According to the National Institute for Mental Health, attention deficit disorder, or ADD, is one of the most common childhood disorders. Symptoms include difficulty controlling behavior or paying attention and, occasionally, hyperactivity. However, nearly all children exhibit these behaviors occasionally, and there are differences between normal childhood behavior and ADD.
Timing
While all children may appear unfocused or inattentive at times, in order to be diagnosed with ADD, a child needs to show symptoms consistently for six months or more, according to the NIMH. Many children daydream occasionally; if it seems your child is constantly losing focus, then there may be a problem. Symptoms of ADD usually begin to be noticeable between the ages of 3 and 6. If symptoms start showing later, there may be another medical or behavioral cause.
Number of Symptoms
According to the ADD Center website, there are 18 symptoms of ADD. Of those 18 symptoms, a child needs to have at least 6 to be diagnosed as having ADD and 12 to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. A child who fidgets in his seat at school, or who doesn't always listen to what the teacher says does not have ADD. However, a child who fidgets, does not listen to what his teacher says, runs around during inappropriate times, interrupts others' conversations and is having learning difficulties is more likely to receive an ADD or ADHD diagnosis.
Brain Waves
According to the Neurology of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Information Library, those with ADD or ADHD exhibit different brain wave patterns than other children. Each part of the affected brain is responsible for different brain functions, including attention to task, the ability to make decisions, to plan and to remember what has been learned. An electroencephalogram, or EEG, study of brain waves would show more slow brain waves in a person with ADD than in a person without the disorder.
