How do you get a medical diagnosis for ADD?

For an accurate diagnosis, the following are recommended:

1. A history of the adult’s behavior as a child.
2. An interview with the adult’s life partner, parent, close friend, or other close associate.
3. A thorough physical exam that may include neurological testing.
4. Psychological testing.

What is the medical condition called ADD?

ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a condition with symptoms such as inattentiveness, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. The symptoms differ from person to person. ADHD was formerly called ADD, or attention deficit disorder.

Is ADD and ADHD the same?

You may have heard the terms ADD and ADHD used interchangeably. Attention-deficit disorder (ADD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are indeed the same condition, it’s just that ADHD has had several name changes in the last three decades.

Is ADD considered special needs?

Guidelines for Receiving Special Education under IDEA Currently the U.S. Department of Education’s Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) does not include ADD or ADHD as one of the 13 qualified learning disabilities that automatically qualify a child for special education.

What causes a person to be diagnosed with ADHD?

ADHD is not caused by bad parenting, too much sugar, or too many video games. ADHD is a brain-based, biological disorder. Brain imaging studies and other research show many physiological differences in the brains of individuals with ADHD.

What is the difference between add and ADHD?

Neuroscience, brain imaging, and clinical research tell us a few important things: ADHD is not a behavior disorder. ADHD is not a mental illness. ADHD is not a specific learning disability. ADHD is, instead, a developmental impairment of the brain’s self-management system.

What does ADHD stand for in medical terms?

ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a complex brain disorder that impacts approximately 11% of children and almost 5% of adults in the U.S. 1 ADHD is a developmental impairment of the brain’s executive functions. People with ADHD have trouble with impulse-control, focusing, and organization.

Is there a connection between ADHD and brain damage?

Researchers used to believe that ADHD was related to minor head injuries and brain damage, but most people with ADHD have no such history and this theory has been disproved. Others have speculated that refined sugar and food additives cause ADHD symptoms.

Are there any known medical causes for ADHD?

There was a groundbreaking study done by the National Institute of Mental Health that showed glucose levels were lesser in ADHD brains than “regular” brains. The causes of ADHD are yet unknown, though it is confirmed that ADHD is a medical problem based in the brain.

What’s the difference between Attention Deficit Disorder and add?

Many people use the terms ADD and ADHD interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. ADD (attention deficit disorder) is the colloquial term for one particular type of ADHD — Predominantly Inattentive Type, formerly called attention deficit disorder.

What causes attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults?

What causes attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults? The causes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are unclear, but the condition often runs in families. There appears to be a genetic and neurobiological basis for ADHD.

Why do people with ADHD have trouble focusing?

People with ADHD have trouble with impulse-control, focusing, and organization. Neuroscience, brain imaging, and clinical research tell us a few important things: ADHD is not a behavior disorder. ADHD is not a mental illness.