In order to more effectively address this deadly problem, fire departments across the country have established juvenile firesetter intervention programs. Of the juveniles referred to these programs, higher percentages have ADD and other learning disabilities than are seen in the general population. Many interventionists suspect that the numbers are even higher. They discover the matches or lighter and start a fire without realizing what the outcome may be. The drive to move overwhelms the opportunity to think.
Fire is fascinating and offers intellectual stimulation through experimentation.
Merely hearing that fire is dangerous does not mean as much to them as handling it and seeing what it can do in their own hands. Memory problems can be inconsistent, depending on the situation and interest level. Their impulsivity means saying hurtful things without thinking first. Difficulty focusing means that they miss important social clues. As a result, they desperately try to make friends, often with children who can be negative influences and they can be especially vulnerable to peer pressure in order to be accepted.