Before You Say ADHD: Understanding Childhood Behaviour

In a single day, a teacher faces: a child that simply cannot sit still. A child who has already forgotten the instructions within the first 5 minutes. A child who has something to say after every sentence. A child who struggles to finish tasks, is constantly losing his pencil. A child who lives in his own little world. 

Educators are often misguided that almost every developmentally appropriate behaviour is a sign of ADHD or learning difficulties.

And yes, sometimes it may be. But not every uncompliant behaviour is a diagnosis. Sometimes it’s just a child, being a child.

Understanding the difference between ADHD and normal child behaviour is extremely important. Not because ADHD isn’t real, but because children are still learning too and they deserve to do so freely, without an impending diagnosis if they don’t comply with things they might not be developmentally ready to do. 

Children Are Still Developing

We tend to forget that a child is not just born with all the skills we as adults have, or well, don’t have for some. Impulse control, attention, emotional regulation, planning, organisation and memory are all things that develop gradually. Think of teaching a child, like training AI - the prompt needs to be clear, have appropriate steps, and be within guidelines to get the outcome you want.

If you want a patient child, be a patient teacher. 

Children require movement to learn. So when a child is struggling to sit still, it might not be because they have ADHD, but rather that they’re displaying behaviour that is very normal for their age. That child has his own things going on, he does not have the urgency you have, he does not care about whatever lesson you’re trying to teach. His body is saying move. He is doing what his body says. He still needs to learn how to sit still. This skill often only comes at about ten years of age. 

Expecting a seven-year-old to have the same level of self-control, concentration or organisation as a ten-year-old is unrealistic.

This is why age and developmental stage matter when we look at behaviour.

Look at the Whole Child

A child who forgets instructions is a child who may have been given too many steps at once.

A child who can't sit still may be tired, bored, overwhelmed or simply need to move.

A child who talks constantly may be excited, enthusiastic or still developing impulse control.

The behaviour alone doesn't tell us the whole story.

Before assuming there is a problem, ask yourself:

When does this happen? How often? What triggers it? Does it happen across different environments? And is it significantly affecting the child's ability to learn or function?

When Should We Consider ADHD?

So, when should we actually start considering ADHD?

It's not about one behaviour, one difficult day, or one teacher saying, "This child can't sit still."

ADHD is more likely to be a concern when behaviours are persistent, s ignificantly different from what is expected for the child's age, occur across more than one environment, and interfere with everyday functioning or learning.

For example, a child who occasionally forgets their homework and spends a lot of time fidgeting or walking around is very different from a child who consistently struggles to remember instructions, organise themselves and complete everyday tasks despite ongoing support. ADHD is not based on high movement needs. 

Look for the pattern, not just the behaviour.

Is it happening regularly?
Is it happening at home and at school?
Is it affecting learning, friendships or daily life?
Have reasonable supports been tried?
And are the difficulties continuing despite those supports?

When these concerns are persistent and impacting the child's life, it may be time to speak to a qualified professional about further assessment. These assessments can only be done through an Educational Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Clinical Psychologist - someone who works with the brain. A general practitioner or pediatrician does not count and should NOT be prescribing medications for conditions without the oversight of a person qualified in that field.

Support Doesn't Require a Diagnosis

A child doesn't need a diagnosis to benefit from good teaching.

Break instructions into smaller steps. Use visual reminders. Allow movement. Give extra processing time. Help them get started.

These strategies aren't only for children with ADHD. They can help all children learn better.

Every. Single. Child. Benefits from a neuro-aware approach. 

Being neuro-aware doesn't mean assuming every child is neurodivergent. We need to normalize that children learn, develop and respond differently and shouldn’t all be expected to work at the same pace.

So before you say "ADHD," pause.

Look at the age of the child. Look at the environment. Look at the expectations. Look at the pattern.

I’m not saying it’s not ADHD.

I’m just saying, sometimes…

it's just a seven-year-old being a seven-year-old.

Look at development before diagnosis.