A common attention problem among many children, Attention Deficit Disorder or "ADD" is a disorder thought to have been first identified sometime around the 1900s. There are basically two types of ADD, one that involves hyperactivity and another that does not. Symptoms of either of these attention problems include behaviors such as forgetfulness, talking excessively, disorganization and yelling. Kids also experience difficulty with activities such as waiting in line.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or "ADHD" is an attention problem with possible genetic origins. As of this writing, the origin of the disorder remains unknown. However, initial research indicates a close association between ADHD and premature birth; for one thing, the brains of premature infants are approximately 5 to 10 percent smaller than those who reach full term. Children who have family members who were either born prematurely or have ADHD are more likely to acquire attention problems as well.
One of the more severe attention problems in children, Auditory Processing Disorder or "APD" affects a child's ability to interpret things that she hears. Children with the disorder sometimes have a hard time distinguishing certain words from others. This is especially true when a child sits in a noisy classroom; he may have difficulty discerning who is talking to him, for example. If undiagnosed, this difficulty may lead to other language or speech problems; young children may develop speech impediments that may continue through their later years.
Otherwise referred to as "Autistic Spectrum Disorder" or "ASD," autism is a more serious attention problem that many experts can diagnose in early childhood -- as early as 18 months in some circumstances. Symptoms may include an inability to follow directions or speak, emotional detachment and failure to cooperate. Many autistic children have intense difficulty making eye contact. Moreover, they sometimes even cannot even engage in play or imaginative games by themselves or with others.