| Physicians often use a standard attention disorder | | | | A child who suffers from ADD always appears to be |
| checklist of characteristics to determine if a child has | | | | in movement. He dashes around, wiggles, squirms, |
| attention deficit disorder (ADD). ADD is a disruptive | | | | fidgets, and talks nonstop. These characteristics may |
| neurobiological illness that can occur in early childhood. | | | | present him with difficulty participating in calm activities |
| Studies show that a large percentage of children | | | | such as reading. In general, symptoms of attention |
| labeled with ADD carry the symptoms through their | | | | deficit disorder can be put into three specific |
| adult lives. The exact cause of ADD is not known for | | | | categories: inattentive type (classic ADD), hyperactive |
| sure. Studies point to many reasons such as genetic | | | | impulsive type (classic ADHD), and combined type (a |
| disorders, nutrition deficiencies, mother's pregnancy | | | | combination of inattentive and hyperactive). Boys and |
| problems, and neuro-chemical imbalances. | | | | girls with this disorder tend to behave differently. |
| ADD symptoms appear in many forms. No two | | | | Though both genders are normally hypersensitive to |
| children display the same symptoms, which makes | | | | sight, sounds, and physical stimuli, boys seem to be |
| diagnosis difficult. The most common symptoms | | | | more hyperactive and girls more inattentive. |
| include aggressive behavior, constant activity, easy | | | | Physicians have to consider certain important factors |
| distractibility, impulsiveness and /or the inability to | | | | before reaching an ADHD diagnosis. They should |
| concentrate. The American Psychiatric Association | | | | study the symptoms of ADD present in two or more |
| has developed an attention disorder checklist that lists | | | | settings such as school and home. You must be |
| fourteen symptoms of ADD/ADHD, of which at least | | | | aware of the fact that a number of mental and |
| eight symptoms should be present in a child for him to | | | | medical conditions also mimic symptoms of ADD. |
| be officially diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. | | | | |