Sam is 6 years old and has been diagnosed with ADHD based in part on observations that he cannot sit still in class, blurts out answers without raising his hand, forgets his homework, and has difficulty completing tasks. Some of his classmates also occasionally forget their homework or blurt out answers but have not been diagnosed with ADHD. This illustrates that __________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario illustrates that disorders, such as ADHD, are associated with symptoms that cause impaired functioning (Sam cannot sit still or complete tasks), cause distress (implied by the negative impact on Sam's school performance), and are often more extreme manifestations of behaviors that can be seen in many individuals to a lesser degree (such as occasionally forgetting homework or blurting out answers, which are common but not to the extent or frequency observed in Sam).

Sam Is 6 Years Old and Has Been Diagnosed with ADHD