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Does you child show signs of being impulsive, hyperactive and inattentive? Then he or she might be showing some symptoms of ADHD. If you are concerned about your child's behavior then checking the common signs and symptoms on an ADD/ADHD checklist can help to determine if further assessment is needed.

ADHD tends to appear early on in children and is generally diagnosed by the time they reach 7 years old. The symptoms do not necessarily appear simultaneously or at the same level of extremes.

A number of children with ADHD also display learning difficulties. These are not the same as Learning Disabilities, which are caused by impaired mental or physical ability. Learning difficulties for ADHD individuals tend to come about as a direct result of the behaviors associated with the condition rather than any lack of ability.

So, getting an early diagnosis is key, as measures can then be put in place to manage the behaviors and ensure that schooling and homelife are not too disrupted.

For parents who are concerned their child is displaying impulsive, hyperactive and inattentive ADHD behaviors the following information can act as an informal 'checklist' as a precursor to obtaining formal diagnosis.

Inattentiveness.
Children with ADHD often get bored easily with a certain task. The attention span can last for a short minute only. In addition, the child also has a hard time keeping his or her mind on what they are doing at the moment and multi-tasking can be a real problem.

They frequently fail to listen when spoken to and struggle to follow instructions, either forgetting them or doing a task other than the one that was set for them.

There will be a tendency for the child to forget things, either leaving needed items at home or at school. Also losing or misplacing items is common and they can seem to be always in a daydream.

Any activity that requires prolonged mental concentration, like homework, can be a problem with the child getting distracted or unable to complete the task. If homework does get completed the chances are it will be full of mistakes or errors. These things can bring frustration not only to the child but also to the parents.

Continue reading for more common ADHD signs and to sign up for the free recognizing and treating ADHD newsletter below.

Hyperactivity
A hyperactive child seems to always be in constant motion. They can shift from one thing to another whenever something grabs their attention.

Having them sit still at home or in school is a difficult task. You will see them always fidgeting and squirming on their seats and would rather be moving around.

Excessive talking and noisy play are also signs of ADHD. Hyperactivity can make children want to do two or more things at a time. In the process, the tasks at hand are not given the focus they need and tend to either be left incomplete or completed incorrectly.

Impulsiveness
An impulsive child does things without thinking first. They are unable to control their emotions and reactions. They tend to show their emotions with no restraint, give comments that are not appropriate and do things without thinking of the consequences that might arise.

This impulsive behavior makes it hard for them to work in a group, especially if there are turns to wait for. Most of the time, they want to always be ones doing the actions involved.

Even if reprimanded for their behavior, children who struggle with impulsive are often not able to curb their behavior.

Having read through the common ADD/ADHD checklist of signs and symptoms that children with ADHD can display parents will be better able to determine if their child falls within the behavior groups that define ADHD.