How ADHD Symptoms Change as Children Grow and Develop

In the United States, seven million children have ADHD. Their parents have many concerns, including wondering what ADHD means for their child’s future.

While every child is different, with unique challenges and varying symptom severity, their ADHD will change as they grow and develop.

Symptoms may improve, but you won’t always see progress, as specific symptoms tend to worsen at different ages.

The advantage of developing and getting older is that they gain coping skills and become better equipped to manage their ADHD. 

Fiona Carroll, MD, and the Child & Adolescent Health Center team offer support at every stage. Here, you can learn more about how ADHD may change.

Influencing factors

Though you can expect your child’s ADHD to change, three factors influence their progress:

1. Symptom severity

As a general guideline (there are no hard-and-fast rules), children face a more significant challenge if they have:

• Severe ADHD symptoms
• Greater difficulties with daily functioning
• Other mental health conditions (anxiety, depression, and/or autism)

Their progress is likely to be bumpier compared to children whose ADHD is less severe.

2. Natural development

As children grow and develop, their overall abilities improve. They better understand ADHD, how it affects their life, and learn coping skills. 

They gain more self-control, gradually making it easier to deal with ADHD’s core symptoms. As they develop, they regulate emotions and behaviors well, controlling impulses, paying attention, and organizing their time.

3. Treatment

The interventions your child receives make a dramatic difference. Many children take medications that do a remarkable job of improving attention and hyperactivity symptoms. Medications allow your child to do their best at school, home, or work.

The problem with medications is that it only helps while it’s circulating in your child’s body. Medication does not contribute to long-term improvements in ADHD symptoms. For that, children and teens need school accommodations and behavioral therapy.

During therapy, children learn the skills they need to manage ADHD. Through therapy, they learn organization, time management, and social skills. 

Therapy helps them thrive despite ADHD, whether they need to learn to manage time, think before acting, or navigate relationships.

ADHD changes over time

Difficulty paying attention and being easily distracted challenge people with ADHD at every age.

Young children typically have severe inattention and hyperactivity challenges. As they enter school, symptoms related to inattention increase while hyperactivity gradually improves. For example, older children may still squirm but don’t leave their seats and run around.

In the teen years, inattention and impulsivity often worsen as they take on more responsibility for their lives and face new challenges. 

ADHD issues like poor impulse control, together with the social expectations and peer pressure of adolescence, lead to risk-taking behaviors like drinking.

Here’s a rundown of some specific ADHD challenges at different stages:

Behaviors in preschool and early elementary school include:

• Delayed speech
• Difficulty sitting or staying still
• Trouble following age-appropriate directions
• Not listening to parents and teachers
• Having meltdowns when frustrated, anxious, or on sensory overload
• Struggling during transitions (becoming upset or angry when told to stop one activity and start another)

Behaviors in the late elementary and middle school years include:

• Difficulty starting and/or completing tasks (homework, cleaning their room, and other responsibilities)
• Forgetting requests, conversations, and assignments
• Losing books, papers, and other items needed for schoolwork
• Interrupting others and talking excessively
• Struggling to make friends and socialize
• Being overly sensitive
• Difficulty identifying and managing emotions
• Having more intense emotions

Behaviors in the high school years include:

• Increasing forgetfulness and disorganization
• Increasing difficulty managing emotions
• Difficulty being on time
• Skipping classes
• Having disciplinary issues (bullying, defiance, misconduct, and aggression)
• Drinking or using drugs
• Rejection sensitivity

Though these get categorized by age, the behaviors are fluid. Behaviors that begin in early childhood may continue at every age but look different. For example, hyperactive fidgeting in children may appear as nervousness or irritation in young adults.

Have questions about your child’s behaviors?

Our Child & Adolescent Health Center team can answer questions, evaluate your child, recommend treatment, and, most importantly, help you understand ADHD and how its symptoms change over time.

Call the office or use online booking to request an appointment today if you need help with ADHD or other emotional and behavioral challenges.