The symptoms fall into three areas. These subcategories distinguish the attention deficit from the hyperactivity/ impulsivity, as well as the combined type. The attention deficit is essentially manifested by symptoms of easy distractibility, difficulty sustaining attention, avoidance of tasks requiring sustained mental effort, tendency to make careless errors, difficulty listening to people, as well as disorganization factors, such as forgetfulness. The hyperactivity/impulsivity is manifested by excessive activity (as if driven by a “motor”), increased speech, fidgetiness and difficulty sitting still or waiting in line, as well as difficulty completing tasks (although this last factor may be caused by attention problems as well).
