Inattentive ADHD Types & Symptoms

ADHD-PI is Often a Learning Issue Symptom

Inattentive ADHD (ADHD-PI or ADD) is widely diagnosed because so many learning problems have ADHD-like symptoms. A lack of focus, such as drifting off in class, and/or hyperactivity, is often an avoidance behaviors that stem from an inability to read or keep up in class.

Notice when ADHD symptoms are present. Are the activities related to reading or learning, such as instructions from a sports coach? If so, then the best response to ADHD might not be medication, but rather a learning intervention that targets the underlying difficulty, once and for all.

Gemm Learning offers ADHD programs at home with supervision.

Types of ADHD

The official NIH classification of ADHD in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) describes three categories of ADHD:  inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, and a combination of both.

ADHD-PI or Predominantly Inattentive ADHD

This presentation of ADHD affects females from than males. It means that those diagnosed are easily distracted, and find it hard to pay close attention to details, but they don’t exhibit hyperactivity or impulsiveness. They may appear to be daydreaming, seem forgetful about their belongings, make simple mistakes, have trouble following instructions and organizing tasks, get bored easily, and don’t like exerting mental effort for prolonged periods. In short, they exhibit poor centration skills and are easily distracted.

ADHD-PH or Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive ADHD

This type involves two elements: hyperactivity and impulsivity.

Hyperactivity is shown through constant movement and talking – always being ‘on the go’. Symptoms include not being able to sit down or stay still for long, fidgeting, and squirming, particularly when it’s inappropriate to do so. They have trouble staying on task.

People with this presentation of ADHD tend to struggle to control powerful emotions so their anger can flare up. That’s the impulsivity part. They can be risk-takers who don’t think through their actions, perhaps even jump the gun, saying inappropriate things or answering before they’ve heard the whole question. You may find them interrupting others often and not being so great at waiting their turn.

Combined ADHD

ADHD combined includes symptoms of the other two types and it’s the most common and most widely researched. As mentioned above, symptoms can change with age and the setting. Such a diagnosis in children typically means they are hyperactive and have difficulty paying attention.

Hyperactivity and Inattentiveness Have Different Root Causes

ADHD- Hyperactive type (used to be called Hyperkinetic disorder) often occurs when there are sensory integration or brain chemistry issues. Whereas ADHD-Inattentive type is almost always due to language processing delays (LPD), which makes:

• Listening in class is exhausting — children tune out, or their minds wander
• Phonemes inside words are hard to pick out, impeding reading
• Homework is a trial

Language processing inefficiencies also impact social situations; for example, listening in a noisy playground can be a real challenge.

Recognizing the Signs of Inattentive ADHD

There are various types of attention to consider. Sustained attention is the ability to stay on task. Selective attention is the ability to focus on a task or activity with other stimuli present.  A successful student can focus selectively and for long periods.  There is sometimes an overlap of ADHD and executive dysfunction.

In early life, periods of hyperactivity or inattentiveness are not abnormal when children come up against challenges and choose to tune out or act out.

The real clue of ADHD is impulsive behaviors — the dangerous jump, the blurted insult. Here are three checklists of ADHD symptoms based on the three main traits of ADHD-PI: (1) inattentiveness, (2) hyperactivity, and (3) impulsivity.

(1) Inattentive Symptoms of ADD or ADHD-PI

Children with inattentive symptoms of ADHD-PI often go under the radar since they tend not to disrupt. However, their symptoms have consequences: upset teachers and parents for not following directions; underachieving in school; or having run-ins with classmates over rules. Here is a checklist of symptoms of inattentiveness in children:

• Doesn’t pay attention to details
• Makes careless errors
• Appears not to be listening when spoken to
• Has difficulty following directions or remembering instructions
• Is not organized, and struggles with planning and finishing projects
• Frequently loses things, such as homework, belongings, etc

These symptoms of inattentive ADHD center are mostly caused by language processing delays.  Our reading programs for children with ADHD are comprehensive, as they address the reading and cognitive skill gaps. 

(2) Hyperactive Symptoms of ADHD

Hyperactivity in a child is much harder to ignore. Here is a checklist of symptoms of hyperactivity in children:

• Constantly fidgeting or squirming in his seat
• Often gets out of his seat where sitting quietly is expected
• Constantly moving, often runs or climbs inappropriately
• Had difficulty learning to ride a bike
• Struggles with hand-to-eye skills like catching a ball
• Blurts out responses impulsively, including lying

Hyperactive symptoms of ADHD can be ambiguous in younger children. There is a lot more 5-year-old-itis than ADHD-PH.

The last two items on the above checklist – balance and hand-to-eye difficulties — look for ADHD by looking for signs of sensory integration issues that show up in physical balance and coordination skills but that also cause ADHD.  Many of these children respond to Occupational Therapy (OT) and exercise treatments that improve coordination, like Interactive Metronome.

(3) Impulsivity Symptoms of ADD

Impulsivity causes social problems for children with ADD symptoms. They are prone to making tactless comments or asking overly personal questions.  Here is a list of symptoms of impulsivity in children:

• Interrupts conversation or speaks without thinking
• Blurts out answers in class without waiting to be called
• Keeps wanting to go first
• Capable of angry outbursts or temper tantrums
• Tends to guess rather than attempt to solve a problem

Impulsive ADHD symptoms can stem from sensory or processing overload, but can also relate to emotional or other background issues.  While impulse control can be trained somewhat, targeting the source of difficulty here is more challenging.

Gemm Learning uses Fast ForWord software at home to fill in the cognitive skill gaps related to ADHD and build reading and comprehension skills.

Is it Something Else?

A lot has been written about the over-diagnosis of ADHD. And so before resorting to ADHD medication, talk to teachers, and neighbors and carefully observe your child in different situations. Certain medical conditions, psychological disorders, and stressful life events can cause symptoms that look like ADD or ADHD-Inattentive type.  Try to rule out these possibilities:

• Learning difficulties
• Life difficulties — such as bullying or trauma
• Psychological or behavioral disorders — such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder
• Medical conditions — including thyroid problems, neurological conditions, blood sugar fluctuations, other nutritional issues, and sleep disorders
• Dietary changes – for example, too much sugar

Sometimes counselling or a new diet can make a world of difference. And if the lack of focus does relate to a learning delay, a learning intervention can be effective.

Are Inattentive ADHD Signs Learning Related?

It’s chicken and egg. Is ADHD slowing down learning or are the learning issues causing the ADHD symptoms?  As stated above, most often it’s the latter.  Here are a few common signs of language processing delays and working memory dysfunction, the two primary sources of learning and reading delays often associated with ADHD.

• Difficulty sounding out words when learning to read
• Reading comprehension problems in 4th or 5th grade
• Listening difficulty with background noise
• Cannot reliably follow multi-step directions
• Takes too long to do homework
• Does not perform well on tests

If your child exhibits 2 or more of these common signs of learning difficulty, a learning intervention may make all the difference. More on distinguishing between reading delays and ADHD here.

Coping vs Treating

Most parents treat ADHD-PI as a psychiatric disorder and manage the symptoms of ADHD using stimulant medications, which can have side effects.  Several behavioral therapies, aerobic exercises, and dietary modifications (such as free fatty acid supplements) may also help.

Psychological therapies such as behavior modification therapy and family therapy can dampen symptoms. In some cases biofeedback or neurofeedback as it is now called can help, albeit temporarily.

These approaches work on symptoms only. They help ADHD by modifying behavior and changing habits. They do not address the source of the problem.

Treat the Underlying Difficulty and the ADHD

If your child has learning difficulties in addition to ADHD-PI symptoms, there is an opportunity to help both issues in one treatment – the learning difficulty and the ADHD behaviors.

Learning difficulties are generally caused by cognitive skill gaps that will respond to exercise. Gemm Learning has programs for ADHD that work on underlying cognitive skills and on specific attention skills, such as selective attention and impulse control.

To see how the Fast ForWord programs works on the deep-seated cognitive skill delays that often lead to ADHD, see the program in action for yourself – request a demo video and interactive access to the software.