Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract

This paper is a discussion of the experience of adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While much is known about the diagnosis and treatment of childhood ADHD, therapists may be less familiar with the clinical signs of adult ADHD and fail to detect and address such deficits in patients. Adult ADHD often affects all occupational domains-work/school, family life, social relationships, and self-organization-often without the person's awareness of the condition. When people with ADHD do not receive a formal diagnosis until adulthood, deficits in the above occupational domains may be severe. The first half of this paper describes (a) clinical presentation; (b) classification; prevalence, adult course, and comorbid conditions; (c) biologic factors; and (d) pharmacologic treatment. The latter half discusses occupational therapy intervention and describes a case study involving a college student.