The child may occasionally do things impulsively, particularly when excited. Special Information Activity should be thought of not only in terms of actual movement, but also in terms of variations in responding to touch, pressure, sound, light, and other sensations. Also, for the infant and young child, activity and attention are related to the interactions between the child and caregiver, eg, when sharing attention and playing together. Activity and impulsivity often normally increase when the child is tired or hungry and decrease when sources of fatigue or hunger are addressed. Activity normally may increase in new situations or when the child may be anxious.
Familiarity then reduces activity.
Both activity and impulsivity must be judged in the context of the caregiver's expectations and the level of stress experienced by the caregiver. Activity level is a variable of temperature. The activity level of some children is on the high end of normal from birth and continues to be high throughout their development. The Classification of Child and Adolescent Mental Diagnoses in Primary Care. A young child will have a short attention span that will increase as the child matures.