| When a child or adult is diagnosed with an Attention | | | | internet doesn't provide the answer. A Google search |
| Deficit Disorder, people are often confused by the | | | | for ADD turns up over 400 million sites, while the less |
| terminology. Is it ADD, ADHD, AD/HD, or do all those | | | | popular ADHD still turns up almost 2 million. Add a |
| names mean the same thing? Generally, people are | | | | slash, as in AD/HD, and you've got almost 800,000 |
| pretty clear that all those labels refer to a disorder | | | | more. Of course, some of those ADD sites will be for |
| where someone struggles with organization, paying | | | | the word "add" and have nothing to do with Attention |
| attention, completing tasks and sometimes | | | | Deficit. Many sites, especially the biggest, will come up |
| hyperactivity and understanding social skills. Often, | | | | regardless of the abbreviation you choose. |
| people will use ADD to refer to trouble paying | | | | What about when you're talking to the professionals? |
| attention, and ADHD when there is also hyperactivity. | | | | Just like using proper grammar, you can never go |
| As with most issues involving diagnoses of "mental | | | | wrong with using the correct professional labels and |
| disorders", the official facts are found in the Diagnostic | | | | calling it AD/HD. If you're going to be interacting with |
| and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth | | | | doctors, teachers, or therapists, it pays to use the |
| Edition, Text Revision, published by the American | | | | official name. Most people become very well educated |
| Psychiatric Association, and usually referred to as the | | | | about their own or their child's diagnosis, and using the |
| DSM-IV-TR(TM). This is the manual that mental health | | | | appropriate name shows that you know what you're |
| professionals use to diagnose any type of mental | | | | talking about. |
| disorder. Based on this official source, the name is | | | | When you're looking for support groups, books or |
| Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, but it's | | | | articles, you'll probably have to try all three |
| classified as one of the Attention-Deficit and Disruptive | | | | abbreviations. ADD has history, easy pronunciation, and |
| Behavior Disorders. It's broken down into a | | | | cleverness in its favor, hence support groups such as |
| predominately inattentive type, a predominantly | | | | CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit |
| hyperactive type (which can also include impulsive | | | | Hyperactivity Disorder) and ADDA (Attention Deficit |
| behaviors), and a combined type, involving both | | | | Disorder Association, for adults with AD/HD) and |
| inattention and hyperactivity and/or impulsivity. Note | | | | publications like ADDitude magazine. ADHD and more |
| that all types are called Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity | | | | precisely AD/HD have the advantage of accuracy. A |
| Disorder, even the version that involves only inattention, | | | | search for books on Amazon or Barnes and Noble |
| with no hyperactivity. No wonder people get confused. | | | | turns up completely different results when the |
| To top it off, the DSM-IV-TR never uses any | | | | abbreviations are changed, so you'll have to try all of |
| abbreviation to refer to the disorder. | | | | them. |
| What difference does this make? In many ways, not a | | | | Of course, this is only true right now, with the current |
| bit of difference. Most people will know what you're | | | | edition of the DSM. In another few years, the APA will |
| talking about whether you call it ADD, or ADHD, | | | | release the updated edition of the DSM, and it's |
| although it's probably wise to specify the subtype if | | | | anybody's guess what the disorder will be called by |
| you know it. However, if you're searching for | | | | then! |
| information online, all things are not equal. Certainly, the | | | | |