Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD is most commonly found in boys of elementary school age. Symptoms include inattention, fidgeting, impulsive behavior, or lack of focus. But what causes these symptoms, really? And should all cases of ADD be medicated?

In some cases, the symptoms of ADD may actually be indicative of a more serious psychological problem, such as bipolar disorder, depression, brain defects and even anxiety. However, sometimes the cause of the inattentive behavior may only be allergies, environmental sensitivities, nutritional deficiencies or even too much caffeine.

Often, young boys are misdiagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder simply for behaving the way anyone would expect. Young boys usually will make impulsive decisions, have a lot of extra energy, cannot sit still, and have shortattention spans in school. Compounded with the fact that most school age children spend more than forty hours a week watching TV and playing computer games, it is no wonder many children have energy to burn.

ADD behavior is often indicative of creativity, giftedness, high intelligence, and a child being a visual thinker.

In short, a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder should be considered a start, not an end. Too often, when doctors see a child is hyperactive or has a short attention span, they write a prescription for Ritalin or Dexedrine and call it a day. But these drugs have potentially harmful side-effects, and are not necessarily going to fix the problem at all.

A more thorough investigation of the cause usually falls upon the child