22 Jul ADD and ADHD
What is ADD and ADHD?
ADD stands for Attention deficit disorder.
This is characterised by inattention and is the quieter presentation of the disorder.
ADHD stands for Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
This is characterised by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.
Both ADD and ADHD vary from mild to severe and can have a significant impact on your child’s ability to learn.
The term ADD is often referred to as inattentive ADHD and is not a recognised term as such by some organisations.
What are the characteristics of ADD?
- Trouble staying focused and easily distracted
- Appears not to listen when spoken to
- Has difficulty remembering things and following instructions
- Has trouble being organised
What are the characteristics of ADHD?
- Trouble staying focused and easily distracted
- Appears not to listen when spoken to
- Has difficulty remembering things and following instructions
- Has trouble being organised
- Constantly fidgets and cannot sit still
- Talks excessively
- Guesses rather than taking time to solve a problem
- Blurts out answers in class without thinking them through
How ADD and ADHD affects your child’s learning
ADD and ADHD mean that your child is missing out on a large proportion of information and teaching of skills by the teacher because they are not tuning in to instruction.
This will affect all areas of development in reading, writing and spelling and they will probably be significantly behind in what is expected for a child their age, at least one year – depending on the severity of the ADD or ADHD.
Children with ADD and ADHD are at greater risk of having dyslexia than the child who does not.