The letters associated with attention deficit have changed over the years. What used to be called ADD and ADD-H (hyperactive type) are now both under the category of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (or ADHD). However, it comes in three variants: (1) ADHD-inattentive, (2) ADHD-hyperactive, and (3) ADHD-combined (with both inattention and hyperactivity).

Even with the change in the letters, ADD or ADHD really is not a matter of a deficit in attention. Rather it is more an issue of wandering attention and focus. People with ADHD focus on whatever is the most interesting thing around them, even if it is deemed to be less important than something else at the moment. It also includes other so-called executive function impairments such as problems with planning and organization, sustained, diciplined effort, being able to plan out the various steps needed to complete complex tasks, and to monitor one’s work output for careless mistakes and legibility. Finally, ADHD also involves impaired working memory. Working memory is the human equivalent of RAM on a computer. It involves the ability to hold multiple pieces of information in immediate memory, process them, prioritize them, and plan a response to each ‘piece’ without losing track of the other ones. It is essential to being able to multi-task, to compute math problems, and to follow a set of instructions.

For ADHD to be diagnosed, it needs to be documented as occurring in more than one setting, is chronic in nature, and the symptoms cannot be explained by other factors such as depression, anxiety, motivational problems, discipline problems, or learning disabilities. At Heritage Professional Associates, we use a thorough diagnostic procedure to determine if executive function problems are present, by comparing the person to others of similar gender and age. We take a careful history, and make sure that other conditions are not present that could better explain the symptoms. We might also directly measure a person’s executive functions using carefully constructed psychological instruments.

If ADHD is present, we introduce an array of treatment options from a medication consult, to educational and behavioral training sessions to help one adjust to the presence of this condition. We also can train working memory through a special program known as Cogmed.