“Does he ever do ‘walk’?” asked a frustrated friend, watching my four-year-old sprinting along a wall beside us.
“No,” I replied wryly. “It’s either flat-out at full pelt, or a complete stop when he finally crashes, sleeps for hours, and then starts all over again.
At the time, I simply put this down to lively, normal boy behaviour. So I was genuinely shocked when, a few years later, his teacher took me aside (he must have been about eight) and suggested he may have ADHD.
I later found out she’d recently been on a one-day training course and was suddenly spotting ADHD traits in every child she taught! A psychologist friend reassured me that ADHD isn’t something to label lightly; it’s a complex condition and should only be diagnosed by a properly trained, experienced professional.
Looking back, I realise that was the moment my journey with ADHD awareness really began, from simply managing a lively little boy to questioning how we understand, label, and support children who see and experience the world differently.
Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is often defined as a neurodevelopmental condition marked by persistent inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. But don’t we all exhibit some of these traits to varying degrees?
Do all children diagnosed with ADHD actually have a disorder, or are some of these traits just developmentally expected behaviour from a child?
Let’s take the following attributes of ADHD as examples;
Children who struggle to sit still aren’t being difficult—they’re reflecting how human bodies are wired. Movement supports healthy development, and extended sitting can actually work against it. Research has questioned the practice of keeping children seated for long stretches, since both their brains and bodies thrive on motion (Pellegrini & Smith, 1998).
This debate resurfaced when Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson noted that many four-year-olds are considered “not school ready” simply because they can’t sit still or follow instructions. Yet, according to motor development literature, it’s developmentally typical for children to sustain focus in short bursts: around 5–10 minutes at age 3, 15 minutes at age 5, and 25 minutes at age 7 (Payne & Isaacs, 2020).
Educator Eric Jensen highlights that sitting for more than 10 minutes reduces awareness of physical and emotional cues, even in adults. Meanwhile, the brain is far more active during physical activity than while seated. Movement increases blood flow and releases chemicals that aid focus, memory, effort, and mood (Jensen, 2005).
Forcing children to remain still for up to an hour can backfire—hindering learning and increasing distraction. Active movement supports working memory and cognitive processing (Nicholas, 2020). A 2015 study led by Dr. Dustin Sarver found that small motions, like fidgeting or chair-spinning, helped children with ADHD perform better on concentration tasks. These movements appeared to stimulate the nervous system in a way similar to ADHD medications (Sarver et al., 2015; Kamenetz, 2015). Sarver also noted that when children are told to “sit still,” they end up using precious mental energy to comply, leaving less capacity for learning.
‘Inattention’ is another trait associated with ADHD, and many children diagnosed with ADHD are criticised for ‘daydreaming’ instead of paying attention in class.
We’ve all zoned out, drifted into daydreams, or had wandering thoughts during a dull lecture. But did you know that this “off‑task” mental wandering is actually linked to creativity and problem-solving? Research shows that mind-wandering can spark creative incubation, helping us combine ideas in novel ways and uncover solutions we’d never approach while hyper-focused .
Research from Queen’s University Belfast found that children spent at least a quarter of their time in class daydreaming, and the likelihood of daydreaming was linked to their enjoyment of the particular subject. Even as adults, I’m sure we can relate to our mind wandering in a meeting or talk that doesn’t engage us, especially if the information isn’t being delivered in a way that suits our learning style.
Impulsivity today may just be curiosity and boldness from an evolutionary perspective. One ‘evolutionary mismatch’ theory suggests that traits like distractibility and impulsiveness were adaptive for hunter-gatherers, helping them explore, forage, and avoid danger.
Modern research also suggests that impulsivity can sometimes be linked to creativity and innovation. Acting quickly without overthinking can foster risk-taking that leads to new ideas and problem-solving strategies. This means that impulsive children may be highly imaginative, spontaneous, and capable of thinking outside the box.
Until recently, ADHD had been nicknamed the ‘naughty child syndrome’. This lack of understanding has traditionally led schools to punish students for ‘bad’ behaviour or exclude them entirely. Sadly, this has often led to a further lowering of the child’s self-esteem and motivation.
If ADHD exists on a spectrum (which is widely agreed by most specialists in the field), then there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach. Although ADHD is categorised as a ‘disorder’, there are also many positive traits that those who fit into an ADHD diagnosis possess. The neurodiverse brain has a huge propensity to creativity, blue sky thinking, problem solving, adaptability, as well as being highly empathetic, moralistic, and
resilient.
If your child does have ADHD traits, here are some tips to help them flourish.
ADHD traits aren’t black and white disorders - they exist on a spectrum. By understanding them as extensions of traits we all share, we can better appreciate varied ways of thinking and interacting with the world.
*Note: None of the above is to question the existence or validity of clinically diagnosed ADHD in children and adults. I recognise that many benefit from diagnosis, support and medication
