But familiarity with the terms and the requests made for special campus resources are a far cry from understanding what these terms actually mean. Early on, diagnosticians believed that these were childhood syndromes which disappeared by the end of adolescence. Now we know that they often continue into adulthood.
Attention Deficits can exist on a continuum from mild to severe.
In severe cases, especially when combined with hyperactivity and presence in children, ADD is readily recognizable. They usually have to say and do whatever comes to mind and have a predilection to situations involving high stimulation. Treatment may involve medication which is often very effective, especially when combined with counseling. LD can exist as a part of an attention deficit or independently. Because no two people with LD are exactly alike, the problem is sometimes difficult to recognize and assess.