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Our daughter has been diagnosed with what the doctor calls attention deficit disorder (ADD). My sister has a son who has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These two children are as different as night and day! So, what is the difference between ADD and ADHD?
Attention deficit disorder (ADD) has three basic behavior
components that are used to diagnose ADD and subtypes of the
disorder. Those components are inattention, hyperactivity,
and impulsiveness. While many children diagnosed with ADD
show signs of all behavior components, not all children do.
Some children diagnosed with ADD have the greatest
difficulties with inattentive behaviors. These children can
be quiet, reserved, and think or act very slowly. Other
children, who have attention deficit disorder with
hyperactivity, face their greatest hurdles with impulsive or
hyperactive behaviors. They tend to be very active:
squirming, fidgeting, and having a hard time staying seated
or following directions. You may be seeing a difference in
behaviors between your daughter and your nephew because they
each have a different primary behavior trait that is the
focus of their type of ADD.
Michelle Reynolds, Director of the Missouri Developmental Disabilities Resource Center, University of Missouri-Kansas City
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Last update: Wednesday, September 03, 2008
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