Here's a link to an interesting article I found on the International Adoption Articles Directory: ADHD or Hyperarousal? Hyperactivity in Traumatized and Adopted Children, by Debbie Jeffrey, a counselor and mental health nurse, as well as an adoptive mother. In this article she argues that what parents might read as hyperactive behaviors could also be the behaviors of a traumatized child.

When we first brought our adopted sons – then aged 4 and 6 – home, people were flabbergasted at their level of activity. They were constantly running, rolling, wrestling, flicking switches, going through cupboards, climbing shelves, talking non-stop, asking complete strangers intrusive questions, pulling things apart (and never putting them back together!), running across roads, …

Professionals told us that, because they were children who’d been institutionalised in a poor, third world country, it was just the excitement of entering a new world with lots of new things, and they’d soon settle down.

They didn’t.

People would suggest to us (as “people” love to do) that they had ADHD. I believed otherwise. Aside from their frenetic physical activity, they didn’t have the other signs of ADHD, and they could focus well when they were motivated. The psychiatrist who later assessed my younger son for ADHD agreed.

Interesting. Little J was like this when we got him. I think the newness combined with his sensory deprivation made him get into everything, overreact when he was in a new situation, and become worked up easily.. At the time all of this was happening I thought it was because of the newness of it all, and in our case a lot of the behaviors did go away. But some didn't. So we had him assessed for ADHD and his psychiatrist says that he has it. The medication is working great for us...but he definitely did not have times when he could focus well. Even if he really wanted to and was super motivated (like with a piece of candy - a sure fire motivator for my son) he couldn't do it.

Jeffreys suggests that these symptoms (hyperactive behaviors that are NOT related to ADHD) are caused by trauma to the developing brain, neglect (which causes trauma), attachment disorder, and possibly, real ADHD.

Go to part 2: how to fix it.