As parents know, distraction in toddlers is normal – they’ll spend two minutes building a sandcastle before dashing off to the slide. They also have a tendency to interrupt, talk over other people, run around without looking, and have trouble waiting their turn.

Young children do these things because the executive functioning part of their brain has not yet developed. This is what helps us focus on tasks, avoid risky behaviours and stops us having meltdowns over small disappointments.

But for children with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), the development of their executive functioning is estimated to be as much as 30% slower.

What are the signs of ADHD?

Your child may have ADHD if they

• get bored or distracted easily
• find it difficult to begin or finish tasks
• get lost often or are always losing and forgetting things such as schoolbooks, lunchboxes and items of clothing
• have difficulty retrieving knowledge they have just learnt
• are frequently emotionally overloaded
• struggle to take turns and have friendship difficulties
• do risky activities and don’t learn from their mistakes
• sleep less than other children and may have disturbed sleep.

Essentially, your child may need help when any or all of the three key features of ADHD – distractibility, hyperactivity, impulsivity – are causing problems for their social, behavioural or academic progress.

But with the right strategies in place, all children with ADHD can thrive.

How can I get a diagnosis for my child?

The criteria for a clinical diagnosis for ADHD is strict - for more detailed information see our article on ADHD assessments.

How old does my child have to be?

Because many of the features of ADHD are typical for a pre-schooler, it's not possible for a child to receive a diagnosis until they are at least 5 or 6 years of age.

It's likely that until this age, you won’t even notice that your child’s behaviour is different to other pre-schoolers. But issues may start to emerge once your child starts primary school and is required to sit on the mat and listen for longer periods of time or is given homework to do.

Next steps

Make sure to check out our article on getting an ADHD assessment/diagnosis.

We also have a number of free resources available below, or visit some helpful websites

• ADHD New Zealand ‍
• ADHD in children (Mental Health Foundation)‍
• ADHD – Aroreretini (Kids Health)‍
• ADHD and learning (TKI: Te Kete Ipurangi)‍
• Thriving with ADHD Parenting Framework ‍
• About ADHD - CHADD (The National Resource on ADHD, USA)

Alternatively, you can contact the IHC library directly to have a chat about what you need on 0800 442 442 or email Librarian@ihc.org.nz