Children and adults with ADHD often have trouble with:
Focus
Impulse control
Managing emotions
Memory
Starting or finishing tasks
It’s not always easy to spot ADHD symptoms. That’s partly because everyone acts in ways that can look like ADHD from time to time. That’s also because ADHD signs can look different at different ages.
But children and adults with ADHD struggle a lot more with these behaviors than other people their age. Here are some of the main symptoms for you to consider:
Preschool – early Primary (Grade 2) ADHD symptoms
Having trouble following directions, like “put on your backpack”
Getting up, fidgeting, or talking during quiet activities, like story time or while watching a TV show
Not slowing down enough to do things carefully, like writing a word or pouring cereal into a bowl
Grabbing things without permission, like a photo on the teacher’s desk or candy in a store
Having trouble remembering things the teacher just taught, like that 2 plus 2 equals 4
Getting very upset or angry over minor things, like spilling something or not catching the ball
Primary (Grades 3–7) ADHD symptoms
Putting off tasks, like writing an essay
Rushing through schoolwork
Turning in messy work with careless mistakes
Working slowly and not finishing in a reasonable amount of time
Clowning around in class and trying to get everyone’s attention
Getting restless during field trips if they’re not very interesting
Saying or doing things without thinking about the consequences
Having trouble following directions/instructions with more than one step
Teen and adult ADHD symptoms
Having trouble setting priorities and making sure the important stuff gets done
Forgetting to write down assignments or keep track of deadlines
“Spacing out” and needing to re-read information or ask people to repeat what they’ve said
Getting side-tracked from tasks that aren’t really interesting
Having a hard time making friends
Taking risks without thinking about consequences
