The Invisible ADD Subgroup Robert D. Smith,PhD Sluggish   Cognitive   Tempo   (SCT)   is   an   unofficial   descriptive   term,   which   identifies   a   unique   subgroup   within   the   officially recognized diagnosis of ADHD Predominantly Inattentive Type. It   has   been   estimated   that   the   SCT   group   makes   up   30-50%   of   the   ADHD-PI   population.      Instead   of   being   hyperactive   and extroverted   the   SCT   group   is   passive,   daydreamy   and   shy.   They   are   sluggish   and   in   a   fog.   They   appear   to   lack   motivation. Those   with   SCT   have   difficulty   with   verbal   retrieval   from   long   term   memory.   They   have   deficits   in   working   memory   which   has been   described   as   the   ability   to   keep   multiple   things   in   mind   for   manipulation,   while   simultaneously   keeping   this   information free   from   internal   distraction.   Consequently,   mental   skills   such   as   calculation,   reading,   and   abstract   reasoning   are   often   more challenging   for   those   with   SCT.   They   also   have   a   more   disorganized   thought   process,   a   greater   degree   of   sloppiness,   and   lose things   easily.      Since   the   symptoms   of   SCT   are   not   recognized   in   any   standard   medical   manuals,   they   receive   an   ADHD/PI diagnosis.   Sluggishness,   drowsiness,   and   daydreaming   were   the   characteristics   originally   listed   in   early   versions   of   the   DSM. These   criteria   were   eliminated   because   of   erroneous   preconceptions   about   the   nature   of   ADHD   and   are   now   under   revision   for the   next   version   of   the   Diagnostic   and   Statistical   Manual.      They   tend   to   have   a   greater   degree   of   learning   disabilities,   such   as dyslexia.   Instead   of   having   greater   difficulty   selecting   and   filtering   sensory   input,   as   is   in   the   case   of   SCT,   people   with   other types   of   ADHD   have   problems   with   inhibition.   Ritalin   is   often   still   the   first   treatment   tried,   but   medications   such   as   Adderall   are often   more   effective.   However,   cognitive   attention   training   may   be   an   effective   alternative   to   those   who   do   not   respond   to   or cannot tolerate the side effects of medication Attention Deficit Disorder Otherwise Known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominanlty Inattentive Presentation