ADHD Symptoms
ADHD presents differently in each person, and there is no typical child or teenager with ADHD. Symptoms vary by gender, type of ADHD, personality, and environment.
Boys often exhibit more hyperactive symptoms, while girls may display more quiet, inattentive behaviors.
Mental Symptoms
- Trouble focusing (inattention)
- Difficulty organizing tasks and completing schoolwork
- Daydreaming frequently
- Forgetting or losing things a lot (like forgetting to turn in homework)
- Difficulty resisting temptation
- Trouble following instructions or listening to conversations
- Easily distracted or forgetful of details
- Making careless mistakes
Behavioral Symptoms
- Hyperactivity (difficulty sitting still, excessive movement that doesn’t fit the situation)
- impulsivity (acting without thinking)
- Difficulty behavior appropriately
- Squirming or fidgeting
- Talking excessively
- Interrupting others frequently
- Trouble taking turns and getting along with others
- Increased risk-taking behavior
Change of Symptoms During Adolescence
Adolescence is a challenging time for everyone, but it can be even more difficult for individuals with ADHD. During this period, academic demands increase, making skills like organization and staying focused more important. Peer relationships also become more important, and many experience mental health issues like anxiety or depression.
For adolescents with ADHD, hyperactive and impulsive symptoms often decrease, but inattentive symptoms tend to persist.
As inattention and impulsivity become more prominent, many adolescents struggle to keep up with academic and social demands.
While the ability to self-regulate and exercise “self-control” improves during adolescence, this development occurs later in adolescents with ADHD compared to their peers.
The biology behind this is that brain growth, particularly in the frontal lobe – responsible for planning, impulse control, problem solving, conflict resolution, and working memory functioning – is delayed in individuals with ADHD. However, the growth of the limbic system, which is linked to emotion, anxiety, and risk behavior, is similar to those without ADHD. One study involving male adolescents with ADHD examined brain functioning during a task involving individual’s working memory. It showed deficits in brain activity in some areas compared to individuals without ADHD, producing striking images how brain activity differs (link).
These differences in brain development help explain some of the symptoms and behaviors seen in adolescents with ADHD.