If your child is diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), your first thought is probably not “playtime!” After all, ADHD is a chronic condition that can alter a child’s life in some serious ways.

As awareness and testing increase, so do diagnoses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). At the same time, there has been an exponential rise in the number of people taking medications for this common condition. Questions still exist about efficacy and side effects, but the prescriptions just keep coming.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, known to most of us as ADHD, is perhaps more widely acknowledged in our culture today than it is actually well-understood by it. While it was first described by medical researchers as long ago as the 18th century, its exact diagnostic parameters continue to shift to this day as awareness of it grows and its demography continues to shift.

What do we mean when we tell someone to pay attention to us? How can we tell they’re not paying attention? And what parts of the brain come into play when someone is (or isn’t) paying attention? While these questions are very interesting to many of us, they're especially so to parents with ADHD children. Plus, adults who have ADHD or other neurological differences will also find them relevant. After all, these underlying issues with attention contribute to so many of the challenges that pop up in the classroom and elsewhere.

The ability to pay attention can be a struggle for everyone. Adults, of course, most commonly notice this habit in children. Parents often have to ask their children repeatedly to get dressed, finish their meals, do their homework, or get into the car.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) affects a large number of children and adults in the United States.As prevalent as it is, though, ADD remains to be a topic under constant debate among scientists.Some believe it’s a physiological brain disorder that is caused by a genetic component. Others declare that ADD lacks any supportive evidence and should not even be considered a disorder.