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
Robert D. Smith, PhD
Diagnosis of Dyslexia, ADD & Learning Disorders
Children & Adults