For Patients/Families

ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)
This is sometimes also called hyperactivity or the distractible child syndrome. This is a relatively common disorder occurring in about one in twenty children. It may manifested by the following:

Inability to sit still for more than a few moments at a time

Difficulty following simple instructions

Sudden emotional outbursts

School difficulties, often because they cannot concentrate long enough to get instructions and pursue a task to completion

Difficulty focusing on a specific task especially when there are other events going on around the child.

Persistence disobedience

Tendencies toward talkativeness, disobedience and being demanding

It is common for children under the age of three to manifest many of these behaviors and not have ADD. Even up to the age of five years, some children will manifest many of the signs of ADD. If you think that your child may have ADD, you should check with your child's doctor. The doctor will examine your child and evaluate his development. The only drug approved for treatment of ADD is Dexedrine although other drugs have been used. There are a number of unproved therapies, which are often recommended in the lay press. Check with your child's doctor before trying these. Megavitamin therapy and the use of special vitamin and mineral supplements may be harmful.