Difference between ADHD and ADD

[joybed]

Hi all Is the only difference between ADHD and ADD the amount of hyperactivity displeyed by the affected person. As you know i am awaiting a referral for Piers tto CDC and have noticed that amongst other things he has little concentration and is very innatentive as well as impulsive which fits in with ADHD however although he is hyperactive at home he isn,t at school he is actually the opposite and at the moment is a little passive. He tends to moan a lot at school and cries to get out of doing things and is reluctant to join in with the others unless it is on his terms. He has also been argumentative at school and uses lots of excuses to avoid doing things. At home he is reluctant to learn his letters, look at his books and do the maths games and we have a learning at home book which to be honest i struggle to write anything in for Piers I try to engage him but he just refuses to do anything. Lydia on the other hand is very keen to learn and I feel guilty as i spend a long time with her teaching her her letters etc but Piers just ins,t interested in learning at all if pushed to try to do something he becomes very nasty. How can i increase his concentration.

[chris54]

The sort answer is yes.

 

If someone is truly "hyperactive" they will be swinging from the chandelier all day long without a stopping to get their breath.

 

From a diagnosis point of view ADHD would mean being very active in a non constructive way, as appose to being a busy person how may have ADD.(only able to concentrate for a sort time on each task)

 

 

Others may add to or contradict what I have said here but the whole area of diagnosis in this field in open to conjecture.

 

You say about not wanting to do anything at home (School work?), what is he like with games that he plays because he want to play them? Does he stick with them for any time? If so he may not have ADD or ADHD.

 

It could be a case of compartmentalizing, school work is for school not for home.

 

That is what my son is like school is very seldom mentioned at home and as for school work, it is a big NO NO.

Edited November 24, 2008 by chris54

[joybed]

Piers has great difficulty sticking with anything even if he has chosen the game. He really likes a game called tumbling monkeys but he finds it hard to wait for his turn and rather than throw the die he will just jump in and take his turn. He soon gets fed up and starts messing around. He doesn,t like colouring or lego etc. When we play with playdough he spends most of his time disrupting lydia and breaking up her creations throwing it around etc. He watches TV for a minimal amount of time and then starts jumping around all over the place pretending to be sportacus or spiderman. He is really rough in his play sometimes intentionally and other times by accident. An example os his impulsivity they got a reflector at school both of them loved it and asked for it open while walking home Piers saw a great and posted his down it and then realised he wasn,t going to get it back and cried for ages. As I type this he is messing about with the printer and not listening to me as i tell him not to so i will leave it here and look in later.

[mummy]

Have PM'd you

[Elouise]

Whilst hyperactivity is generally thought of as swinging form the rafters all day long as kids get older this can settle into 'fiddling' none stop

 

The ADDISS website is worth a visit as is the Milton Keynes ADHD support groups.

 

The impluse and risk taking it brings can be a real problem in adhd.

 

ADD is differant- in Annies case it produces a 'space cadet' dreamer who struggles to stay on task with anything.

[joybed]

Hi Mummy not recieved a PM from you yet.

[mummy]

Have just checked and for some reason it went to your email address

I have just resent it as a PM

Mummy x

Edited November 25, 2008 by mummy

[skye]

Whilst hyperactivity is generally thought of as swinging form the rafters all day long as kids get older this can settle into 'fiddling' none stop

 

The ADDISS website is worth a visit as is the Milton Keynes ADHD support groups.

 

The impluse and risk taking it brings can be a real problem in adhd.

 

ADD is differant- in Annies case it produces a 'space cadet' dreamer who struggles to stay on task with anything.

 

The ADD "space cadet" comment has got me cracking up!! I am an adult diagnosed with ADD and that pretty much hits the nail on the head. I like to think of myself a an entrepeneur at many many things and everything is currently in the works! One day I will be on Dragons Dont with one of my wonderful, what was I saying again? LOL

Anyway. I often thought because of my ADD the my daughter Lib may have it until I found out properly about ASD and realized that it was more in the autistic spectrum. She sounds very very similar to your child. Teacher always holding her for every assembly because she will not sit there. Hanging upside down and flipping around on furniture in front of the telly. We don't actually attend out our CAMHS assessment until next week. If I can remember to I will try to come on and tell you what they said to me about it. The only thing that I can say is for maths worksheets and finding patterns, drawing etc. Lib can sit for ages doing them, much longer than I can. She still won't write letters very often. It usually ends in a power struggle especially since apparently I don't know how to write the letters properly and in her eyes I am always WRONG!! ARGGGGG

 

[jordansmum33ok]

Hi when my daughter was diagnosed with adhd i asked the same question as my son was add

its just he hyperactivity in excess opposed to the spaced out in the clouds version lol

 

however i do think children reflect on there enviroment to ie if its hyper then it adds to they hyperness, i was told to always try keep the atmosphere calm.

 

[chris54]

I think one thing we need to be careful about when talking about ADHD is the influence that came from America some years ago. They seemed to think that every lively child had ADHD and wanted them drugged up to have a peaceful life.

 

But then in "middle" America they are all a bit Neurotic.

Edited November 26, 2008 by chris54

[mummy]

ADHD is a MEDICAL condition, that responds well to drug treatment like any other medical condition.If the child doesn't have ADHD then the treatment won't work.

I don't think there is any danger of it being over diagnosed in this country - there are thousands of children and adults that are going undiagnosed and suffering with a poor quality of life as a result.

by the way children with ADHD are not all naughty - this is a mis-conception.

[chris54]

ADHD is a MEDICAL condition, that responds well to drug treatment like any other medical condition.If the child doesn't have ADHD then the treatment won't work.

I don't think there is any danger of it being over diagnosed in this country - there are thousands of children and adults that are going undiagnosed and suffering with a poor quality of life as a result.

by the way children with ADHD are not all naughty - this is a mis-conception.

 

I agree with you completely.

I think I may have done a less than perfect job of wording my last post.

What I was trying to say is that because in America in the past ADHD was over diagnosed it had in the eyes of some the affect of undermining the seriousness of it.

I have worked with children with ADHD so now a little about it.

Edited November 26, 2008 by chris54