ADD Institute

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What is ADHD?
How many adults have ADHD?
What causes ADHD?
What are the effects of this disorder for adults?
How can I tell if I have ADHD?
Can ADHD be cured?

The ADD Institute is a specialty program developed to provide clinical services, educational seminars, and conduct research related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The clinical program is the largest clinical evaluation program of the Psychological Consultation Center, with six doctoral level psychologists comprising the clinical staff. Educational seminars are offered throughout the year. Examples including parenting workshops, school in service seminars, and the annual ADHD Conference. The ADD Institute also has a research program. The ADD Institute is located at the Psychological Consultation Center, on the main campus of Pine Rest.

At Pine Rest's Attention Deficit Disorders Institute, we conduct comprehensive multimodal ADHD evaluations. We base our assessment process on methods developed by internationally recognized scientists and clinicians. We've specifically designed it to accurately identify this disorder.

What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?
ADHD consists of three problem areas:

• Distractibility
• Impulsivity
• Hyperactivity

Distractibility is the inability to stay focused on a task or activity. The typical person with ADHD quickly becomes bored with routine, repetitive tasks.

Impulsivity may be described as “acting before thinking.” These individuals often interrupt or intrude on others. They may have difficulty waiting for their turn in group situations.

Hyperactivity is another word for being overactive. Hyperactive people fidget or have a hard time sitting still. They often talk excessively and tend to become over-excited by emotions.

It’s important to know that most people do not have all of these symptoms. Some only have difficulty staying focused (ADD without hyperactivity). Others are overactive, but still manage to pay attention to what is going on around them. Most individuals, however, have some symptoms of both distractibility and impulsivity.

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How many adults have ADHD?
Scientists estimate that 30-65 percent of ADHD children continue to have symptoms into adulthood. This goes against the common myth that everybody just “grows out of it.”

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What causes ADHD?
ADHD is not caused by laziness, a poor work ethic, or not caring about others. ADHD is not caused by poor parenting, immaturity, or stress. Most scientists and clinicians agree that ADHD stems from neurological or neurochemical abnormalities in the brain.

Some research with ADHD adults has confirmed that the activity in their brains is different from those without the disorder. ADHD has also been shown to run in families, providing further support for a genetic component to the disorder.

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What are the effects of this disorder for adults?
Adult ADHD can result in significant life difficulties. Staying focused on a task and thinking before acting are crucial abilities for almost all areas of life.

ADHD adults report problems at work, home, and in their relationships with others. Other people sometimes describe ADHD adults as undependable, poorly organized, undisciplined, quick to become angry, self-centered, or insensitive to the needs of significant others in their lives.

Compared with others, adults with ADHD have a higher incidence of money management problems due to impulsive buying and budgeting difficulties. They are more accident-prone and have more problems with drugs, alcohol, and antisocial behavior.

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How can I tell if I have ADHD?
Since we are all distractible or impulsive at least some of the time, accurate diagnosis is crucial. Several other problems such as learning disabilities, anxiety, and depression can cause ADHD-like symptoms.

It is not enough to fill out a symptom checklist or talk to someone for 15 minutes to diagnose this condition. Many times this results in the wrong diagnosis and inappropriate treatment. The individual being referred should be assessed using clinical interview, self-report, and computerized testing.

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Can ADHD be cured?
ADHD cannot be cured, but the symptoms can usually be managed effectively. A variety of medications have proven useful for children, adolescents and adults with ADHD.

People can adjust their lifestyle to compensate for their inattention and impulsivity difficulties. Time and money management training can help to keep ADHD adults organized and out of difficulties with work or finances.

Sometimes ADHD adults need vocational counseling to find a line of work that maximizes their interest level and minimizes the need for them to perform boring or repetitive tasks.

The assessment covers several life areas including:

• Developmental History
• Family History
• Academic Functioning
• Tests of Attention Skills
• Screening for Other Disorders

Testing typically takes between two and four hours. This includes a feedback session in which we explain the results and make recommendations. We also write a detailed report and send it to you so you can share it with your physician, school counselor, or other treatment professionals.

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