"If my child can spend two hours playing Minecraft, how can they possibly have ADHD?" It's one of the questions parents ask me most often. At first glance, it seems like a fair question. If a child can focus on a favorite activity for hours, shouldn't they be able to focus on twenty minutes of homework? Not necessarily. In fact, this pattern is one of the hallmarks of ADHD.

When most people think about ADHD, they think about behavior. They think about the child who cannot sit still. The student who forgets assignments. The teenager who procrastinates until the last minute. The child who interrupts, loses things, gets distracted, or seems unable to follow through.

When most people think about ADHD, they think about behavior. They think about the child who cannot sit still. The student who forgets assignments. The teenager who procrastinates until the last minute. The child who interrupts, loses things, gets distracted, or seems unable to follow through.