Adult ADHVD vs Child ADHD: What is The Difference?

Julie Sanders, 62, could never really control her fidgetiness in a meeting, be it with senior executives or her team members. At home, she would often lose bills in unnamed piles of documents. Too often, she would also forget simple tasks like locking the door of her home or where she had kept her her car keys. She had great problem in getting started with tasks and would often ruminate in her thoughts when it came to making any decision.

Marcus Miles, 8, was easy to spot in his third-grade classroom. He was the one who always sharpened his pencils three times before the lesson started, called out the answer even before the teacher finished the question, and kept interrupting his teacher and his classmates when they were working. He would often get up and walk out of the class, distracted by either a butterfly or something that was happening on the playground. His teachers described him as “smart, but impossible to contain”.

Upon reading both these stories, one thing is clear. Both individuals exhibited symptoms of ADHD. While the ADHD symptoms in Marcus, a child, was much more visible and immediate, the same was not the case for Julie. This is because ADHD symptoms manifest quite differently in adults and children.

Let us understand this better by familiarizing ourselves with the physiology and psychology behind it.

But first, what is ADHD?

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects both children and adults. It is an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity or impulsivity that impacts the individual’s typical development and their daily life. The three different presentations of ADHD are:

• predominantly inattentive,
• predominantly hyperactive or impulsive, or
• combined inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive.

It is important to note that an individual can change presentations during their life. This shows that ADHD affects different people differently through the stages of their life.

Adult ADHVD vs Child ADHD

Hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsiveness are three main components that make up ADHD. These primary symptoms can be seen in both children as well as adults but differ in how they present between these two.

As an individual moves through different developmental stages in their lives, these symptoms manifest differently. While the core neurology behind ADHD remains the same whether you’re 8 or 62, the brain’s executive functioning function centers, the part which is responsible for attention regulation, impulse control, and working memory, operates differently in people with ADHD at any age.

The difference between adult and child ADHD is also shaped by the emotional, social, and demands of adult life. A child who loses things only loses his homework or their free time. An adult who loses things loses their job, financial stability, or their relationship. Hence, with stakes these high, they learn to live with the weight of an unmanaged condition.

ADHD Symptoms in Children

In children, the symptoms are more obvious and apparent, as it is expressed outwardly and physically.

• Hyperactivity looks like running, climbing, squirming, or inability to stay seated.
• Inattention looks like staring out of the window, losing track of instructions, or getting lost easily.
• Impulsivity looks like bloating, grabbing, or acting before thinking.

These behaviors are hard to hide in structured classroom settings or in places where these children are supposed to follow rules.

ADHD Symptoms in Adults

In adults, these neurological differences play out internally and systematically. This is because adults have lived with these symptoms for much longer and have found ways to cover up for their symptoms or make excuses for them.

Adult ADHD vs child ADHD is often described as a difference between a storm you can see and one you only feel.

• Hyperactivity for adults becomes inner restlessness or the constant racing of thoughts, difficulty in unwinding, or compulsively taking on too many tasks at once.
• Inattention becomes chronic disorganization, missed deadlines, forgotten appointments, or inability to start or finish projects.
• Impulsivity shows up in impulse spending, abrupt career changes, saying the wrong things in a meeting, and wondering later why it happened.

Why Are So Many Adults Diagnosed So Late?

ADHD in adults can often be represented in various ways. High-functioning adults with ADHD often mask the symptoms through hard work, effort, and intelligence. While the cost is enormous in terms of physical exhaustion, anxiety, or a persistent feeling of not measuring up to anyone’s standards, they get by due to their efforts.

Women especially are likely to be missed for ADHD diagnosis as they might often have inattentive ADHD rather than hyperactive ADHD.

A late diagnosis of ADHD, however late, is never bad. Many adults describe the diagnosis as a profound relief. Having a clear diagnosis that explains how they think, how they feel, is a huge help as they can then easily navigate life and their experiences by getting the support they need.

Treatment of ADHD

Be it adults or children, ADHD is a lifelong condition and may require ongoing treatment to promote optimal long-term outcome. In adulthood, a combination of medication and therapy (often CBT) is recommended. Individual children who have been diagnosed with ADHD at an early stage can also be taught to manage their symptoms through structured support, building environments that support their experiences, therapy, or medication in extreme cases.

Tips to Manage Child ADHD

The key to managing ADHD is first to get it diagnosed. Once the child has been diagnosed, here are a few tips that can help manage child with ADHD.

• Talk to the child’s paediatrician about treatment options.
• Consult with child therapist about how to start behavior therapy.
• Look into parent training or sort of ADHD coaching for yourself so that you can help your child through the symptoms.
• Use visual clues like bulletin boards, sticky notes, etc. to remind your child of important daily tasks and homeworks or chores.
• Limit choices so that they do not feel overstimulated. Create and follow a structured and regular routine. Having a structured routine helps immensely with ADHD symptoms.
• Help your child keep their things organized and limit distractions such as TV and phone when work needs to get done.

Tips to manage adult ADHD

• Top strategies to cope with adult ADHD include discussing medication and therapy options with your healthcare provider.
• Using a planner every day to plan your day and stay on track.
• Try any ADHD coaching to help with executive functioning, planning and execution of tasks.
• Spending five minutes every day organizing paperworks and bills before they become unmanageable.
• Setting up multiple alarm clocks in different areas so that you get up on time.
• Setting reminders on your watch, smartphones and other devices to remind you of important events and sometimes even basic things.
• Always have a structure for meetings or the day beforehand so that you’re prepared for it and are mentally ready for anything.
• Use fidgets such as stress balls, spinner rings, or a string wrapped around your wrists as reminders.
• Store the stuff you most frequently use, like keys and wallets, in the same spot.
• Take water cooler and bathroom breaks to clear your mind and stay on track.

As an adult with ADHD, it is quite common to confuse your symptoms with laziness or incompetence. Hence, it’s important to remember that you are an adult with ADHD brain and it is as real as it is for children and there is no shame in asking for help.

If you recognize yourself or someone you love in either of the stories above or expressing any symptoms of ADHD, it is good to speak to a healthcare provider who specializes in ADHD. At NABHS, our experts will help you through the journey, be it from understanding the symptoms to getting the right care and navigating life after diagnosis. Reach out to us today at: +1 (917) 267 8635

FAQs