more families who need it and motivates me to keep making videos like this.

There are two other areas that I also want you to consider when thinking about ADHD symptoms. They are common for kids with ADHD, even though they are not part of current formal criteria. These two are sensory sensitivities and trouble sleeping. So sensory sensitivities can be both overstimulation and under-stimulation from sensory input. This looks like being overwhelmed by how their surroundings look or sound or feel or taste or smell (like loud noises, or cluttered spaces, or certain textures) or not getting or perceiving enough sensory input from their surroundings, causing them to seek out more stimulation. And then sleep. So, it’s estimated that 75% of people with ADHD have sleep problems – trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or with the quality of their sleep. And this certainly makes things even harder for any parent or caregiver.

But how do you really know if any of these symptoms are a problem – like if they are a normal part of development or a phase or part of a different problem or just a reaction to their environment. For example, young kids have trouble with many of these things because parts of their brain that are responsible for self-control and regulation are not really developed yet. And things like anxiety or stress can cause some of these problems too like trouble focusing or regulating emotions or trouble with sleep. Here are 3 key things to pay attention to for ADHD: 1) how long has this been going on? For many with ADHD, because it’s a neurodevelopmental problem, parents can often look back and see signs of these symptoms when their kids were toddlers or pretty young. 2) does it cause problems both at home and at school or with other caregivers. Are you having trouble managing some of it? Are their teachers telling you there are problems? Are they getting in trouble at school because of it? And 3) are you noticing problems with self-control and self-regulation in multiple ways? Are you seeing several behaviors or challenges in at least one of those categories I mentioned earlier?

With the families I’ve worked with who have dealt with ADHD, there are a few common situations that I hear over and over again. Now these are just to give some examples. None of these alone mean that a child has ADHD, but these are relatable complaints from parents that I hear frequently. The first is, “My child is great 1 on 1. They’ll sit down with me to do their homework or we can take turns or play really well when it’s just the two of us. But when there are more kids around, they start looking for more attention or just look kind of uninterested, whether that’s at home or at school.” Another common complaint is, “Transitions are really hard. They can’t stop what they’re doing to do something else without a big problem. Like getting ready to leave the house or even come to the table for dinner.” And the third common complaint is, “Meltdowns. They have meltdowns and really big emotions and reactions over things that seem small or out-of-proportion to us. The emotions seem to come out of nowhere. They can go from 0 to 10 within a second.” This last one always makes me think about how, for many kids with ADHD, emotions seem to live right below the surface all the time.

So where do you go from here? A good place to start is with your family’s medical doctor and your child’s teacher. Tell them about what you’re noticing and get their feedback. As a parent, I think it’s important to keep in mind that your kid’s brain might be wired differently. Kids with ADHD are not doing these things on purpose, self-control and self-regulation are truly more difficult because of the way their brain works. We want to start thinking about how we can adapt to that, to help them be successful and grow and learn in the best way for them and their brains. And if you want to learn about how to do this, check out this video next. I talk about some of the most essential parenting strategies for kids with ADHD, and how to help them be most successful in life. And let me know in the comments – what other ADHD or child anxiety videos you’d like to see from me. See you in the next video.

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