Can anyone give me the lowdown??

I know one is worse than the other but don't quote me on that. My dd was diagnosed with a mild case of ADD yrs ago, we tried medication but it made her sick so we tried altering her diet and it worked! She eventually got better and is completely fine now. :) FYI ADD and ADHD are extremely overdiagnosed.

Well we have noticed that she just can't sit still and doesn't listen and she can't concentrate. There are other things, but we just can't get her to just be still and calm, she is always bouncing off the walls. She has already been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea too and failure to thrive (28 pounds at 4 years old). But we are just at a loss with the ADD diagnosis, we think she's more ADHD. But with her startin school soon, we just aren't sure what to do about it..

I agree theg are very over diagonsis if a kid gets mad in a class room OHH they have ADD if you think you kids normal DO NOT GIVE HER NOTHING OR ULL MAKE HER WORSE if you kid is litterally crazy mayb you should look into it up still even if youre kid is crazy some kids have higher energy than other.. do lots of research honestly i dont even think there is ADD i think its something they made up for head strong hiper kids

Well no matter what I would NEVER call my child crazy or look at her like that.. Although I do think she needs some sort of help. I have 2 older daughters and they NEVER acted like my 4 year old does. I just know she needs some help of some sort, because she can't go into school acting like she is now. I don't think it's a case of just being hyper though... Love her to death, I just don't want her to have issues...

I can answer this one from personal experience.The H in ADHD is the difference.The H stands for hyperactivity.My ds1 who is now 13 was diagnosed ADHD when he was 2yrs and 4mos old.Well the dr said you cant truly diagnose ADHD til school age but ds fit the description to a Tee.The diagnosis was right on.Meds at that age were hard cuz the typical ADHD meds made him even worse.Unfortunately he had to try a lot of diff meds.In about 2nd grade his dr tried stimulants again and they worked! EVERYONE noticed a MAJOR difference,even him.He still takes them but thank God hes outgrown most of the hyper part so he only takes it on school days.His teachers AND him notice if he doesnt take it.He doesnt want to go off them yet.He doesnt get in trouble at school and his grades are WAY better when hes on meds.Trust your mama instincts,nobody knows your child like you do.Good luck mama!

They are the same except adhd is with a hyper child. It stand for attention deficit, hyperactive disorder the other is attention deficit disorder.  I personally do not medicate for it. I just let my child run and play to burn off his energy.

I took a class in college and there was a section about ADHD and ADD. The prof said ADD doesn't really exist they just take the H out to make parents happy.

 How in the world could anyone possibly diagnose a 4 year old with ADD. Don't all preschooler have Attention Deficit Disorder? It just doesn't seem right. Their cognitive behavior is still extremely self serving. Of course they don't pay attention.

Have you taken your little one for an evaluation with a child psychiatrist?  Maybe a few different opinions?  I do agree that people who are not qualified to give you a medical diagnosis (like your little one's teacher) will often make one.  Have you tried putting her in a sport or activity so maybe she has a place to work off the extra energy?  Best of luck.

 The difference between ADD and ADHD is on the calendar.  Over the years, the medical world has kept changing the names.  For a while, they were 2 kinda separate dignoses...Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD).  Then they decided it was mostly all the same, so they went with ADD but sometimes added on "with hyperactivity."  Most of the time these days, I only hear docs saying ADHD...even when the kids aren't hyperactive.  I don't know why.

Yes...these days many docs will medicate as young as 4.  Personally, I think it's silly to actually diagnose and medicate that young.  I think that, at younger ages, it's reasonable to suspect an attention deficit and to use environmental techniques to manage it...strict schedules, behavior mod, etc.  Unless your child is so over-the-top impulsive that it's a safety issue...like runs into the street or plays with knives when left in reach...I'd hold off on meds.