Over the past decade or two, diagnoses for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)/Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) have increased drastically. This is true for both adults and children with 10-15% of school-aged children currently diagnosed.
There are three sub-categories that breakdown to: predominately inattentive, predominantly hyperactive, and combined. In order to diagnose a patient with either category, they need to exhibit at least 6 out of 9 symptoms and must be present for a minimum of 6 months. This will allow providers with the ability to test a patient’s development to see if ADHD/ADD has
negatively impacted their intellectual growth. Therefore, some symptoms have an age limit and require environmental impact. This creates a complete picture of social, academic, and/or occupational function to determine clinical significance and rules out other neurological or developmental disorders.
Some symptoms present in ADD/ADHD include:
- Repetitive careless mistakes in schoolwork
- Unable to listen when someone else is speaking
- Difficulty organizing
- Fidgeting/squirming in seat
- Talking excessively or talking over others
- Interrupting others without being aware
While the symptoms above make sense when talking about an attention disorder, they are also seen in patients with vision-related learning problems, sensory integration dysfunction (ie. autism), and undiagnosed nutrition allergies or sensitivities.
