To understand attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and how it may affect you or someone you care for, it is important to learn as much as possible about the condition. Click on the links below for helpful tips, facts, and information about ADHD in children and adults. You’ll also find resources for support and hear from others who have ADHD. This information can help you understand the condition, recognize symptoms, and learn about treatment options that may help. Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurobehavioral disorder[1] characterized by either significant difficulties of inattention orhyperactivity and impulsiveness or a combination of the two. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), symptoms emerge before seven years of age.[2] There are three subtypes of the disorder which consist of it being predominantly inattentive (ADHD-PI or ADHD-I), predominantely hyperactive-impulsive (ADHD-HI or ADHD-H), or the two combined (ADHD-C). Oftentimes people refer to ADHD-PI as "attention deficit disorder" (ADD), however, the latter has not been officially accepted since the 1994 revision of the DSM. ADHD impacts school-aged children and results in restlessness, acting impulsively, and lack of focus which impairs their ability to learn properly. It is the most commonly studied and diagnosed psychiatric disorder in children, affecting about 3 to 5 percent of children globally[3][4] and is diagnosed in about 2 to 16 percent of school-aged children.[5] It is a chronic disorder[6] with 30 to 50 percent of those individuals diagnosed in childhood continuing to have symptoms into adulthood.[7] Adolescents and adults with ADHD tend to develop coping mechanisms to compensate for some or all of their impairments.[8] It is estimated that 4.7 percent of American adults live with ADHD.[9] ADHD is diagnosed two to four times more frequently in boys than in girls.[10][11] Its symptoms can be difficult to differentiate from other disorders, increasing the likelihood that the diagnosis of ADHD will be missed.[12] In addition, most clinicians have not received formal training in the assessment and treatment of ADHD, in particular in adult patients.[12] Standardized rating scales can be used for ADHD screening and assessment of the disorder's symptoms' severity.[13] Symptoms: Inattention, hyperactivity, disruptive behavior and impulsivity are common in ADHD.[21][22] Academic difficulties are also frequent.[21] The symptoms are especially difficult to define because it is hard to draw a line at where normal levels of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity end and clinically significant levels requiring intervention begin.[23] To be diagnosed with ADHD, symptoms must be observed in two different settings for six months or more and to a degree that is greater than other children of the same age.[24]
The symptom categories yield three potential classifications of ADHD—predominantly inattentive type, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type, or combined type if criteria for both subtypes are met:[25]
Predominantly inattentive type symptoms as listed by the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health may include:[26] * Be easily distracted, miss details, forget things, and frequently switch from one activity to another * Have difficulty maintaining focus on one task * Become bored with a task after only a few minutes, unless doing something enjoyable * Have difficulty focusing attention on organizing and completing a task or learning something new or trouble completing or turning in homework assignments, often losing things (e.g., pencils, toys, assignments) needed to complete tasks or activities * Not seem to listen when spoken to * Daydream, become easily confused, and move slowly * Have difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as others * Struggle to follow instructions.
Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type symptoms may include:[26] * Fidget and squirm in their seats * Talk nonstop * Dash around, touching or playing with anything and everything in sight * Have trouble sitting still during dinner, school, and story time * Be constantly in motion * Have difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities and also these manifestations primarily of impulsivity:[26] * Be very impatient * Blurt out inappropriate comments, show their emotions without restraint, and act without regard for consequences * Have difficulty waiting for things they want or waiting their turns in games