Common ADHD Symptoms in Children (Primary School Age)
Inattentive Symptoms
- Easily distracted — losing focus mid-task, going off on tangents
- Forgetting instructions almost immediately after being given them
- Losing school equipment, PE kit, homework constantly
- Difficulty finishing schoolwork — not from inability but from difficulty sustaining effort
- Appearing not to listen — ‘in a world of their own’
- Making careless errors in work — rushing, not checking
- Avoiding tasks that require sustained mental effort
Hyperactive and Impulsive Symptoms
- Difficulty sitting still — fidgeting, squirming, getting up from seat
- Excessive running, climbing or physical movement in inappropriate situations
- Difficulty playing quietly
- Talking excessively, interrupting, blurting out
- Difficulty waiting their turn — queue jumping, calling out in class
- Acting without thinking — accidents, impulsive decisions, saying hurtful things
ADHD Symptoms in Secondary School Age and Teenagers
ADHD often becomes more apparent — or is first recognised — when children move to secondary school and the organisational demands increase sharply:
- Struggling to keep track of multiple subjects, teachers, homework deadlines
- Forgetting to write down homework, then forgetting to do it
- Significant underperformance relative to evident intelligence
- Emotional difficulties — more intense than peers, falling out with friends repeatedly
- Screen time and gaming becoming an escape from the constant frustration of school
- Anxiety developing as a secondary condition from years of feeling ‘wrong’
ADHD in Girls — The Hidden Presentation
Girls with ADHD are significantly more likely to have the inattentive type and to mask their difficulties through social imitation, people-pleasing and enormous compensatory effort. Common presentations include:
- Described as ‘dreamy’, ‘ditzy’ or ‘tries hard but doesn’t reach her potential’
- Works extremely hard to produce average results — far more effort than peers
- Very chatty and social — masking inattention through social engagement
- Intense emotional reactions described as ‘too sensitive’ or ‘dramatic’
- Struggles at home but holds it together at school — ‘school mask’
- Anxiety and perfectionism as compensatory strategies
