The label Attention Deficit Disorder (sometimes called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD) refers to a group of symptoms and behaviors which are usually noticeable during childhood. Although some people may outgrow ADD, most people (about 70%) continue to have significant symptoms in adulthood.

The primary symptoms include distractibility, and impulsivity, and sometimes, but not always, hyperactivity. A key factor in diagnosing ADD is the intensity of these symptoms rather than merely their presence because all of these symptoms occur from time to time in each of us and are really part of "normal" human experience. And, as anyone who has spent more that a couple of minutes around children knows, most children are highly distractible, impulsive, and hyperactive by adult standards. Thus, the intensity of the symptoms is a crucial factor. The question is not "Is this child distractible, impulsive, and hyperactive?" rather the question is "Is this child significantly more distractible, impulsive, and hyperactive than is usual for other children of the same age?"

You might be wondering what exactly does distractible or impulsive or hyperactive mean? The fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), the manual used by psychologists and psychiatrists for making diagnoses, lists the specific behavioral ways in which the symptoms of inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity may be expressed. Before listing the behaviors, the DSM-IV gives special attention to the issue of intensity by stating that the behaviors must be "to a degree that is maladaptive and inconsistent with developmental level" for the person in question. Listed below are the behavioral expressions of the symptoms of ADD that are included in the DSM-IV. This list seems a bit long, but these should be considered as examples of behaviors that go along with the symptoms. Rarely will one person regularly display all of these behaviors. In fact, the DSM-IV states that only six behaviors from the inattention category or six behaviors from both the hyperactivity and impulsivity categories are required for the diagnosis.

1. often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities
2. often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
3. often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
4. often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (not due to failure to understand directions)
5. often had difficulty organizing tasks and activities
6. often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort
7. often loses things necessary for tasks and activities
8. often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli
9. often forgetful in daily activities