Impulsive behaviors

Many people assume that individuals behave "impulsively" because they don't think enough before they act. However, the fact that people can improve upon their responses when they reconsider does not mean that people behaving well  think more before they act. For example, while some children continue to speak out without raising their hands in class, some children learn to raise their hands each time and they don't have to hesitate and think to behave acceptability. Only under very limited sets of conditions do any of us pause and consider to meet situational demands. Always remember, your child with ADHD rarely blurts out when you want him to admit wrongdoing. He learns to hesitate in that situation just like others who learn to raise their hands in class.   

Conclusion: Behaviors are called "impulsive" when they lead to mistakes (and we assume that the person could have performed better), but it doesn't necessarily mean that the mistakes occurred because of a failure (or inability) to stop and think.