There has been controversy whether adults can have ADHD/ADD. There is also some support for children outgrowing their ADHD/ADD and therefore not having the diagnosis as adults. There is also a question raised about the possibility of the onset of ADHD/ADD as an adult.
I have assessed a number of adults who were not previously diagnosed with ADHD/ADD and all have both childhood onset of symptoms and continue to have symptoms as adults. So, what's up? Well studies that do not identify many children with ADHD/ADD indicate that there are many children who are subthreshold for the diagnosis and yet have symptoms that impact their lives. So, do these children have ADHD/ADD? Maybe the threshholds for making the diagnosis need to be re-evaluated. I have found that procrastination is a reliable indicator of ADHD/ADD as non-ADHD/ADD individuals are undone by the stress of a deadline and the struggle to finish assignments at the last minute. Maybe procrastination is a more reliable symptom of ADHD/ADD than other ones. It exists in adults who have not previously been diagnosed as having ADHD/ADD and on review of theirt past symptoms it is clear that they have had symptoms consistent with ADHD/ADD.
So, it seems clear to me that adult ADHD/ADD is a fact and not fiction.