| Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD is the | | | | different, that each individual child will be at a different |
| one official diagnostic name according to the latest | | | | stage developmentally. Accounting for child |
| edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of | | | | development is just as important in the diagnostic |
| mental disorders. This is the book that medical and | | | | process. |
| mental health professionals refer to for diagnosing | | | | The terms used to describe ADHD are really used |
| most psychological disorders. | | | | interchangeably and all refer to the same disorder. |
| While there are different types and subtypes of | | | | What was once called ADD, has now been changed |
| ADHD, I can assure you that when most people use | | | | to incorporate the three major classifications of the |
| any of the numerous terms for the disorder, they are | | | | disorder: |
| talking about the same thing. | | | | Hyperactive Type |
| Let's sort out this "classification" system and | | | | Inattentive Type |
| understand the different terms used to identify the | | | | Combined Type |
| same behaviors. | | | | While it can be confusing with all the different terms |
| First and foremost, it's important to acknowledge that | | | | being thrown around, you can rest assured that they |
| there is no one typical or more common presentation | | | | refer to the same disorder and only differ to highlight |
| of ADHD. Instead, each individual can display and / or | | | | the major symptoms that are present. |
| struggle with various symptoms, to different degrees. | | | | This is a rather simplified explanation of the diagnostic |
| Some might struggle more with hyperactivity, whereas | | | | criteria and classification system. The bottom line, and |
| others will struggle more with staying focused. | | | | most important point here is that the terms refer to the |
| It is just as important to remember that in addition to | | | | same disorder that we now most commonly refer to |
| the diagnostic criteria and symptom display being | | | | as ADHD. |