Before the 1980s, people had never heard the term "attention deficit disorder" (ADD). Children who were unable to pay attention in class, who kept messy rooms, and couldn't wait until someone was talking to get into the conversation were seen as "bad" kids, who needed a good beating.

Fortunately, those ideas are for the most part in the past, and these symptoms have been attributed to ADD, or when hyperactivity is added, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), even though some people and even some doctors still attribute those behaviors to "bad parenting." But attention deficit is definitely a neurological difference from what science might see as a "normal" brain. Though no prescribed, scientific tests have been determined to pinpoint the causes of ADD, certain behaviors, which are continuous for a period of six months or more and which disrupt a person's life, are seen as attention deficit.

Only recently, however, have theses patterns been acknowledged in adults. Recent statistics show that 70% of children with ADD will outgrow it by the time they're teenagers, but it's now recognized that 15 to 20% still exhibit symptoms into their adulthood. ADD, when not treated by medication or counseling, can lead to bigger problems like addiction, depression, career-related issues, and difficulty forming strong inter-personal relationships.

Treatment and/or counseling alone can make a huge difference for adults with ADD. If you have ADD, it's all about finding ADD-friendly systems to help you cope because it's important to know a) that they exist and b) that you aren't alone. So, let's talk about ADD-friendly systems for a moment.

If you're a work-at-home mom, with your own business, and you have ADD, you probably have a lot of trouble keeping everything you need to remember straight. In fact, it's probably impossible! How will you remember what times dinner should be when your husband works a different schedule every week. Or how can you remember which kid has what obligation or appointment when? And what about your business? How can you remember everything that you need to do to make that run smoothly at the same time? You can't! But there is a way to do this all efficiently and take the load off your mind.

Get yourself some sort of planner.

Microsoft Outlook's calendar works well for this. If you have standing appointments or obligations, plug those in immediately. Or, if you run a home business, you're probably in front of the computer a good part of the day. Be sure to plug things into your calendar as they arise. Keep it open all day, too. That way you'll be able to see what comes next and keep your day humming.

Time & Chaos is another great piece of software, if you don't have Outlook. Or, if you prefer to keep your schedule with you at all times, get a day planner, or a personal data assistant like a Palm Pilot, or even a cell phone with the same capabilities so that you can write or key in appointments as they arise. But even something as simple as a desk pad calendar with big squares that you can write appointments in will work. Just decide which method is right for you.

But if you want a Web-based solution, consider joining Mark Joyner's free program, "Simpleology, the Simple Science of Getting What You Want," at http://simpleology.com. Simpleology101 is the first part of the course and it comes with a desktop organizer so that you can easily plan your day and check off each "to-do" item as you've accomplished the task. The whole system organizes not only your day, but your entire life. It's great for those of us with ADD.

Organization is a difficult process for people with ADD, so you may have problems meeting some things that are expected of you. If you implement one of these systems, and just organize your day right from the start, you'll soon be better organized and right on time for each thing you have to do.

Disorganization is only one issue that confronts ADD people, though. If you're reading this article, you probably have ADD or know someone who does. Just remember that actually applying what you've learned here will change your life significantly, but you have to do it! We'll continue to stress the organizational aspect of ADD, along with the other symptoms that we have ADD-friendly systems for. Stay tuned.