What is ADHD?

Speaker: Neilson Chan, PhD, Licensed Psychologist, CHC's Catherine T. Harvey Center for Clinical Services

Neilson Chan, PhD: Hi there. My name is Dr. Neilson Chan, and I am a licensed clinical psychologist here at Children's Health Council (CHC). So the question being asked today is what is ADHD? So ADHD or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder. So this simply means that the disorder often emerges during early childhood or adolescence and impacts the development of the brain that occurs during these early years. Now, those with ADHD tend to struggle more than same-aged peers with two groups of behaviors. The first is problems with attention. So common symptoms related to inattention may include things like appearing not to listen when being spoken to or failing to finish assigned tasks, losing things, having a hard time concentrating, being easily distracted or making careless mistakes. The second set of behaviors associated with ADHD is related to problems with hyperactivity or impulsivity. So common symptoms may include things like talking excessively or interrupting others missed speech or often speaking or acting out of turn, being restless, fidgety, squirmy or running or climbing on things when it may not be an appropriate time to do so. Now, ADHD is quite common affecting about 5 to 8% of children, that's about 1 in every 15 to 20. So, if you're concerned that your child may be struggling with ADHD, please reach out to a mental health provider or a pediatrician who can discuss whether an evaluation can be beneficial.