A school-aged girl leans against a wall while chewing her nails and looking off into the distance.

Attention & ADHD: When to Get Support

Attention issues and ADHD can look different from child to child. Some children have problems paying attention. Others are hyperactive or impulsive. And some children have a combination of both types of symptoms. This list includes some of the ways families notice attention difficulties.

Note: This list is not meant to be comprehensive, nor should it take the place of diagnosis from a qualified professional. It is intended as a starting point for families to use in a conversation with your provider.

Trouble Paying Attention

Children with attention issues or ADHD may struggle to pay attention – even to things they enjoy. This can look like not listening, jumping from one activity to the next, missing important details, being distracted by other things in the room or daydreaming.

Sometimes anxiety can make it difficult for children to pay attention. Children who are inattentive only during reading/writing activities may be dyslexic.

Hyperfocus

When most families think about attention issues, the first thing that comes to mind are usually problems with paying attention. But the opposite can also be true. Many children struggle with extremes that range from not paying enough attention to paying too much attention (hyperfocus).

Hyperfocus is also common with gifted children and with autistic children.

Difficulty with Organization and Follow-Through

Organizing tasks and following through on activities are also difficult for children with attention issues or ADHD. This can show up as difficulty prioritizing and completing school work - or even getting started on school work in the first place. Younger children may have problems completing simple chores, like placing toys in a basket.

Executive function (EF) challenges can make it hard for children to organize and complete tasks. EF problems are common in children who have ADHD and also kids with autism, learning disabilities and other diagnoses.

Losing and Forgetting Things

Children with attention issues or ADHD can sometimes struggle to keep track of important items or information.

Kids with EF challenges often have trouble with working memory, making it more difficult to keep track of materials.

Trouble Sitting in One Place

While sitting still is a skill that develops over time, children with attention issues or ADHD may develop more slowly than their same-age peers. These children may fidget or squirm, leave their seats at unexpected times, or run/climb when quieter activities are expected.

Children with sensory differences may also fidget, squirm or move in unexpected ways. Kids with EF challenges may struggle with impulse control and stand or move when sitting is expected.

Talking Too Much, Interrupting and Blurting Out Answers

Children with attention issues or ADHD may talk excessively, interrupt or blurt out answers before hearing the whole question. These children often struggle to wait for their turns in a conversation and may not understand social cues.

Autistic children can sometimes interrupt when intensely focused on a topic. Kids with EF challenges may struggle with impulse control and interrupt or speak out of turn.

Constant Motion

Children with attention issues or ADHD are sometimes described as “on the go” or appearing like they are “driven by a motor.” This energy often appears in all aspects of the child’s life, including play and leisure activities.

Children with sensory differences may seek motion as a sensory input.

Emotional Dysregulation or Mood Swings

Children with attention issues or ADHD often struggle to process their emotions completely and may react with outbursts or mood swings. This type of concern may be more apparent in adolescents since many young children still need time to develop emotion regulation skills.

Outbursts and mood swings can also happen with kids who are anxious, who have sensory differences or with children who have EF challenges.

Related Diagnoses

About 80% of people who are diagnosed with ADHD receive some other form of mental health diagnosis during their lives. The most common co-occurring diagnoses are learning disabilities like dyslexia, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, sensory differences and oppositional defiant disorder.

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