What is the Difference Between ADD and ADHD

ADHD is one of the most common neurological disorders diagnosed in children today. However, many people are wondering what happened to the original ADD diagnosis. Some people are feeling a little confused when it comes to the differences to ADD and ADHD. This can be especially true for parents who have children with the disorder.

Understanding your child’s disorder can be important for learning how to parent your child. It can help you understand their treatment and how to approach different situations that your child may face, not just today, but also in their future. This can make all the difference in helping your child succeed in their adult life.

Adults can also suffer from the disorder. For them, understanding their disorder can help them understand their treatment options and their limitations in life. While this type of a diagnosis can sometimes lead adults to feeling embarrassed or strange, it really is a common condition that adults deal with.

Attention disorders did not start gaining attention until almost the 1980s. This led to many children who had the disorder but had no knowledge of it. They just knew that they were different. Therefore, it is quite possible that many more adults suffer with the condition than it is realized. This is because attention disorders exist for life.

Understanding your diagnosis, your symptoms, and your treatment options can help. However, before you can truly understand your diagnosis, we must delve a little into the history of ADD and ADHD. We will also explore ADD and what happened to the original diagnosis.

Early Diagnosis

Initially, there was just one classification for attention disorders; ADD or attention deficit disorder. This was used to describe both children and adults that experienced difficulty concentrating, staying still, or focusing. This condition was entered into the Diagnostics Statistics Manual in 1980.

It was found, however, that this diagnosis did not truly encompass or classify many individuals, particularly children that were diagnosed with ADD. This led to a revised diagnosis of ADD. The new diagnosis was ADHD with three different sub-sects – ADHD Predominantly Inattentive Type, ADHD Predominately Hyperactive-Impulsive Type, and ADHD Combined Type.

ADHD Predominantly Inattentive Type

ADD, or simple attention deficit disorder, no longer truly exists. For those suffering from only inattentiveness are now classified as ADHD Predominantly Inattentive Type.  So, essentially, there is no difference between ADD and ADHD. It is simply a classification of ADHD now.

Individuals with ADHD Predominantly Inattentive Type will generally experience symptoms that relate to inattentiveness. Hyperactivity is generally not displayed. This is more common for adults and girls. However, boys can also be classified under this ADHD classification. Inattentive symptoms can include:

• Difficulty following instructions
• Short-term forgetfulness
• Often makes careless mistakes
• Disorganized
• Frequently loses things
• Gets distracted easily
• Seems to have trouble listening
• Avoids tasks that require focus or an extended amount of time
• Difficulty in sustaining attention on something

ADHD Predominately Hyperactive-Impulsive Type

In ADHD Predominately Hyperactive-Impulse Type, hyperactivity will be the stronger symptoms. Boys are most commonly diagnosed with this type of ADHD. However, girls and adults can deal with this type of ADHD as well. Those that suffer from ADHD Predominately Hyperactive-Impulse Type may display symptoms that include:

• Frequently interrupts the conversations and activities of others but doesn’t notice it.
• Talks a lot
• Extremely impatient
• Seems to always be “on the go.”
• Fidgets or has difficulty in sitting still.
• Often has a difficult time performing tasks quietly.
• Runs, climbs, jumps, or moves from seat frequently
• Experiences difficulty in waiting for turn.

ADHD Combined Type

For children and individuals that have ADHD combined type, they are likely to display many of the symptoms in both ADHD Predominately Inattentiveness Type and ADHD Predominately Hyperactivity-Impulsive Type. This type of diagnosis is more frequent in children than adults. However, adults can experience this ADHD classification as well.

Why Are Classifications Important?

For some, the different classifications may seem to make ADHD more complicated. However, there is reasoning behind these different classifications. Properly classifying the sect of ADHD that you or your child suffers with can help to determine proper treatment options.

Individuals with ADHD Predominately Inattentive Type are unlikely to need the same types of medication or treatment as those with ADHD Predominately Hyperactive-Impulsive Type. This can be especially true when it comes to medication.

Medication for those with ADHD Predominately Hyperactive-Impulsive Type will need medication to help them slow down. However, those that suffer from ADHD Predominately Inattentive Type will simply need medication to help them focus on the task at hand. This difference in medication can mean the difference between effective or ineffective treatment results. This is exactly why proper treatment and diagnosis should only be determined by a physician.