ADHD Timeline

1902 - Dr. Still, a British doctor, documented cases involving impulsiveness.  He called it "Defect of Moral Control."  He did believe, however, that this was a medical diagnosis, rather than a spiritual one.

1922 - Symptoms now associated with ADHD were documented and given a diagnosis of "Post-Encephalitic Behavior Disorder."

1937 - Dr. Charles Bradley introduced the use of stimulants to treat hyperactive children.

1956 - Ritalin was first introduced as a treatment for hyperactive children.

1960s - Stimulant medication became more widely used.  The main symptom would have been hyperactivity and this is the only symptom that was usually treated.  The name "Minimal Brain Dysfunction" was used in the early 1960s and was changed in the late 60s to "Hyper-kinetic Disorder of Childhood."

1970s - Additional symptoms such as lack of focus and daydreaming were associated with impulsiveness.  Impulsiveness was expanded to include verbal impulsiveness, cognitive impulsiveness and motor impulsiveness.

1980 - The current name "Attention Deficit Disorder +/-" was given in the DSM III by the American Psychiatric Association.  ADHD and ADD were separate diagnosis.

1987 - The APA renamed the disorder Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and noted it was a medical diagnosis that could cause behavioral problems.   They noted these behavioral problems to be different than those caused by emotional turmoil, such as divorce or moving to a new area.

1996 - The second medication, Adderall was approved by the FDA for treatment of ADHD.

1998 - The American Medical Associated stated that ADHD was one of the best researched disorders.

1999-present - Several additional medications, such as Concerta, Focalin and Strattera have been approved for the treatment of ADHD.