Health Conditions A-Z Mental Illness ADHD What's the Difference Between ADD and ADHD? By Maggie O'Neill Maggie O'Neill Maggie O’Neill is a health writer and reporter based in New York who specializes in covering medical research and emerging wellness trends, with a focus on cancer and addiction. Prior to her time at Health, her work appeared in the Observer, Good Housekeeping, CNN, and Vice. She was a fellow of the Association of Health Care Journalists’ 2020 class on Women’s Health Journalism and 2021 class on Cancer Reporting. In her spare time, she likes meditating, watching TikToks, and playing fetch with her dog, Finnegan. health's editorial guidelines Updated on November 7, 2023 Medically reviewed by Kathleen Daly, MD Medically reviewed by Kathleen Daly, MD Kathleen Daly, MD is a board-certified psychiatrist with a specialty in women's and transgender mental health. learn more Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attention-deficit disorder (ADD) are often used interchangeably. However, the difference between ADD and ADHD is that ADD was a previous way of referring to ADHD. Also, while ADHD tends to be a childhood disorder, it can be diagnosed in adults. Here's more about ADHD, including symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. Maskot / Getty Images Are ADD and ADHD the Same? ADD and ADHD are technically the same. In 1980, the American Psychiatric Association referred to ADHD as only ADD with or without hyperactivity. By 1987, the term had changed from ADD to ADHD. ADHD has three different types: Hyperactive/impulsive typeInattentive typeCombined type ADHD is a catch-all diagnosis for all different types of the disorder—and ADD, in particular, is a type of ADHD, Lenard Adler, MD, director of NYU Langone's adult ADHD program, told Health. Based on the full name for ADD, it would be considered inattentive ADHD. ADHD vs. ADD Symptoms When ADD was in the Diagnostic and Statistical of Mental Disorders, Third Edition (DSM-III), the criteria were based on ADD with or without hyperactivity. ADHD in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR) is more specific. For any of the types, an ADHD diagnosis requires six or more symptoms in children up to 16 years of age or five or more symptoms in individuals 17 years of age and older. The symptoms may be as follows: Inattention: Describes an inability to do things such as pay attention, focus, listen, or finish tasks. A person who is inattentive may also lose things, become distracted, or be forgetful.Hyperactivity: Describes problems like being unable to sit still, play or work quietly, and not talk all the time.Impulsivity: Describes behaviors such as problems with waiting, interrupting others, or blurting out answers.Combined: Describes a collection of inattentive, hyperactive, and/or impulsive behaviors. Additionally, the symptoms have to be: Developmentally inappropriate and disruptive of life functioning (e.g., socially, academically, or professionallyPresent before the age of 12Present for six months or longer for any agePresent in two or more settings Signs and Symptoms of ADHD in Girls and Women How Is ADHD Diagnosed? ADHD can only be diagnosed and treated by trained healthcare providers or mental health professionals. However, there are no diagnostic tests for ADHD. Instead, the diagnosis comes from a provider asking about behavioral symptoms at home, school, and other places. For adults, diagnosis is based on the following: Having at least five ongoing inattention symptoms currentlyHaving at least five ongoing hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms currentlyA combination of these It's also important to know that symptoms of ADHD in adults may not look like typical symptoms of ADHD. For example, adults may attempt several activities at the same time without much success or have a preference for quick fixes. How Is ADHD Treated? Those with ADHD have a number of treatment options. For children, treatment can entail behavioral therapy and medications. Behavioral therapy entails parental behavioral management training, child behavioral therapy, and classroom behavioral interventions. Of note, behavioral therapy is utilized before medication for children under six years of age. Additionally, medications might consist of stimulants or non-stimulants. The difference between the types is that stimulants work faster and are most commonly used. Still, the purpose of either medication is to assist in the management of ADHD symptoms in different areas of an individual's life. Other methods that may be helpful for parents of children with ADHD include: Creating routinesManaging distractionsLimiting choicesUsing goals and praise or other rewards If ADHD extends into adulthood, there are other treatment options. Possible options include: PsychotherapyEducation and trainingA combination of treatments 7 Things People With Adult ADHD Want You to Know When to Contact a Healthcare Provider See a healthcare provider in cases of suspected ADHD; it's helpful if the healthcare provider knows about problems at home, school, or work, and with others. A provider will also need information about ADHD medication side effects if you've been diagnosed with ADHD or signs of depression. A Quick Review ADD and ADHD are related; however, ADHD has become the preferred name as ADD is no longer used by name as a diagnosis. Based on the presentation of ADHD symptoms, there are three types of the disorder—namely inattentive type, hyperactive/impulsive type, and combined type. However, symptoms of ADHD can appear differently depending on a person's age. Still, treatment for individuals of all ages with ADHD generally entails the use of medication or behavioral therapy. Furthermore, only healthcare professionals can confirm the diagnosis for and treat someone who has ADHD. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit 6 Sources Health.com uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Magnus W, Nazir S, Anilkumar AC, Shaban K. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2023. JSTOR Library. ADHD: the history of a diagnosis. MedlinePlus. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - also called: ADHD. National Library of Medicine. Table 7, DSM-IV to DSM-5 attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder comparison. National Institute of Mental Health. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adults: what you need to know. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - treatment of ADHD.