People who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have a difficult time keeping their mind on one thought and controlling their behavior. Not everyone who has it has the same problems. Some people just have attention problems and are not hyperactive. This is a disorder that you are born with and have all of your life. People with ADHD can be distracted by every noise, object or action around them. Nearly 2 million children have ADHD. You probably have someone in your class at school who has it. People with ADHD may have trouble at school. work, their family and with other people around them. All of this can make them feel bad about themselves. Because they look like everyone else, many people don't understand the reason for their behavior and think that they are lazy, not smart or deliberately acting poorly.

Symptoms are:

• Feeling restless, fidgeting, squirming while seated
• Running, climbing, or leaving a seat in situations when sitting or quiet behavior is required
• Blurting out answers before hearing the whole question or thinking about what they are saying
• Having difficulty waiting or taking turns
• Often becoming easily distracted by sights and sounds around them
• Difficulty paying attention to details and making careless mistakes
• Difficulty following instructions, especially when many instructions are given at once
• Losing or forgetting posessions or forgetting to do a task
• Changing from one activity to another without finishing

Everyone does some of these things at one time. It doesn't mean that you have ADHD. A Doctor will do testing if these symptoms happen so often that it interferes with the person's important life activities.

No one really knows what causes it, but it seems to run in families. Medication and therapy will help people with ADHD. Schools and employers can make special accomodations for children and adults so that they may learn and function better.