It's All Called ADHD!

Inattentive- This person may have a messy backpack or disorganized desk. They have difficulty maintaining focus, and are easily distracted, but can be hyper-focused on things they're interested in. They may be considered "forgetful"; the person might walk into a room and forget what they were doing, they may not remember their homework, and can overlook tasks even if they do them daily. They may struggle with attention to detail, which can result in frustrating simple mistakes. Their conversation may seem to zig-zag from one topic to the next, which means it may take them a while to get to the point. If left untreated in adolescents and teens, these students are sometimes referred to as "lazy",  "daydreamers", "flakey" or even "airheads", which isn't a fair representation at all! When given the proper coping skills, these same students are often found to be intelligent, creative, and capable of great things!

Hyperactive- This person may fidget when others are staying still, which could look like squirming, a leg bouncing, pen tapping, or even making repetitive noises. They often cannot remain seated for extensive periods of time and may wander when standing in an assigned area. They have trouble remaining quiet for long periods, may impulsively blurt out responses/answers, and might have trouble waiting on others to finish. Caffeine tends to have the opposite effect on some, for example, a cup of coffee might lead to sleepiness.  If left untreated in adolescents and teens, these students are sometimes referred to as "disrespectful",  "disruptive", or even "a behavior problem", but they aren't purposely doing any of these things. When given the proper coping skills, these same students are often found to be leaders who complete high quality work!