“Their fight-or-flight system has been activated and is firing even when there is no danger present,” notes Caroline Mendel, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute. But in kids with trauma, it’s a response to a perceived threat. That can cause kids to act out in ways that can look impulsive (a symptom of ADHD) or oppositional (something kids with ADHD often develop). Kids who’ve experienced trauma have a tendency to perceive people as hostile, to assume they have negative intentions towards them. ![]() “You’re distracted because you’ve been through something so big that your mind can’t digest it.” “If you’re having intrusive thoughts about a traumatic event you’ve been through, you’re not attending to the present moment,” notes Dr. Kids exposed to trauma may mentally re-experience traumatic events, and that can make kids look spacey and distracted, like kids with the inattentive type of ADHD. “That can look like the hyperactivity and impulsivity of ADHD.” “If you’re on high alert for danger - if you have all sorts of stress hormones surging in your body - it’s going to make it hard to sit still and calmly pay attention,” explains Dr. Children who’ve been through a trauma, or exposed to repeated trauma, are unusually sensitive to signs of danger or threat. Symptoms of PTSD or complex trauma that might look like ADHD include: Signs of trauma that can be confused with ADHD This is sometimes called “complex trauma,” and these kids, too, can be misdiagnosed with ADHD.Īnd to add to the confusion, kids can also have both ADHD and trauma. There are also many kids who experience repeated traumatic events in their home or community who develop these symptoms, even though they don’t meet all the criteria for PTSD. Some children who’ve been exposed to violence or another disturbing experience develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Kids who have had a traumatic experience – or repeated exposure to violence or abuse – do some of the same things, explains explains Jamie Howard, PhD, a clinical psychologist who is a trauma expert at the Child Mind Institute. And trauma can be overlooked and left untreated when kids are misdiagnosed with ADHD.Ĭhildren with ADHD can be fidgety (always getting out of their seats), distracted (not paying attention to the teacher), and disruptive in class. ![]() ![]() When kids are struggling with behavior and attention issues, the first explanation that comes to mind is often ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder).īut exposure to trauma can also cause symptoms that look like ADHD. If that happens, a clinician may want to switch them to a non-stimulant medication. If a child who has experienced trauma is treated with stimulant medication for ADHD, it can increase their trauma-related anxiety, making them more on edge. And they are often treated as behavior problems, disciplined with suspension, which makes their symptoms worse. When the effects of trauma aren’t recognized, kids don’t get the help they need to heal. And children with ADHD who experience trauma are more likely to develop PTSD than other kids, so should be monitored especially closely But kids can also have both ADHD and trauma. These behaviors can all look like symptoms of ADHD, and trauma may be overlooked by a clinician who’s in a hurry, or reluctant to ask parents whether a child has had a traumatic experience. ![]() They may also have intrusive thoughts about traumatic events they’ve experienced, and that can make kids look spacey and distracted. They may see people as out to get them, so are prone to lashing out. They are unusually sensitive to signs of danger or threat, which can cause them to be jumpy and unable to settle down. Kids who have had a traumatic experience – or repeated exposure to violence or abuse – do some of the same things. And trauma is often overlooked when kids are misdiagnosed with ADHD.Ĭhildren with ADHD can be fidgety (always getting out of their seats), distracted (not paying attention to the teacher), and disruptive in class. But exposure to trauma can also cause symptoms that look like ADHD. When kids have behavior and attention issues in school, the first explanation that comes to mind is often ADHD.
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