Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
in Children
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that can affect a child's attention, activity level, impulse control, emotional regulation, and executive functioning.
Remember, ADHD is not simply a matter of a child being "lazy", "careless", "unwilling to listen", or "forget things on purpose". When we understand ADHD, we have to look at the brain.
Differences in brain development and the functioning of networks involved in attention, motivation, planning, and self-regulation can make certain everyday tasks more difficult. While every child with ADHD is different, understanding ADHD as a difference in neurodevelopment can help parents respond to their child's needs with greater understanding and appropriate support.
How Do I Know If My Child Has ADHD?
ADHD can look different from one child to another, although psychological assessments may provide you with a roadmap. Children may show primarily inattentive symptoms, primarily hyperactive or impulsive symptoms, or a combination of both. Some children may appear constantly active or impulsive, while others may seem dreamy, forgetful, easily distracted, or frequently lose track of what they are doing.
Because many of these behaviours can also occur as part of typical childhood development or in response to stress, sleep difficulties, learning challenges, or other circumstances, ADHD should be assessed by an appropriately qualified professional rather than determined from a checklist alone.
Possible signs may include:
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Difficulty sustaining attention during tedious activities and tasks,
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Frequently losing belongings or forgetting instructions, homework, appointments, or daily responsibilities,
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Becoming easily distracted by things around them
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Starting tasks but having difficulty completing them,
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Difficulty organizing,
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Fidgeting, moving around frequently, or having difficulty remaining seated when expected,
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Talking excessively or frequently interrupting conversations,
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Acting quickly without considering what might happen next,
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Difficulty waiting for their turn,
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Becoming easily frustrated or having difficulty regulating strong emotions,
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Struggling to shift attention or move from one activity to another.
ADHD is associated with differences in the development and functioning of brain systems involved in executive functioning, attention, inhibition, working memory, and reward processing.
Brain imaging research has identified differences in the development and activity of networks involving areas such as the prefrontal cortex and its connections with other brain regions, although these findings describe patterns across groups and cannot be used on their own to diagnose an individual child. Neurotransmitter systems involving dopamine and norepinephrine also play important roles in attention, motivation, and self-regulation.
The Possible Ways to Support Your Children With ADHD
Paying Attention to Signs:
If you suspect that your child may have ADHD, it can be helpful to look beyond individual behaviours and consider how consistently they occur across different situations, such as home and school. Gathering observations from teachers, caregivers, and other professionals can provide a more complete picture of your child's strengths and challenges.
A qualified healthcare or mental health professional can help determine whether an ADHD assessment is appropriate and whether other factors may also be contributing to your child's difficulties.
Four basic skills parents can use include:
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Break tasks into smaller steps - Make the Whole Task Achievable: Large or multi-step instructions can be overwhelming for children who have difficulty with executive functioning. Giving one or two clear steps at a time can make tasks easier to understand and complete.
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Use predictable routines and visual reminders: Consistent routines, checklists, calendars, timers, and visual schedules can reduce the amount of information a child needs to hold in working memory.
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Notice effort and provide specific encouragement: Instead of focusing only on mistakes, acknowledge specific behaviours such as starting a task, waiting for a turn, or completing part of an activity. Positive and specific feedback can help children recognize their progress.
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Pause before reacting to difficult behaviour: When your child's impulsivity or emotional intensity is challenging, taking a moment to regulate yourself can help you respond rather than react. A calm and predictable response can also help your child practise self-regulation over time.
It is also important to remember that ADHD is not caused by poor parenting, and supporting a child with ADHD does not mean lowering expectations. Rather, children may benefit from having their environment and expectations adjusted to match how they process information, regulate attention, and develop executive functioning skills.
How Counselling Can Help My Children With ADHD?
Counselling and psychotherapy can provide children with a supportive relationship where they can explore emotions, relationships, frustrations, self-esteem, and experiences of success and difficulty. Children with ADHD may receive frequent messages that they are “not listening,” “not trying,” “too much,” or “always causing trouble,” which can affect how they understand themselves and their abilities. Therapy can provide an environment where children are understood beyond their behaviours and can develop greater awareness of their strengths, emotions, and individual ways of responding to challenges.
For younger children, play therapy can be particularly useful because play is a natural way for children to communicate, explore experiences, and develop skills. Through play, children can experiment with different ways of solving problems, practise flexibility and self-control, experience agency, and explore emotions such as frustration, disappointment, excitement, or anger. The therapeutic relationship can also provide opportunities for children to experience being accepted while gradually developing greater emotional awareness and self-regulation.
Play therapy does not “cure” ADHD or change the underlying neurodevelopmental differences associated with ADHD. Instead, counselling can support the emotional and relational challenges that may accompany ADHD, such as frustration, low self-esteem, difficulties with friendships, family conflict, or repeated experiences of failure. Depending on the child's needs, psychotherapy may also incorporate approaches that support emotional regulation, coping skills, problem-solving, and executive functioning.
Parents can benefit from the therapeutic process as well. Parent consultation can help caregivers better understand ADHD-related behaviours, distinguish between intentional behaviour and difficulties with self-regulation, identify environmental factors that may make challenges easier or harder, and develop more effective responses to their child's needs. When children and parents have a better understanding of ADHD, the goal can shift from simply trying to stop difficult behaviours toward helping the child build skills, confidence, and a stronger sense of connection with the people around them.