ADD vs. ADHD: What's the Difference?
- Trina Purdy
- Jun 29, 2022
- 1 min read
Updated: Jul 7, 2022
While many people continue to use the terms ADD and ADHD interchangeably, it's important to recognize that they are not the same. Here are some key points to be aware of:
ADD is an older term for what is now known as the inattentive type of ADHD.
The term ADHD has been used to describe both inattentive and hyperactive types since the mid-1990s.
However, some people continue to use the term ADD as a way to indicate that the condition does not include hyperactivity as a symptom.
The DSM-5 currently recognizes three subtypes of ADHD: inattentive type (sometimes casually called ADD), hyperactive-impulsive type, and combined type.
ADD (inattentive type ADHD) doesn't manifest itself in the same way that predominantly hyperactive-impulsive or combined types do. Children with these presentations have different symptoms.
Children with the other two presentations of ADHD, for example, tend to act out or exhibit behavior problems in class. Children with inattentive type ADHD are generally not disruptive in school. They may even sit in class quietly, but that doesn't mean their disorder isn't a problem and that they're not struggling to focus. In addition, not all children with inattentive type ADHD are alike.
Children with combined type ADHD display several symptoms of both hyperactive-impulsive type and inattentive type.
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