What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?

In trying to find out information about what is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD, you will likely find a shorter term, which is the attention deficit disorder or ADD. How do these terms differ or does it matter when you refer to the condition as either ADHD or ADD?

To answer the question “what is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder” and what makes it different from ADD, it is vital to take note the fact that through the years, there are many terms that have been introduced to refer to this condition. ADHD is the current term being used by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM-IV-TR. The older term, ADD, was used on the DSM-IIIR. This is the reason why there are some resources where you will find ADD being used as a synonym to ADHD.