Impulse Control 3. ADHD is not always a short attention span, but rather an increased sense of distractibility. ADHD students may possess a lengthy attention span for a preferred activity, but may not be able to attend to a written assignment without becoming distracted by an air conditioner vent, a flickering light or a bird chirping outside. They lack the ability to block out extraneous and irrelevant stimuli. Instead of attending to one specific task, they instead pay attention to everything in their environment.
Many symptoms manifest themselves before age seven.
Because a key word in the diagnostic protocol is maladaptive, there must be clear clinical evidence of a significant impairment in social, academic or occupational functioning. Finally, environmental and social issues must be ruled out in order to make an accurate diagnosis. The diagnosis must be made by a medical professional, but the use of a multi-disciplinary approach is needed as parents, teachers and other support professionals are needed for observations and rating scale information. Neuropsychoeducational testing Behavior rating scales Neurological exam Treatment approaches Treatment is considered a multi-disciplinary approach between the above illustrated categories. Ideally, parents, medical professionals, and educators work collaboratively to appropriately treat the ADHD child.