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Inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are the key behaviors of ADHD. It is normal for all children to be inattentive, hyperactive, or impulsive sometimes, but for children with ADHD, these behaviors are more severe and occur more often. To be diagnosed with the disorder, a child must have symptoms for 6 or more months and to a degree that is greater than other children of the same age.

Children who have symptoms of inattention may:

• Be easily distracted, miss details, forget things, and frequently switch from one activity to another
• Become bored with a task after only a few minutes, unless they are doing something enjoyable
• Have difficulty focusing attention on organizing and completing a task or learning something new
• Have trouble completing or turning in homework assignments, often losing things (e.g., pencils, toys, assignments) needed to complete tasks or activities
• Not seem to listen when spoken to
• Daydreamer, become easily confused
• Have difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as others
• Struggle to follow instructions.

Children who have symptoms of hyperactivity may:

• Fidget and squirm in their seats
• Talk nonstop
• Have trouble sitting still during dinner, school, and story time
• Be constantly in motion
• Have difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities.

Children who have symptoms of impulsivity may:

• Be very impatient
• Blurt out inappropriate comments, show their emotions without restraint, and act without regard for consequences
• Have difficulty waiting for things they want or waiting their turns in games
• Often interrupt conversations or others' activities.

School is often the setting where a child's learning disability first become apparent. The disparity between the child's intelligences and the child's school performance highlights the learning difficulties.

• They have average or above average intelligence.
• There often appears a gap between the individual's potential and actual achievement.
• The child looks perfectly "NORMAL" and seems to be very bright and intelligent child yet may be unable to demonstrate the skill level expected from his age.

Signs/ symptoms

• Has Difficulty understanding and doing word problems.
• Has difficulty in sequencing information or events.
• Has unfinished words or letters and omitted words.
• Read slowly and effort-fully
• Has trouble with spellings.
• Exhibits difficulty recalling known words.
• Has difficulty with written language.
• May experience difficulty with maths computations.
• Reverses or rotates letters, numbers, and words (writes "p" for "q", "saw" for "was", "2" for "7", "6", for "9", "b' for "d", "m" for "w", "u" for "n")

For most people, both sides of the brain work together very well. But for many LD students, one half of their brain works much better than the other half. This causes problems learning certain kinds of information.

Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills.

Autism may:
The symptoms may vary from moderate to severe.
Communication problems may include:

• Cannot start or maintain a social conversation
• Communicates with gestures instead of words
• Develops language slowly or not at all
• Does not adjust gaze to look at objects that others are looking at
• Does not refer to self correctly (for example, says "you want water" when the child means "I want water")
• Repeats words or memorized passages, such as commercials

Social interaction:

• Does not make friends
• Does not play interactive games
• Is withdrawn
• May not respond to eye contact or smiles, or may avoid eye contact
• May treat others as if they are objects
• Prefers to spend time alone, rather than with others
• Shows a lack of empathy

Response to sensory information:

• Does not startle at loud noises
• Has heightened or low senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste
• May find normal noises painful and hold hands over ears
• May withdraw from physical contact because it is overstimulating or overwhelming
• Rubs surfaces, mouths or licks objects
• Seems to have a heightened or low response to pain

Play:

• Doesn't imitate the actions of others
• Prefers solitary or ritualistic play
• Shows little pretend or imaginative play

Behaviors:

• "Acts up" with intense tantrums
• Gets stuck on a single topic or task (perseveration)
• Has a short attention span
• Has very narrow interests
• Is overactive or very passive
• Shows aggression to others or self
• Shows a strong need for sameness/ Have unusual distress when routines are changed.
• Uses repetitive body movements

Intellectual Developmental Disorder (IDD) is a disorder that includes both a current intellectual deficit and a deficit in adaptive functioning with onset during the developmental period. The following 3 criteria must be met:

• A. Intellectual Developmental Disorder is characterized by deficits in general mental abilities such as reasoning, problem-solving, planning, abstract thinking, judgment, academic learning and learning from experience.
• B. Impairment in adaptive functioning for the individual's age and sociocultural background. Adaptive functioning refers to how well a person meets the standards of personal independence and social responsibility in one or more aspects of daily life activities, such as communication, social participation, functioning at school or at work, or personal independence at home or in community settings. The limitations result in the need for ongoing support at school, work, or independent life.,/
• C. All symptoms must have an onset during the developmental period.

Oppositional behavior includes things like losing one's temper, arguing with parents or teachers, refusing to follow rules, being mean or seeking revenge, deliberately annoying people, being angry and resentful, blaming others for one's own mistakes, and persistently being stubborn and unwilling to compromise. Usually oppositional behavior occurs at home, but it may also occur at school or in the community. Oppositional behavior is common in both preschool children and in adolescents.

Conduct disorder is a childhood behavior disorder characterized by aggressive and destructive activities that cause disruptions in the child's natural environments such as home, school, or the neighborhood. The overriding feature of conduct disorder is the repetitive and persistent pattern of behaviors that violate societal norms and the rights of other people. Children and adolescents with conduct disorder act out aggressively and express anger inappropriately. They engage in a variety of antisocial and destructive acts, including violence towards people and animals, destruction of property, lying, stealing, truancy , and running away from home. They often begin using and abusing drugs and alcohol and having sex at an early age. Irritability, temper tantrums , and low self-esteem are common personality traits of children with CD.

Childhood anxiety occurs when a child is overly anxious, experiences separation anxiety, or avoids certain situations, people, or places. Usual signs of childhood anxiety include excessive distress when separated from home or from family members, worry about losing a loved one, worry about being lost or kidnapped, fear of going to school or away from home, difficulty sleeping away from home, and nightmares. Physical complaints such as stomachaches and headaches are common when the child is anticipating being separated from parents or other family members, such as spending the weekend with grandparents. These symptoms sometimes develop after an upsetting event in the child's life, such as the death of a loved one or a pet, beginning or changing schools, moving, or being ill.

A Tumultuous Stage In Children's Lives
Adolescence , the decade of teens, is a charming period for many who gain pride in becoming more independent self reliant and efficient. A time when most strive to experiment, experience and expand their horizons. However life for many young people could be a painful tug of war filled with mixed messages and conflicting demands from parents, teachers, friends and oneself. It can create stress and even serious depression for young people who are ill-equipped to cope, solve problems and deal with interpersonal issues. All they need is someone to show the path, lead their thinking, give perspectives and develop the critical thinking to make responsible decisions.

Care of adolescents is the need of the hour. The rebelliousness and dislike for parental intrusion usually keeps parents at bay because youth do not relish the idea of help and guidance from parents. Predispositions, stressors and behaviours weave together to form a composite picture of a youth at high risk for depression and self-destructive behaviour.

Our YOUTH need help and guidance in decision-making, problem solving, critical thinking, developing interpersonal skills, self-awareness, empathy, coping with stress and managing emotions. It's the duty of the parents, teachers and health professionals to guide adolescents towards excellence in life.