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