This can sometimes be misunderstood as the child ignoring the parent however it is important to remember that ADHD is not simply indifference, or a lack of attention – but rather a difficulty in directing and maintaining attention.
A child who experiences hyperfocus may become so engrossed in a task that they appear to ‘block out’ anything else happening around them, until they eventually come out of this state.įor example, a child may be so absorbed in a smartphone game that they have great difficulty shifting their attention away from it (until the period of hyperfocus ends), even when a parent calls their name or speaks directly to them. Hyperfocus can be described as a temporary state of intense, sustained attention in a specific task or activity. With that said, this post will consider hyperfocus especially as it relates to ADHD in children. Please note: neither hyperfocus nor hyperfixation habits are exclusively ADHD-related symptoms, and links can be drawn to a number of other childhood mental health conditions, such as autism or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
We’ll consider the various ways hyperfocus can affect children, before outlining some strategies to help them manage better. This is due to a relative lack of evidence supporting them as official symptoms, and the fact that not all people with ADHD experience these cognitive difficulties regulating attention.īut what is hyperfocus, and how does it affect children – particularly those with ADHD? In this blog post, we’ll examine more closely what hyperfocus is, and discuss how it differs from hyperfixation. Hyperfocus and hyperfixation can be experienced by both adults and children with ADHD, though the link is considered somewhat controversial by some medical professionals. Typically presenting symptoms are hyperactivity, fidgeting, inattentiveness, impulsivity and distractibility, among others.