AD-ADD-HD

"AD/HD" (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) is the term now used for a condition which has had several names over the past hundred years. Science recognizes three subtypes of AD/HD (inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, and combined).  A diagnosis of one type or another depends on the specific symptoms (i.e. the "diagnostic criteria") that person has. (AD/HD) is a condition affecting children and adults that is characterized by problems with attention, impulsivity, and overactivity.  It affects between 3-7 percent of schoolage children, and between 2-4 percent of adults. (AD/HD) is the current diagnostic label for a condition that has been recognized and studied for over a century.  Over the years, it has been known by several other names inlcuding "brain damaged syndrome," "minimal brain dysfunction (MBD)," "hyperkinetic impulsive disorder," and "attention deficit disorder (ADD)."  The body of scientific literature documenting the reality of this condition is immense. 

While some individuals, including many professionals, still refer to the condition as "ADD" (attention deficit disorder), this term is no longer in widespread use. For those who may have been diagnosed with ADD, the corresponding diagnostic category, using current terminology, would mostly likely be "AD/HD, Predominantly Inattentive Type."

No; unfortunately, there is no simple test (like a blood test or a short written test) to determine whether someone has AD/HD.  This is true of many medical conditions (for example, there is no "test" for a simple headache, yet anyone who has had a headache knows it's real!). Accurate diagnosis is made only by a trained clinician after an extensive evaluation.  This evaluation should include ruling out other possible causes for the symptoms involved, a thorough physical examination, and a series of interviews with the individual (child or adult) and other key persons in the individual's life (for example, parents, spouse, teachers, and others). Yes, we do.

ADD, AD/HD, hyperkinesis? It gets confusing, doesn't it?

This condition has been known for more than a hundred years, but it hasn't always been called the same thing. In the past, different labels have been used for what we now call attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). Why the change? The American Psychiatric Association publishes the official guidelines for naming and diagnosing mental disorders. This book (called the DSM, or "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders") is regularly updated as scientists learn more and more. Research in the 1970s and 1980s began to show there are different types of attention deficit. Although they have major differences, the types are more alike than different. Doctors began to see that the different types are all part of the same major condition. In 1994, the DSM changed the name from ADD (attention deficit disorder) to AD/HD because of the advances in research. There are three types of this one condition called AD/HD. They are: inattentive, hyperactive/impulsive, and combined.

Some doctors and mental health professionals still use the term ADD. If this is your or your child's diagnosis, it most likely means you or your child have the inattentive type of AD/HD. This is not the child who is "bouncing off the walls" or "simply can't sit still." Rather, it's the individual who seems to be always daydreaming, is forgetful, is easily distracted, is disorganized, and just can't seem to pay attention.

For additional information consult your physician or kid's pediatrician or specialist.