Attention disorders come in various types with different symptoms, including childhood attention deficit disorder, ADD, ADHD, and adult types. ADHD has subtypes of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. Diagnosis is based on dominant symptoms, and medication may be necessary for treatment. Some individuals are not diagnosed until adulthood.
Poor impulse control and inattention are some of the more obvious symptoms associated with attention disorders, but attention disorders can actually come in a variety of unique types with varying symptoms. Among the different subtypes of the disorder are childhood attention deficit disorder, attention deficit disorder (ADD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). When the symptoms of ADD and ADHD appear to be equally present, a third type, simply known as the combined type, is diagnosed. Furthermore, within ADHD there are three categories: hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. All kinds of attention disorders can also be found in adults.
Childhood attention deficit disorder is so named because its symptoms are first recognized in childhood. Symptoms include inability to sit still for long periods of time, poor memory, poor concentration, inattention, and poor impulse control. At one time, these symptoms were classified simply as attention deficit disorder or, as it’s more commonly known, ADD. When it was realized that some children with ADD also exhibited symptoms of extreme hyperactivity, ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the label was assigned to this new subtype.
Within ADHD, several subtypes can be found. These subtypes include hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. Since the symptoms are usually recognized in infancy and even unaffected children can easily exhibit all of these characteristics, diagnosis by a physician is required before a child is actually considered to have any of these types.
Attention disorders are classified according to the symptoms that seem to dominate a person’s behavior. For example, a child who is primarily inattentive, but does not appear to show unusual levels of hyperactivity, will be diagnosed with ADD. A child who shows signs of poor impulse control or more hyperactivity symptoms than usual will, on the other hand, be diagnosed with ADHD. When an equal level of inattention and hyperactivity are present, the diagnosis given is of the combined type.
Although ADD and ADHD are commonly diagnosed in childhood, many struggle with these symptoms into adulthood. This explains an addition in the types of attention disorders, which is an adult type. Adult attention disorders can also include adult ADD or adult ADHD. With both, the same symptoms exist as in infantile types. Attention disorders can have serious implications in an adult’s life without proper treatment, and many require medication to control symptoms.
While most attention disorders are first diagnosed in childhood, not all are. Some individuals are not diagnosed until adulthood. As with childhood attention deficit disorder, symptoms of attention deficit disorder in adults can range from mild to severe.
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