You may have been familiar with the terms ADD and ADHD. However, many parents often get confused whether their child suffers from ADD or ADHD. If you want to understand the difference between ADD and ADHD you better read this article.

ADD (attention deficit disorder) and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) are behavioral disorder that can affect not only children, but also adults. Since both of these disorders are difficult to distinguish, many times that ADD is referred to as ADHD; this can lead to misdiagnosis. Many psychiatrists are quick to diagnose a child with ADHD when he or she is, in fact, only ADD. This can be dangerous as your child may be overmedicated and not be given proper overall treatment.

While some similarities between ADD and ADHD are evident the differences are pronounced. What’s really the difference between ADD and ADHD? It’s not easy to answer this question though. Nevertheless, the main difference between ADD and ADHD is that, unlike ADD that only covers inattention behavior, ADHD involves an added group of hyperactivity. In other words, true ADD covers only one group of behaviors, while ADHD covers two groups – inattentive and hyperactive.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms include inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. ADHD can bring about impulsive behaviors, hyperactivity and problem to concentrate.

On the other hand, ADD only brings about the inattention symptoms. With attention deficit disorder, the only symptoms that will be demonstrated are inattention symptoms, including lack of attention to details, distracted easily, difficulty in listening to others, problem with following directions, forgetful, and leaving tasks unaccomplished.

Overall, understanding the difference between ADD and ADHD can help ensure that your child isn’t misdiagnosed. Furthermore, he or she can get the proper treatment.