FAIRHOPE, Ala. — As summer vacation ends and Baldwin County’s schools open on Monday, most students in the county will be worried about getting to class on time, wearing the right color combinations for their uniforms or what they are going to do when the bell rings at 3 p.m.

But for some students with attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the experience will be quite different. One incoming senior on the Eastern Shore said that sometimes he struggles just to pay attention for a few minutes at a time during class.

The student, who asked to remain anonymous, said that a classroom setting is one of the hardest places for someone with ADD or ADHD to concentrate.

“Sometimes I just can’t focus on multiple things at once, and other times I focus on too many things,” he said. “Even when I’m taking my medications it is very difficult to listen to my teachers sometimes, especially when other kids are talking or there is a lot happening in the room. Then on other days I focus on one thing so hard that I miss everything else.”

His struggle is shared by 10.6 percent of children in Alabama, according to 2011 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control. The New York Times reported that one in five high school boys were diagnosed with ADHD in 2013.

The signs of ADD/ADHD can manifest early on. The student said he first knew something was wrong on a trip to the grocery store with his father when he was 9 or 10.

“I had trouble following my dad in the grocery store,” he said. “Sometimes I was unable to stop looking at one item until I ran into someone. It was so difficult to just follow my dad through the store.”

The boy’s parents took him to a doctor,who told them he did not have ADD or ADHD. But he always knew something was wrong.

“I finally said, ‘Mom, I’m different. I think I have ADHD,’” he said.

He was finally diagnosed with ADD Inattention when he was a sophomore. He said his medication is a treatment, not a cure, but it helps him concentrate in class.

National Alliance of Mental Illness Vice President Ginger MacMicking said it is important for parents to recognize the signs of ADD and ADHD at an early age. She said signs can show up as early as age 4.

“Is your child just hyper because they are a child,” she said. “Or are they more hyperactive than their friends?”

A study from the Archives of General Psychology showed that children diagnosed with ADHD between the ages of 4 and 6 had a greater risk for depression between ages 9 and 18 than children without ADHD.

“It is important to get your child checked out if they show signs of being more hyperactive than other children,” MacMicking said. “If it turns out they just have a lot energy that’s great, but please find out.”

GET HELP: The National Alliance on Mental Illness Baldwin County offers intensive educational programs on various aspects of mental illness. Teachers are trained by the state NAMI organization. Classes generally meet one night a week for several weeks. Classes are free of charge. Call 512-965-6264 for information.