Age-appropriate high activity level

Author: Ulrich Brennecke
Review: Dipl.-Psych. Waldemar Zdero

A still age-appropriate high activity level, especially in younger children, can show a symptom picture similar to ADHD.¹²

A (very) high level of activity in (very) young children can be age-related. This declines as the brain develops (which fits the description of ADHD as a developmental delay of the brain when the activity level is significantly above the usual age-appropriate level). Some children also simply need more time than others in certain developmental phases. This is not a Disorder, but an individual characteristic that everyone has. Warm attention and persistent encouragement, combined with plenty of opportunity to act out the urge to move, are the most sensible responses here.