Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is most commonly diagnosed at school age, when it reveals itself through the difficulties children face in connection with such things as attention deficit, excessive hyperactivity and impulsiveness, all of which may problematize studying at school. It should be noted that the initial symptoms of ADHD, which may already be present in early childhood, can alter with age, and may also change according to situation. The aim of this article is to explore the diagnostic criteria for (...) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder while giving special consideration to the different symptoms occurring at successive stages of child development and also outlining those behavioural and emotional disorders that co-occur with ADHD. (shrink)

Relative to their peers, learning difficulties are more often observable among children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – something which may often cause a discrepancy between the “estimated” intelligence of the child and the results that they achieve at school. There are reasons to think that ADHD may be co-occurring with other learning disorders, including specific difficulties with reading and writing typical of developmental dyslexia: this would be the case for 15 to 30 percent of people with ADHD. The aim (...) of this article is to describe the relationship between the typical symptoms of ADHD and of developmental dyslexia in the areas of visual and auditory perception, as well as of motor disorders. Due to the frequent comorbidity of both disorders, they can be defined as combined disorders, which require complex diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. (shrink)