ADHD in children and teenagers

What is ADHD?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a natural variation in the way the brain processes information. This means children and teenagers with ADHD experience, understand and interact with the world in particular ways.

ADHD is a type of neurodivergence.

About children and teenagers with ADHD

Children and teenagers with ADHD have many strengths. For example, they might:

be highly creative and think about things in unique ways
focus on and spend a lot of time learning about and enjoying things they love
be adventurous and open to trying new things
channel their energy into physical activity and be very successful.

Typically, children and teenagers with ADHD have challenges with:

paying attention – for example, they find it hard to concentrate on tasks
being hyperactive – for example, they find it hard to sit still for long
controlling impulses – for example, they might say or do things before thinking them through.

Children and teenagers with ADHD might need support to learn, manage their emotions and behaviour, develop friendships, and do everyday tasks in ways that work for them. You can find out how to do this in our articles on supporting children and pre-teens with ADHD, supporting teenagers with ADHD, friendships for children and pre-teens with ADHD and friendships for teenagers with ADHD.

Characteristics of ADHD

The characteristics of ADHD fall into 2 groups.

Inattentive characteristics
Children and teenagers:

often find it hard to pay close attention to details so they make ‘careless’ mistakes
find it challenging to follow instructions and finish tasks like homework or chores
have difficulty keeping attention on tasks and are easily distracted
are often distracted by little things, like someone moving or a sound outside the window
have trouble remembering everyday things
avoid or find it hard to do things that require a lot of mental effort, like schoolwork or homework, unless it’s something they enjoy
don’t seem to listen when spoken to
have trouble getting things in order or doing things on time
often lose things like schoolwork, pencils, books, clothing, lunch boxes or water bottles.

Hyperactive and impulsive characteristics
Children and teenagers:

fidget a lot and can’t sit still
run around, climb on things or are very restless
are often very active
find it hard to play or take part in activities quietly
often talk a lot
have difficulty staying seated in the classroom or at the dinner table
are impatient and find it hard to wait for a turn
blurt out answers before questions are finished, or call out answers without putting up their hands
interrupt other people’s conversations or games
use things without asking.

Children and teenagers with ADHD don’t necessarily have all these characteristics. And if your child has some of these characteristics, it doesn’t necessarily mean your child has ADHD. ADHD has similar characteristics to other conditions. This is why it’s best to make an appointment to see your GP, who can refer your child for a proper assessment.

Types of ADHD and how they’re diagnosed

Children and teenagers might be diagnosed with 1 of 3 types of ADHD, depending on their characteristics:

ADHD combined type – children and teenagers with this type have both hyperactive/impulsive and inattentive characteristics. They tend to have difficulty concentrating, are fidgety or restless and can be very active. They often act without thinking things through.
ADHD inattentive type – children and teenagers with this type mainly have inattentive characteristics. They tend to have difficulty concentrating, remembering instructions, paying attention and finishing tasks.
ADHD hyperactive/impulsive type – children and teenagers with this type mainly have hyperactive and impulsive characteristics. They can be very active, have difficulty slowing down and often act without thinking things through.

When health professionals are diagnosing ADHD, they’ll also look at things like the following:

How old children are – characteristics must have appeared before the age of 12 years (although children can still get a diagnosis if they’re older than 12 years).
How many characteristics children have – the diagnosis depends on how many inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive characteristics a child has.
How long characteristics have been present – characteristics must have been present for at least 6 months and must happen in more than one setting – for example, at home and school.
How severe characteristics are – the characteristics must be present most of the time and significantly affect daily life.

Diagnosing ADHD isn’t easy because it can overlap with other conditions. But if your child gets a diagnosis of ADHD, it means they can better understand who they are and get support to reach their goals.

How to get an ADHD diagnosis and what it involves

If you’re wondering whether your child has ADHD, your GP is a good place to start. Your GP might refer your child to a paediatrician, psychologist or psychiatrist. These professionals can look at your child’s characteristics and work out what these characteristics mean.

The diagnosis process might include most, if not all, of the following:

an interview with you and your child’s other carers
an interview with your child
questions about your child’s emotions and behaviour
information from your child’s teachers
observations of your child.

Your child might also have other assessments, including:

developmental, learning, educational or IQ tests
language, speech and movement tests
general health checks
vision and hearing tests.

Early diagnosis of ADHD is important. The earlier that ADHD is diagnosed, the sooner your child can get support if they want it. An early diagnosis can also help you and your child decide on the right support.

Later ADHD diagnosis

Sometimes ADHD isn’t diagnosed until children reach the teenage years or adulthood.

This might be because the secondary school environment involves more demanding schoolwork, more responsibility and more complex social relationships. These things can be challenging for teenagers, and their ADHD characteristics become more obvious as a result. Also, teenagers might become more aware of their challenges and ask for an assessment.

And sometimes ADHD characteristics in children or teenagers might have been missed or misdiagnosed when they were younger. This can happen for several reasons:

Inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive characteristics can be subtle – for example, it might just seem like children or teenagers ‘daydream’ or ‘talk a lot’.
Children or teenagers have been masking their ADHD.
Children or teenagers have been using strong social or other skills to compensate.
Children or teenagers have been resilient and managing their challenges.

If you think your child has been misdiagnosed, it’s OK to seek a second opinion.

ADHD and teenagers

If your child has ADHD, they might find the teenage years bring extra challenges. Or if they had an early diagnosis, they might have developed strategies to make the most of their ADHD strengths and manage their challenges.

Also, as your child gets older, their ADHD characteristics might change. For example, your child might still have difficulty focusing, remembering things and thinking before they act, but they might be less hyperactive.

ADHD characteristics can keep changing in adulthood too. For example, your child might find that they no longer have ADHD characteristics as an adult or that their ADHD affects their everyday life less. Or they might still have ADHD characteristics and are still learning new ways to do things in ways that work for them.