She felt he was a very smart kid, but he struggled through school. He was easily distracted. Even his thoughts were distracting. It wasn't until Edward was diagnosed in his sophomore year of high school with ADD, which has the same symptoms as ADHD but without hyperactivity, that he finally got the help he needed. Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D., author of Taking Charge of ADHD, says when the syndrome has not been identified and a program of behavior management implemented by the pre-teen and teen years, problems often escalate.
Symptoms usually start before a child reaches age seven and last for six months or longer.
Seeing signs of ADHD doesn't necessarily mean that a child has the syndrome, so discuss your observations with your pediatrician.