ADHD: Predominantly Inattentive Type
First recognized in 1980, the predominantly inattentive type of ADHD includes individuals with attention problems, but without excessive activity levels or poor impulse control. With 30% of clinical cases, some are just milder forms of combined type.
Typical symptoms
-
- Fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes
- Has difficulty sustaining attention and is easily distracted
- Does not appear to listen
- Struggles to follow through with instructions
- Has difficulty with organization
- Avoids or dislikes tasks requiring sustained mental effort
- Loses things and is forgetful in daily activities
Sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT)
Up to half of cases, however, appear to have a qualitatively different form of attention problem. Researchers refer to this as sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT), with some arguing it may represent a separate disorder altogether. SCT symptoms show numerous differences from prominently inattentive type. These include excessive:
-
- Daydreaming, spacey appearance, staring
- Hypoactive, slow moving, lethargic, sluggish
- Easily confused, mentally “foggy”
- Slow, error-prone information processing
- Poor or selective attention (distinguishing what is and is not important in the information one must process)
- Possibly more erratic retrieval from long-term memory
- Being socially reticent, shy, withdrawn
- Not impulsive
- Rarely shows aggression, oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder
- Greater risk of anxiety and possibly depression
- Equally impaired in educational performance
- Just as likely to have learning disabilities (20-50%) and possibly a greater frequency of math disorders
- Possibly a less likely response to stimulants
- Possibly a better response to social skills training
Read more about symptoms and CFI’s treatment options for ADHD.