How ADHD Symptoms Change as Children Grow and Develop

October is ADHD Awareness Month. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is perhaps best known as a childhood condition, and it’s one that changes over time and can even persist into adulthood. 

At Abdow Friendship Pediatrics in Rockville, Maryland, our expert pediatricians work alongside children and parents to help provide the best developmental conditions for our ADHD patients. Treatment consists of a combination of behavioral therapy and medications for most children. 

Your child’s therapy is also dynamic, since the effects and symptoms of ADHD change over time, both naturally and as a result of treatment. Despite these changes, very few ADHD patients fully outgrow ADHD symptoms. 

Recognizing the changing nature of ADHD is an important part of effective treatment. Here’s a quick look at how these symptoms may change as your child grows and develops. 

A lifetime condition

Results of a study published in 2021 suggested that about 90% of children exhibiting ADHD symptoms continue to do so into adulthood. This virtually doubles the numbers previously suggested. 

One reason for this is that patterns of remission and recurrence are recognized more often with long-term assessment and observation. Less than 10% of patients showed ongoing signs of remission over the course of the study. 

Self-regulation

A typical challenge for a child with ADHD is the concept of self-regulation. The nature of this condition is the slow development of self-regulation skills when compared with their peers. 

A child with ADHD does acquire self-regulation skills over time, so a teen shows better adaptation than they did earlier in life. However, they still remain behind the average for people their age. 

This means that, without treatment, the intensity of ADHD symptoms improves as your child naturally develops skills to control their attention, behaviors, and emotions. ADHD treatment provides them with the tools to bring their development more closely in line with expected levels at their age. 

Target expectations

There are three general categories of performance expectations monitored and treated in ADHD patients: 

• Social interaction: attention to the feelings of others, respecting personal boundaries, recognizing social cues
• Academic performance: self-organization, managing long-term tasks, displaying focus 
• Adaptive behaviors: maintaining personal hygiene, completing chores, making safe and appropriate choices 

Maturity brings natural changes to the behavior of a child with ADHD. Treatment with our specialists at Abdow Friendship Pediatrics can speed improvements and focus on areas of development for which your child requires extra attention. 

Signs of changing symptoms

The control that an ADHD child develops may mean the outward display of symptoms changes, seemingly disappearing, while the underlying condition continues. A person who, as a child, may have exhibited signs of hyperactive fidgeting could internalize their restlessness. 

The ADHD behaviors remain, but in different forms, many of which may seem less intrusive or more socially “normal.” This is part of the reason there’s often an appearance of ADHD remission, while a patient still experiences its symptoms. 

Early care provides your child the best chance to achieve normal development goals. If you suspect your child could be showing signs of ADHD behavior, call or click to schedule an appointment with Abdow Friendship Pediatrics today.