Locations:
SearchThe short answer from a pediatric behavioral health specialist
Q: Do we know what causes ADHD in children?
Advertisement
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
A: Professional thinking at present is that ADHD is a brain-based, genetic condition. Back in the early 2000s, there were two genes associated with neurotransmitter transmission that were associated with ADHD. Now many more have been associated with the condition.
Some say ADHD symptoms have been in the population since prehistory. Popular writers suggest that these are hunter genes — that when we lived in hunter-gatherer tribes, the hunters were the ones who noticed everything, which is what the ADHD brain tends toward in the modern world.
Some people today make the case that we’re living in a world dominated by screens, and that screens are making attention spans shorter. There’s no question that screens are certainly impacting how children react to directed-attention, effortful tasks — that is, the kind of attention that we use to self-regulate and accomplish difficult work. But the real issue is not that screens are changing attention, at least as far as we know.
There are no clear studies that confirm that screens cause ADHD. That’s a myth, at least for now.
—Michael Manos, Ph.D., Clinical Director of the ADHD Center for Evaluation and Treatment
Advertisement
Learn more about our editorial process.
Advertisement
ADHD replaced ADD as a more accurate term for a common neurodevelopmental disorder
Background stimulation and intentional fidgeting may actually help you stay on task
A booster dose, healthy snack and some downtime may help ward off a medication rebound
Working side by side with another person can improve focus, build accountability and provide motivation to get a task done (or at least started)
The medical condition isn’t a learning disability and doesn’t always cause hyperactivity
There are times and cases when physician-supervised breaks may be beneficial
Using time management tools, adopting new approaches and allowing for a little grace can help meet deadlines and finish tasks
Boys might seem disruptive, while girls might seem inattentive, but ADHD isn’t a sex-specific condition
Start having sex about 72 hours before ovulation, then at least every other day during your fertile window
Attachment theory suggests that your earliest relationships shape connections throughout your life
It isn’t a recognized mental health disorder, but research shows that problematic social media use can negatively affect your mental health, self-esteem and sleep
