Attention Deficit Disorder is a disability that affects 1.21% of Americans (CDC Fast Stats). For what seems so small a percentage, the effects of a life with ADD are significant. People with ADD have difficulty in school or everyday situations, but they can learn how to manage this disability. Throughout childhood, unknowingly struggling with ADD made things more complicated during school and life, and he was overlooked and undiagnosed until he reached adulthood. Some may not believe that it is a real disorder and that it only affects children, but it actually exists. ADD does not discriminate based on age, race or gender. This complex disorder can begin to be understood through its history, myths, facts, symptoms, causes and treatments. The first aspect of understanding ADD comes from examining its history of being misunderstood and misdiagnosed. The original discovery of ADD occurred in 1902 by a pediatrician who described the disorder as "an abnormal defect of moral control in children" (Sir George Still). From a later progression in the 1950s, ADD was defined as minimal brain dysfunction and diagnosed only in children under the age of puberty. It wasn't until the 1960s that the American Psychiatric Association first recognized ADD as a mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). In 1968, the DSM-II first attempted a more specific definition, highlighting hyperactivity as a “hyperkinetic reaction of childhood.” In 1980, the DSM-III changed the name of the condition Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), moving the definition from hyperactivity to that of problems focusing attention; creating two subtypes: ADD with hyperactivity and ADD without hyperactivity. In 19...... half of the document ......://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/history-adhd-timeline#promoSlide>."Types of ADHD: Inattentive, Hyperactive, and Combined Types ." WebMD. WebMD and Web. April 22, 2014. “Shire launches educational resources for individuals with ADHD, their families and caregivers; ADHD: A Shared Focus TM program and ADHD and You website are designed to provide education on ADHD Attention/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)." M2 PresswireJanuary 16, 2013. ProQuest. Network. April 24, 2014 ."What is attention deficit disorder? Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder?" What is attention deficit disorder? Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder? National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY), 1996. Web. 24 April. 2014. .