Does ADHD need a new name?

ADHD stands for “Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder”. But you can now be diagnosed with the condition without suffering from an attention deficit or from hyperactivity.

And if many with the condition don’t suffer from the symptoms in the name, is it time to change it?

The name is a combination of the two of the most common symptoms witnessed in children who had what doctors thought was a behavioural disorder. But now it’s widely accepted that it’s a neurodevelopmental disorder, the effects of which can be seen on a CT scan.

ADHD is now used as an umbrella term for people experiencing a range of symptoms — and although these symptoms might include attention and hyperactivity issues, they might not.

ADHD affects executive function — the part of the brain that deals with paying attention, switching focus, managing time and remembering. While this can affect a person’s ability to regulate attention or motor control, it’s possible to have executive function issues and for these two areas not to be affected.

So should the name be changed?

I posed this question to both Dr Tony Lloyd, CEO of ADHD Foundation, and Michelle Beckett, Founder of ADHD Action — the UK’s two ADHD charities.

I wanted to speak to both of them because, while ADHD Foundation is run by health professionals, ADHD Action is headed up by someone diagnosed with ADHD — and I wanted to get opinions from both sides.

Lloyd said views amongst his colleagues regarding a name change were mixed, although most did not want to automatically rule it out as an idea.

Lloyd explained general consensus was the word “deficit” in the current name was inadequate — something Beckett from ADHD Action agreed with.

“We don’t have a deficit of attention, but challenges in directing that attention where it needs to be,” she said.

The suggestion from Lloyd’s team at ADHD Foundation is that “deficit” be replaced with “distractability” — which could work as a short-term fix.

Beckett’s main issue with the current name was that it “doesn’t explain the challenges with organisation, planning and emotional reactivity that accompany the condition”.

The challenges she lists are all linked to executive function issues — and Beckett agreed a new name for ADHD that referred to executive function “would certainly appear to be a more useful term”.

Lloyd said his team felt the term executive function on its own “didn’t quite capture the complexity of ADHD”.

Instead, they proposed a coded approach to neurodiversity (e.g. ND1 for ADHD, ND2 for Autism) with additional letters for severity and comorbid (coexisting) mental health difficulties.

And while Lloyd acknowledged this could “make things sound even more complex”, this sort of detail could assist the clinicians working with those diagnosed.

One thing Lloyd and Beckett agreed on is that “right now” is not the right time for a name change.

Lloyd explained: “ADHD is only just being understood by the general population and a change of name at the current time may not be helpful.”

While Beckett said any change in the middle of ADHD Action’s campaign to challenge the public’s perception of the condition might “dilute our efforts and cause confusion”.

So while neither charity has ruled out campaigning to change the name ADHD, it’s not something they’ve got pencilled into their diaries.