What is ADHD?
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects behaviour and concentration.
Children and young people with ADHD often seem unusually restless, impulsive or distracted. They may speak or act without thinking, struggle with organisation, find it hard to focus or appear to be always on the go. Some people with ADHD do not experience hyperactivity. This used to be called attention deficit disorder (ADD), though this term in no longer used officially.
ADHD is not a mental health condition or a learning disability. But children and young people with ADHD may also have other conditions or experience mental health problems.
Living with ADHD can be very challenging, for children and young people as well as for their parents and carers. But the right diagnosis and support can make a big difference to a child’s learning, life skills and relationships, as well as making family life easier. There is also lots you can do as a parent or carer to help your child manage the things they find difficult.
What are the most common signs of ADHD?
A child with ADHD may:
- be easily distracted, finding it difficult to start or finish tasks
- often feel unable to concentrate
- often feel restless or fidgety
- be very talkative, often interrupting or blurting things out
- act impulsively, for example doing something before considering consequences or being prone to taking risks
- be easily angry or frustrated, or struggle to deal with emotions
- find making or maintaining friendships difficult
- be disorganised, for instance often losing things or being late
- lack awareness of time
Every child or young person with ADHD is an individual and they may not display all of these behaviours. Many of these behaviours are normal in younger children. They can also be caused by traumatic experiences. So if your child is showing some of these signs, it does not necessarily mean they have ADHD.
It's important to understand that age and gender can also affect how someone with ADHD behaves. This can make it harder to spot signs of ADHD, particularly in girls. Girls are more likely to be undiagnosed or wrongly diagnosed with other conditions.
Typically, the signs of ADHD develop in early childhood and they may become particularly noticeable at times of significant change, such as when a child starts or changes school.
What to do if you think your child might have ADHD
If your child frequently experiences some of these things and it's affecting their day-to-day life, discuss your concerns with your child’s GP. Before doing this, talk to your child’s teacher and the school special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) about what they have noticed.
The GP may want to refer your child for assessment, as ADHD can only be diagnosed by a specialist such as a child and adolescent psychiatrist or paediatrician.
Sometimes parents are reluctant to pursue assessment. They may be worried about ‘labelling’ their child or about stigma, or they may prefer to watch and wait. These feelings are normal. But parents and young people who do seek diagnosis can find it helps them access the right support, understand and manage challenges, and identify individual strengths.
We have more information about getting support from the GP, CAMHS and school in our guide.
ADHD diagnosis and support
ADHD assessment is usually done through the NHS mental health service for children and young people, known as CAMHS. Diagnosis is most commonly made in childhood. In the majority of cases, young people continue to experience ADHD behaviours and qualities into adulthood.
There is no single, definitive test for ADHD. Specialists will base a clinical diagnosis on their observations of your child, discussions and questionnaires (with you and your child), and information from your child’s school.
They will consider how long the behaviours have been present, how much they impact daily life and whether they might be due to another condition. The NHS states that around 60-80% of children with ADHD have at least one other condition (such as autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, anxiety or behaviour issues). In some cases, this means a child may be given more than one diagnosis.
Options for support
You and your child should be offered support and advice to help you manage some of the challenges that might be affecting day-to-day life. Medication and talking therapies may also be offered. These options should be discussed with you when your child is diagnosed.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides guidelines for NHS treatments. The support they recommend for ADHD is outlined in the their guidelines.
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Therapy
Therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can support children and young people with ADHD to understand themselves and find coping strategies when things are hard. For more information about therapy, see our parent guide to counselling and therapy.
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Medication
Many children and young people with ADHD do not take medication. But medication may sometimes be offered to support someone in managing challenges that are affecting their day-to-day life. Medication should only ever be prescribed and overseen by a specialist.
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Parenting support
You may also be offered ADHD–focused parent training. This does not mean your parenting is somehow wrong. It is designed to provide support and to empower you with specific strategies and skills that can help your family thrive.
What you can do to support your child with ADHD
Remember your child cannot help having ADHD, so try not to get angry or frustrated with them because of it. Separate the child from the behaviour.
Make sure they are looking at you so you have their attention. Talk slowly and calmly. Break tasks like getting ready for school down into steps, e.g. ‘first brush your teeth then put on your shoes’.
Explain ADHD to siblings and family members and discuss how everyone has different needs. Make sure attention isn’t always focussed on the child with ADHD, recognise the potential impact on siblings, and avoid labels like ‘the naughty one’.
Plan the day so your child knows what to expect. Maintaining regular sleep patterns, physical activity and mealtimes can help your child. Some people find dietary change and/or certain supplements helpful. But the NHS states that there is no clinical evidence for this, and medical advice should be sought first. Our young person's guide has helpful advice on sleep problems.
Checklists, visual timetables and sticky notes (in key places like the front door or desk), phone alarms and other aids are helpful. Explain their use to your child. And try not to completely take over so that your child can develop organisational skills.
Acknowledge successes (however small), but don’t patronise by over-praising. Try to praise or reward immediately and be specific about the reason to help reinforce good behaviour.
Look for signs your child is becoming frustrated or over-stimulated and try to remove them from the situation. A diary of times and triggers can be helpful. Keep playdates for younger children short to avoid them being overwhelmed.
Help your child identify their individual strengths and celebrate them. Recognise that ADHD can bring positives too, such as extra enthusiasm for a hobby, or creativity. Highlight successful role models with ADHD.
Parenting programmes and support groups can help reduce stress and isolation as well as be a source of new ideas and strategies for you. Look at your local authority's Local Offer (find their website here) for more information about in person and virtual options, and see the organisations listed on this page.
The impact of ADHD on your child's mental health
Any child or young person can struggle with their mental health and wellbeing, whether or not they have ADHD. This might be caused by things like family change, bullying, exam stress or a traumatic event.
But having ADHD may also mean your child has extra challenges – such as social difficulties, struggling to manage their emotions or getting into trouble at school. This can leave them more vulnerable to low self-esteem, anxiety or depression.
Children and young people with ADHD frequently have other developmental or mental health conditions. It is important to ensure they have the appropriate support for these.
As a parent there is a lot you can do to support your child with their wellbeing and mental health:
- Encourage your child to talk about how they are feeling with you. Our starting a conversation guide has ideas for keeping communication open
- If you feel your child may have a mental health problem or another condition alongside ADHD, discuss your concerns with their GP or ADHD specialist.
Working with school if your child has ADHD
ADHD is a special education need (SEN), and it may be referred to as a specific learning difference (SpLD). Your child is entitled to appropriate support to help them thrive socially and educationally. This could include potential adjustments in certain situations, such as extra time or rest breaks for exams, movement breaks in lessons, written instructions for tasks and a seating plan that minimises distractions.
Discuss the diagnosis and needs with the school’s SENCO, taking a list of your concerns and background information to the meeting.
Your child may be entitled to an education, health and care plan (EHC plan) which details the support they need and how it will be provided. (The National Autistic Society has helpful information about EHC plans).
Good communication between you and school can be really helpful in ensuring your child thrives in education and meets their potential. Our parent guide to support has more advice on talking to school or college.
ADHD in teenagers and beyond
If your child is a teenager or young person, their needs and the support you give may well be different from when they were younger. They may like to read our young person’s guide to ADHD and mental health. But there are still many ways you can help.
Though your child may need extra support for longer than others, it is important to help them develop independence, confidence and build self-esteem.
They should feel empowered in decisions about medication, therapies and how their ADHD or mental health is communicated with others.
Leaving school, starting college or university, finding work or leaving home may be especially challenging. Help them find strategies and sources of support, such as Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) or university support services.
Talking about potential issues such as taking risks, substance abuse, stress, anxiety and low mood can help them plan for and articulate challenges and feel supported.
Looking after your own wellbeing
Parenting a child with ADHD can sometimes be isolating, upsetting or exhausting. Sometimes parents feel judged or blamed by others (unjustifiably as parenting does not cause ADHD). It is entirely understandable if you are finding things difficult.
It’s important to recognise the impact the situation is having on you, and think about ways you can take care of yourself – including getting support from other people so that you can take some time off. It’s okay to ask for help when you need it, and to share your worries with someone you trust. We have advice on looking after yourself as well as your child.
Our son’s challenging behaviour with ADHD had an enormous impact on the whole family, as we and his brothers bore the brunt of his anger.
Useful helplines and websites
While we take care to ensure that the organisations we signpost to provide high quality information and advice, we cannot take responsibility for any specific pieces of advice they may offer. We encourage parents and carers to always explore the website of a linked service or organisation to understand who they are and what support they offer before engaging with them.
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YoungMinds Parents Helpline
We support parents and carers who are concerned about their child or young person's mental health. Our Parents Helpline provides detailed advice and information, emotional support and signposting.
You can speak to us over the phone or chat to us online.
You can speak to us over webchat between 9.30am and 4pm from Monday-Friday. When we’re closed, you can still leave us a message in the chat. We’ll reply to you by email in 3-5 working days.
- Opening times:
- 9.30am-4pm, Monday-Friday
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ADDISS
ADDISS (The National Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Service) provides information, moderated online forums and local support groups.
Advice line: Tuesday – Thursday, 9:30am -5pm
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Contact
Provides support, information and advice for families with children with disabilities or other conditions including ADHD. Also runs family workshops and activities.
Free online chat service available.
- Opening times:
- 9:30am - 5pm, Monday - Friday
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Parenting Mental Health
Digital support community and charity offering information, peer support, facilitated listening circles, mentoring and courses for parents of children with mental health difficulties.
Founder Suzanne Alderson’s book Never Let Go - How to Parent Your Child Through Mental Illness (Penguin, 2020) outlines how she supported her daughter to recovery after she became depressed and suicidal.
This page was reviewed in March 2022.
It was created with parents and carers with lived experience of supporting their child or young person with ADHD.
We will next review the page in 2025.
YoungMinds is a proud member of PIF TICK – the UK's quality mark for trusted health information.
Whether you love the page or think something is missing, we appreciate your feedback. It all helps us to support more young people with their mental health.
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