Characteristics and Types of Services Received by Children with Two Types of Attention Deficits

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) has differentiated children with attentional deficits with hyperactivity from those with only attentional deficits. Research has also found that children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and children with Undifferentiated Attention Deficit Disorder (UADD) have different diagnostic characteristics, and different psychological outcomes. However, research has not investigated whether children with ADHD and children with UADD are treated differently educationally. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the types of medical and educational services received by children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and children with Undifferentiated Attention Deficit Disorder (UADD). Children with ADHD were reportedly diagnosed more than one year earlier than were children with UADD. Interestingly, even though children were differentially diagnosed, we found that children with ADHD and children with UADD received similar educational and medical interventions. The implications of these findings are discussed.