Understanding Attention Deficit Disorder

Part One

By Dr. William Sears

Q. When can Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) be detected in children? My daughter has always been high spirited, high strung and hard to please, even from birth. It's exhausting trying to keep her entertained and keep her from crying. I love my spirited angel, but I fear that she may have ADD or a behavior problem. At what age can I have this examined?

A. ADD is usually detected in children upon school entry, or between 5 and 6 years of age. This is because while the child is at home, parents are more accepting of a wide range of behavior in their child and the child is not required to conform to such a structured way of learning. When the child enters school, the child is required to conform and teachers are not as accepting of behaviors that don't conform to their perception of what is normal.

Three types of children are labeled with ADD. Some truly have a neurobiological quirk, causing them to think, act and learn differently. This is true ADD. A second group of children have what I call "situational ADD," a problem in their environment or a mismatch between child and school that needs to be corrected. A third group doesn't have ADD at all. They are just bright, energetic, creative children who act and learn differently. These children are exhausting to parents, challenging for teachers and just plain inconvenient, especially for a school system that rewards sameness and undervalues difference. These children are "differently abled," not "disabled." Bear in mind that ADD is not a deficit or disorder, it is a difference. These children need a different style of parenting and a different style of learning before this difference becomes a disorder or a disability. ADD does not always have the D-words -- deficit and disorder. Again, it is more a description than a diagnosis. It is also not a judgment whether the child is