ADHD and Your Child

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. With ADHD, an individual’s attention, impulses, and ability to manage activity levels are adversely affected.¹ ADHD is a condition that begins in childhood, with symptoms usually emerging before age 12 and as early as age 3.² Effective treatment can be delayed when parents and educators view the behavior as “hyper” and not associate the symptoms with the diagnosis. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reveal that about 7 million U.S. children ages 3–17 have received an ADHD diagnosis; this is a large portion (11%) of the adolescent population.³  

Types of ADHD

Generally, ADHD is classified into two types (but individuals can exhibit a combination of symptoms from each category).⁴ 

• Inattentive symptoms
• Difficulty paying attention to details
• Easily distracted
• Forgetfulness 
• Losing important items
• Struggling to follow instructions
• Hyperactive-impulsive symptoms
  • Restlessness
  • Excessive talking
  • Difficulty waiting for turns
  • Acting without thinking
  • Fidgeting

School and ADHD

School-aged children with ADHD face different hurdles than their peers, impacting their academic and socio-emotional development. In a study comparing ADHD behavior and that of their non-ADHD peers, ADHD children experienced greater difficulties with attention, particularly in group-work projects, impulse control, and transitions in classroom activities.⁵ This activity may be confusing to peers and can fluster the educator or caregiver. Homework problems are one of the most common challenges for children with ADHD, sometimes lowering their overall grade point average (GPA). It may be difficult for them to remember assigned tasks, complete the assignment, follow instructions, and/or turn it in on time. Similarly, research has shown that when reading, children with ADHD often experience things like difficulty recalling the most important ideas from what they just read, remembering small details, and retaining information (a centrality deficit), which poses a challenge to understanding the material.⁶

 Not only can this affect a child during school-time instruction, but it can also hinder the ability to synthesize and digest the material necessary for at-home assignments, often struggling with organization, time management, and sustaining focus for long periods of time.⁷ These barriers can discourage motivation to learn and read, creating feelings of inadequacy or frustration, and make healthy peer connections difficult to sustain. For instance, data for children aged 6 to 17 years in the 2016 to 2017 National Survey of Children’s Health revealed 47% of children with ADHD experienced bullying, and 16% were themselves bullies.⁸ When ADHD is misinterpreted, made fun of, or disregarded, it can greatly shape how kids see themselves and interact with others. 

Learning Differences 

A child with ADHD may experience more difficulties in school settings than those without a diagnosis, but it does not inherently mean they cannot succeed. Do you know what Simone Biles, Michael Phelps, Howie Mandel, Ellen DeGeneres, Emma Watson, Albert Einstein [not confirmed but speculated], and Alexander Graham Bell [not confirmed but speculated] have in common? They were all diagnosed with ADHD. It certainly did not keep them from achieving greatness.⁹ 

Supporting Your Child

The CDC describes the following ways to support the academic and emotional health of a child with ADHD.¹⁰ 

• Behavioral classroom management (e.g., using a reward system or daily report cards)
• Organizational training (e.g., teaching time management, planning skills, daily agenda book checks)
• Federal protections (e.g., IEPs under IDEA, 504 Plans under Section 504)
• Culturally responsive support from educators, parents, and the community

At home, parents can assist their child by blocking out time to review that day’s assignments together, breaking them into smaller and more manageable steps. Additionally, parents can convey clear expectations of tasks by providing visual reminders (e.g., big white board, sticky notes on fridge, bulletin board), setting and sticking to regular routines (e.g., using timers to help with transitions), and providing positive reinforcement.

Bottom Line

As the students achieve success through small, consistent steps, they begin to build confidence, which eases feelings of frustration and low self-esteem.¹⁰

Sources

⁸Cuba Bustinza, C., Adams, R. E., Claussen, A. H., Vitucci, D., Danielson, M. L., Holbrook, J. R., Charania, S. N., Yamamoto, K., Nidey, N., & Froehlich, T. E. (2022). Factors Associated With Bullying Victimization and Bullying Perpetration in Children and Adolescents With ADHD: 2016 to 2017 National Survey of Children’s Health. Journal of attention disorders, 26(12), 1535–1548. https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547221085502

³Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, November 19). Data and statistics on ADHD. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. View Source

¹⁰Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, October 22). ADHD in the Classroom: Helping Children Succeed in School. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/adhd/treatment/classroom.html

¹Elmaghrab, R., & Garayalde, S. (2022, June). What is ADHD?. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/adhd/what-is-adhd 

⁹Fetzer, M. (2022, October 31). 29 Famous People Show How ADHD Does Not Have to Limit Success

⁷Langberg, J. (2018, April). Homework problems & ADHD? Attention Magazine. Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. [PDF] https://d393uh8gb46l22.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Homework_Problems.pdf

²Mayo Clinic Staff. (2022, March). Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Children. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/adhd/symptoms-causes/syc-20350889

⁶Miller, A. C., Keenan, J. M., Betjemann, R. S., Willcutt, E. G., Pennington, B. F., & Olson, R. K. (2013). Reading comprehension in children with ADHD: cognitive underpinnings of the centrality deficit. Journal of abnormal child psychology, 41(3), 473–483. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-012-9686-8

Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. (n.d.). Famous people with ADHD or autism.

⁵Staff, A. I., Oosterlaan, J., van der Oord, S., van den Hoofdakker, B. J., & Luman, M. (2023). The Relation Between Classroom Setting and ADHD Behavior in Children With ADHD Compared to Typically Developing Peers. Journal of attention disorders, 27(9), 939–950. https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547231167522

⁴Wilcox, K. (Writer), & Zamora, A. S., PsyD (Clinical Expert). (2025, June 5). What Is Inattentive ADHD? Child Mind Institute. https://childmind.org/article/what-is-inattentive-adhd/