ADHD Clinical Trials for Children and Teens

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD for short, is a disorder that usually gets noticed in early childhood, or before the age of 7. There are two general categories for the symptoms of this disorder: Inattention and Hyperactivity/Impulsivity. In the past, doctors used the term ADD to describe people who had trouble with staying focused or paying attention and used ADHD only for people who were hyperactive. More recently, these two terms have been combined and people with any of these symptoms may be diagnosed with ADHD.

Someone with the inattentive type of ADHD has a lot of trouble focusing and paying attention. They may daydream quite a bit, get distracted easily, make careless mistakes, and may not do a good job of following directions. Someone with this type of ADHD may also struggle with getting organized and may be really forgetful. This can cause them to lose or misplace things like their shoes, keys, homework, or cell phone unless they always put them in the same place. A person with this type of ADHD may learn to avoid doing things that require attention to details like completing homework assignments or paying bills.

The hyperactive and impulsive symptoms of this disorder can be somewhat easier to spot than the inattentive symptoms. Someone with this type of ADHD has a really hard time sitting still. They may constantly wiggle their legs or feet and fidget with their hands. Sitting in a classroom, in a meeting, in a restaurant, or in church may be really tough because the person has the urge to get up constantly. People who have the hyperactive type of ADHD also tend to try to find something to do almost all the time. They may seem to be always “on the go.” It is also usually hard for these people to be quiet. No matter what they are doing, they tend to be louder or more talkative than everyone else. Interrupting other people, blurting out answers to questions, and struggling to wait in line are also common signs of this disorder.

It can be really hard to tell whether or not someone has ADHD because the signs of ADHD are things that almost everyone has from time to time. For someone to be diagnosed with ADHD, they must have had the symptoms since childhood and the symptoms must be causing problems in some part their life like school, work, or relationships. ADHD is not a disorder that someone develops later in their life, but it certainly can be something that gets noticed later when the demands of school or work get more challenging.