This site is intended to provide information on the associated conditions of cerebral palsy.
Typically, children with ADHD have an average intelligence but they will require more specific instructional strategies, program modifications or accommodations.
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a diagnosis applied to children and adults who consistently display certain characteristic behaviors over a period of time. Roughly 4% to 12% of school-age children have the condition, but it is more common in children with cerebral palsy.
The most common behaviors fall into three categories: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
Inattention.
People who are inattentive have a hard time keeping their mind on any one thing and may get bored with a task after only a few minutes. They may give effortless, automatic attention to activities and things they enjoy. However, focusing deliberate and conscious attention to organizing and completing a task or learning something new is difficult.
Hyperactivity.
People who are hyperactive seem to always be in motion. They just can't sit still. Sitting still through a lesson can be an impossible task. Hyperactive children squirm in their seat or roam around the room. They also might wiggle their feet, touch everything, or noisily tap their pencil. Hyperactive teens and adults may feel intensely restless. They may be fidgety or they may try to do several things at once, bouncing around from one activity to the next.
Impulsivity.
People who are overly impulsive seem unable to curb their immediate reactions or think before they act. As a result, they may blurt out inappropriate comments. Their impulsivity may make it hard for them to wait for things they want or to take their turn in games. They may grab a toy from another child or hit when they're upset.
Because all children show some of these behaviors at times, there are very specific guidelines for determining when they indicate ADHD. The behaviors must appear early in life, before the age of 7, and continue for at least 6 months. In children, they must be more frequent or severe than in others the same age. Above all, the behaviors must create a real handicap in at least two areas of a person's life, such as school, home, work, or social settings. So someone whose work or friendships are not impaired by these behaviors would not be diagnosed with ADHD. Nor would a child who seems overly active at school but functions well elsewhere.
One of the difficulties in diagnosing ADHD is that it is often accompanied by other problems. For example, many children with ADHD also have a specific learning disability (LD), which means they have trouble mastering language or certain academic skills, typically reading and mathematics. ADHD is not technically a learning disability, but because it can affect with concentration and attention, ADHD can make it extra difficult for a child with learning disability to do well in school.
Even though most people never outgrow ADHD, people do learn to adapt and live fulfilling lives.
Because emotional disorders and attention disorders so often go hand in hand, every child who has ADHD should be checked for accompanying depression.