ADD vs. ADHD

October 1, 2023

3 min read

Attention deficit disorder, or ADD, is an outdated term that was formerly used to define a neurobehavioral condition that affects one in nine school-going children.

The term ‘ADD’ is used for attention deficit disorder, which was later replaced with the term ‘ADHD,’ which means attention deficit hyperactive disorder, in the late 1980s.

The month of October is National ADD/ADHD Awareness month.

What is ADD?

ADD, or attention deficit disorder was used to describe the symptoms of inattention, poor working memory, and distractibility in people.

Before 1987, when the term ADHD replaced the term ADD, a child with symptoms of poor attention and working memory would be diagnosed with ADD with or without hyperactivity.

During that time, the behavior disorder diagnosis included three types.

Predominantly inattentive type

The kids with this disorder were shy and withdrawn and had the following symptoms:

Inability to pay attention or easily distracted
Trouble staying focused on longer tasks like completing homework
Does not seem to listen when spoken to
Disorganized and often forgetful
Struggled to follow instructions
Losed things often
Prone to make careless mistakes

Children with this disorder often went undiagnosed as the inattention was attributed to daydreaming.

Predominantly hyperactive and impulsive type:

Children prone to hyperactivity have loads of energy and move constantly in a manner that causes problems. Some of the symptoms of a hyperactivity disorder are:

Squirming in the seat or fidgeting with hands and feet
Running around the classroom or climbing excessively that is considered inappropriate;
Talking excessively
Blurting out answers even before the question was completed
Interrupting or intruding on other conversations
Difficulty in awaiting turns
Difficulty in playing or engaging in activities quietly
Appearing always on the go

Kids with both types of behavioral disorders

Kids who had symptoms from both types are called the combined type. Kids showing at least six of the symptoms of the inattentive type and the hyperactive type fall into this category.

What is ADHD?

ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactive disorder, is a behavioral disorder that causes impulsivity or hyperactivity and an inability to pay attention. The name ADHD has replaced the earlier used ADD.

In 1994, the doctors decided to call all forms of attention deficit disorder as attention deficit hyperactive disorder or ADHD even when the child does not exhibit hyperactive symptoms.

The behavioral disorders are distinguished as ADHD with the predominance of inattentive type, hyperactive/impulsive type, and combined type.

ADD Vs. ADHD

A question arises as to whether ADD and ADHD are the same thing. The answer is that yes, both term represents behavioral disorder in kids and later in adults that are characterized by inattentiveness, hyperactivity, or impulsivity in behavior.

Many people still use the term ADD either out of habit or because of familiarity with the term rather than the newer ADHD. Some people use ADD to refer to inattentive ADHD without the hyperactive condition. But it was never intended to be used that way.

The recent idea with ADHD is to get rid of the subtypes altogether and consider the predominant symptoms present in the behavioral disorder. While the symptoms of inattentiveness and hyperactivity are considered to diagnose the disorder, they are not identified as separate ADHD types.

The diagnosis of ADHD still applies even when the child does not exhibit hyperactive behaviors. Usually, men or boys are often diagnosed with hyperactive behavior disorders, while women and girls are found to have inattentive ADHD behavioral patterns.

Diagnosis of ADHD

People with attention deficit disorder are no longer diagnosed with ADD, as the term has been replaced by ADHD.

ADHD cannot be diagnosed through medical testing. Instead, pediatricians, psychologists, and psychiatrists diagnose ADHD after assessing the behavioral problems of the children.

While diagnosing ADHD, your doctor may consider:

Conversation with the patient
Information from parents/guardians
Observations in office settings
Notes from childcare providers or teachers
Medical testing that was done to rule out other conditions
Other assessment and evaluation of behavioral patterns

Treatment of ADHD

The treatment of ADHD will depend on the age of the person to be treated. For children below six years, non-medication treatments involving talk therapy and counseling are considered as a first line of treatment.

For older people, medications involving stimulants and non-stimulants are considered with other treatment options

Source links: