PERSONALITY TRAITS OF CHILDREN WITH ADHD/ADD

Inflexibility ADHD children often display an inflexible or dogmatic nature and things are usually either black or white, with no shades in-between. Once they have made a decision or taken a particular attitude, they find it very difficult to change it, even if the circumstances have changed. A change in the plans for the day, which may result from circumstances outside the control of the parents’, can result in a tantrum which is quite disproportionate to the actual event. These children seem to have a lower frustration threshold than other children and are more easily upset than others. Their problems with adjustment to changes seem to also lead to great problems in handling choice. Offered a choice of sweets, after much deliberation, the child will choose one, only to demand a different one when he is actually given the original choice. This may appear to be a disciplinary problem but in a child with ADHD, it is part of the child’s poor ability to make a decision and stick with it.

Self-esteem This is a major problem for anyone with ADHD. As a child grows, developments in the brain allow him to develop an awareness of himself, & the value of himself, in relation to his environment & to other children of his own age in particular. Because of a dysfunction in the central part of the brain in children with ADHD, they do not develop an appropriate self-concept.
This lack of self-esteem leads to unease and awkwardness when mixing with their peers, particularly in a group situation. It is usually easier to deal with only one or two friends at a time. This means that it is often difficult to build up a circle of friends in the normal way and this is exacerbated as the child grows older & reaches adolescence. By this stage their self-confidence may be virtually non-existent & they feel quite inadequate socially.
In order to gain acceptance by their peer group, they need to find ways of making themselves attractive to them. This means that they are much more easily influenced & led astray by other children, who are quick to recognise when they are dealing with someone who is inherently weaker than themselves & exploit this. ADHD children are often ‘set up’ by others because of their desire to gain acceptance & because of their relative naivety & impulsiveness. They are much more likely to end up in trouble than their peers.

Social Immaturity Children with ADHD tend to be significantly more immature in their behaviour & social interaction. This is the case both at home & at school, but will be particularly obvious at school where they often act the class clown to gain the approval of their peers. They also seem to experience emotions differently or inappropriately, displaying an emotional immaturity.