Child ADD / ADHD - What Does It Feel Like?

Ronnie, a third grader, was having difficulty in school. He found himself daydreaming instead of listening attentively. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t focus on the teacher’s instructions. He felt compelled to move around the room and talk to other students. His parents and teachers were fed up with his behavior. His parents tried denying him privileges at home when he misbehaved at school. His teachers isolated him from the other students, to minimize his distracting actions. Ronnie began to dread school, and he started to become irritable and angry. He often lashed out at his family and friends in frustration. As Ronnie began to fall further and further behind in school, he developed a negative self-esteem. He thought of himself as “stupid,” and “a waste.” He was in a social and scholastic struggle.

That was ten years ago. Now, Ronnie is a high school senior, eagerly anticipating his first semester at a state university. Shortly after the third grade, Ronnie’s primary care physician diagnosed him with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD). She explained that Ronnie would probably always struggle with his attention span, but with the right treatment and behavioral therapies, he could keep his ADD under control. By identifying the problem, Ronnie’s family and teachers were able to use alternative methods to help him be successful in school.

Children with ADD/ADHD generally have problems focusing their attention and are often restless and impulsive. According to Dr. Edward M. Hallowell and Dr. John J. Ratey, ADD experts, “ADD is a neurological syndrome that is usually genetically transmitted. It is characterized by impulsiveness, distractibility, and restlessness. The symptoms are present from childhood with greater intensity than in the average person, so they interfere with daily functions.”