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What about attention
deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD)?
Some symptoms are:
A definition is difficult because the symptoms of ADD/ADHD are similar
to other disorders. Our extensive testing can help determine the underlying
causes and prevailing symptoms as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV™).
One essential feature
of ADHD is a persistent pattern of inattention. This affects the ability
to finish things once started.
This inability can
affect school work or other tasks involving sustained attention. Therefore,
important information within subject areas can be lost. When asked to answer
a question, the ADHD student may either answer it incorrectly or be so
way-off topic that they feel embarrassed.
Since attention cannot
be sustained, very often reading comprehension is affected and often this
inability to "understand" written material because of missing
essential facts has been interpreted to mean that the individual could
be 'Dyslexic' rather than ADHD.
Another major feature
of ADHD is impulsivity. This means that very often either one will act
before they think, or be constantly interruptive. The inability to sit
still is part of the impulsivity and very often creates disruption. Not
only do these behaviours interfere with others but they interfere with
the ADHD sufferer's learning process.
In terms of language,
one can have difficulty following a train of thought and miss the subtle
and inferential cues of a passage. Socially, an individual could begin
conversations at awkward moments, switch topics abruptly, miss conversational
terms, and not learn how to adapt the message to the listener.
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