Status Updates From Can I Tell You About ADHD?:...

Short breaks from homework are good, as I find paying attention for long periods without a break very tiring.”

Please remember that children are able to concentrate on tasks for only a certain length of time.

Please maintain eye contact with me when giving instructions. Doing this will let you know I’ve heard and understood your instructions.”

• It is also important that targets are achieved one at a time and not too many at once.”

Medication does not cure ADHD; it helps people with ADHD pay attention and focus more.

“It is now known that ADHD may be due to a chemical imbalance in the brain. Medication can help correct some of this chemical imbalance.

Excessive tics may be mistaken for ADHD. It is important to distinguish between ADHD and tics, as treating ADHD with certain types of medication may worsen tics.”

“People with ADHD may also have other medical conditions such as genetic or thyroid disorders. They may also have low levels of iron due to a poor diet.

Sometimes blood tests and other tests may be necessary to determine these medical conditions.

To have ADHD, symptoms should occur in more than one place – for example, at school and at home. This is why a lot of reports are needed from different people to give an accurate picture of difficulties.

Some people may have all the main symptoms of ADHD; others may have two of the three main symptoms.

People with ADHD have three main symptoms: attention problems, hyperactivity and impulsivity.

“Having ADHD means I can be forgetful and lose things very easily.”

I sometimes take a long time to finish my breakfast, especially on school mornings.

It is not a good idea if my desk is at the back of the class or near a window because then I can often spend a whole lesson looking out at what is going on outside and not paying attention.”

“Getting angry at things I don’t need to be angry about and then falling out with my friends doesn’t help either.”

Waiting my turn in games is also a struggle and I soon lose interest if my turn doesn’t come quickly enough or I’m losing a game.

“Grown-ups often call me ‘fearless’ or ‘impulsive’. Being impulsive means I sometimes do or say things without thinking, which often gets me into trouble.

“I find it very hard to wait my turn for things and quickly become impatient when asked to wait in a line.”

If I’m really excited about my thoughts and ideas, sometimes I shout or speak in a loud voice. It is not because I have trouble hearing you – remind me to speak clearly and quietly.”

When I speak in a loud voice or my words appear muddled, please do not be impatient with me. Just ask me to slow down.

Sometimes, though, when speaking, I forget to take my time, hurrying to say all my thoughts and ideas before I forget them. This sometimes means my words sound very muddled.

“Having ADHD means that I can be noisy and like to talk a lot.

I really struggle to fall asleep, because I have thoughts racing through my mind like a motor engine. It’s not just my body that’s on the go – my mind is too

“Being ‘hyper’ means I can be very boisterous and competitive on the playground, which sometimes causes me to fall out with friends.”

Just being with me can make you feel tired, as I always want to do something physical to help burn off all my energy.

“On shopping trips, my mum’s always reminding me not to touch things. I find it really hard to ignore all the activity and noises in the shops.

My parents said when I was much younger I had very bad tantrums, especially when I didn’t get my own way or have their complete attention.”