Hyperactivity may also be called hyperkinesis, attention deficit disorder, or minimal brain dysfunction. The hyperactive child is usually a boy who is overactive in the classroom or in other inappropriate situations. As a result, they tend to fall behind at school, even though most of them have normal or above-average intelligence.
Hyperactive children tend to be impulsive and lack self-control.
Because of their problems with school, peers, and authority figures, hyperactive children often develop a poor self-image. Hyperactivity affects from 1 to 5 percent of elementary schoolchildren in the United States. It may result from a physical disorder, such as a problem in the functioning of the brain, from social problems at home or in the school, or from a combination thereof. However, in the vast majority of cases, specific causes remain unidentifiable. Although certain drugs, particularly amphetamines, may be used to treat hyperactivity, little is known about their long-term effects.