Key Information: ADHD/ADD
Common issues with ADHD/ADD may include the following:
- Inattention – disrupted by their own thoughts or daydreaming, moving quickly onto a new topic of conversation before finishing the current one and producing work that is of variable quality.
- Impulsiveness – a failure of executive functioning, an impairment of internal speech, finishing other people’s sentences and/or interrupting.
- Intrusive thoughts and ideas reducing focus and concentration
- Hyper focus on certain tasks or activities in short bursts
- Short-term memory – poor note-taking ability, poor hindsight and forethought leading to an inability to learn from mistakes or draw on previous experience. Difficulty in following instructions – a student may have forgotten the first point in a list of instructions by the time the final point is covered.
- Independent adaptive functioning.
- Slow handwriting and typing skills
- Mood swings – ranging from restlessness and fidgety behaviour to procrastinating (affecting coursework and revision for examinations).
- Difficulty maintaining focus and discipline. Poor organisation and time management.
- Risk-taking.
- Problem-solving focus.
- Working well under pressure – in short bursts
- Interpersonal relationships and emotional functioning – students may appear sociable but friendships can be superficial.
- Issues associated with medication – this can affect sleep patterns.
- Low mood and depression as a result of “things going wrong”
However, as always, the expert in these situations is the person themselves so discuss with them how they may best be supported.