Concept Taxonomy¶
The 300 concepts of Understanding ADHD are organized into 12 categories. Each category has a TaxonomyID used in the learning graph CSV and JSON.
ADHD Foundations (FOUND)¶
TaxonomyID: FOUND
What ADHD is and is not: core terms (attention, hyperactivity, impulsivity), the formal definition, history, prevalence, causes, myths, stigma, and how to tell evidence from misinformation.
Brain Science (BRAIN)¶
TaxonomyID: BRAIN
How the ADHD brain works: brain development, executive function and its components, dopamine and the reward system, motivation, sleep, and what research actually shows.
Presentations And Traits (PRES)¶
TaxonomyID: PRES
The three official presentations and the day-to-day traits people recognize: hyperfocus, time blindness, distractibility, procrastination, forgetfulness, masking, and the inconsistency that confuses everyone.
Lifespan And Late Diagnosis (LIFE)¶
TaxonomyID: LIFE
ADHD at every age, the transitions between stages, and the story of late diagnosis — especially in girls and women, where masking and high achievement hide the struggle.
Diagnosis And Evaluation (DIAG)¶
TaxonomyID: DIAG
What a diagnostic evaluation involves, who can diagnose, how to prepare, what the report means, and the pitfalls: misdiagnosis, underdiagnosis, cost.
Co-occurring Conditions (COMO)¶
TaxonomyID: COMO
The conditions that travel with ADHD — anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, autism, sleep disorders — plus burnout, and how treatment is ordered when more than one condition is present.
Medication (MED)¶
TaxonomyID: MED
Stimulants and non-stimulants: how they work, finding the right medication and dose, side effects, practical logistics, and how to decide whether medication belongs in the plan.
Treatment Beyond Medication (TREAT)¶
TaxonomyID: TREAT
Everything else with evidence behind it: behavioral therapy, CBT, coaching, exercise, sleep, nutrition, mindfulness — and how to evaluate treatment claims that lack evidence.
Daily Systems And Skills (SKILL)¶
TaxonomyID: SKILL
The practical toolkit: externalizing memory, timers, routines, environment design, body doubling, planners, and keeping systems alive after the novelty wears off.
Emotional Life And Identity (EMO)¶
TaxonomyID: EMO
Emotional dysregulation, rejection sensitivity, shame and self-esteem, making sense of the past after a late diagnosis, self-advocacy, strengths, and the capstone: a personal owner's manual.
School And Work (EDU)¶
TaxonomyID: EDU
Study strategies, accommodations from IEPs through college disability services to the ADA, career fit, workplace disclosure, and preventing burnout at work.
Family And Caregivers (REL)¶
TaxonomyID: REL
The book's distinctive territory: how ADHD lands on a family, supporting an adult without parenting them, communication that works, dating and partnership, and care for the caregivers themselves.