ADHD: how to diagnose ADD without hyperactivity?
ADD without hyperactivity is the form of ADHD that is hardest to diagnose. Without visible restlessness or disruptive behaviour in class, a child with ADD can go through years of schooling without being identified. Here is how to recognise it and obtain a reliable diagnosis.
Why ADD is so often diagnosed late
A child with ADD without hyperactivity does not disrupt the class. They are quiet, often seen as dreamy or lacking motivation. They do not draw teachers’ attention through disruptive behaviour. And their attention difficulties are internal, invisible from the outside. Only a careful and informed observer can spot the characteristic signs: staring into space during lessons, systematic forgetfulness, slowness in getting started on tasks, and school results that do not reflect the child’s real abilities.
The specific signs of inattentive ADD
The profile of inattentive ADD has several specific signs. A persistent difficulty in sustaining attention on school tasks or on activities that are not very stimulating. Frequent careless errors that do not reflect a lack of understanding but a lack of attention to detail. A tendency to lose the items needed for school work: exercise books, pens, school bag. A significant difficulty in organising and planning work. And a tendency to be easily distracted by external stimuli or by their own thoughts.
The diagnostic assessment for ADD
The diagnosis of ADD relies on several complementary sources of information. Standardised questionnaires completed by parents and teachers make it possible to assess behaviour in different settings. Specific neuropsychological tests objectively measure sustained attention, selective attention and vigilance. In-depth clinical interviews with the child and their parents help to understand the developmental history and the impact of the disorder on daily life. And a school assessment makes it possible to objectively document academic difficulties.
The particular profile of girls with ADD
Girls with ADD often present a specific profile that makes them even less visible. They compensate more through extra effort, which masks their difficulties until school demands become too great to be compensated for. They more often internalise their distress, which shows up as anxiety or depression rather than as outward behaviour. And they are more often diagnosed in adolescence or adulthood than boys. To find specialists in inattentive ADD, professionnelsdys.fr offers a specialist directory.
