This report summarizes activities and findings of a federally funded center at the Arkansas Children's Hospital which reviewed and disseminated literature on the identification and assessment of children with attention deficit disorders (ADD). Meetings throughout Arkansas led to the identification of interest areas, and findings are summarized for the following: (1) history of the ADD concept and its relation to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and to the earlier minimal brain dysfunction construct; (2) different definitions of ADD; (3) epidemiology or incidence of ADD and how it varies as a function of types of surveys, definitions, and groups studied; (4) etiology or probable causes of ADD, considering both environmental and genetic causes and their interaction; (5) conditions co-occurring with ADD (such as oppositional/defiant, conduct, anxiety, and mood disorders); (6) biological associates of ADD, such as biochemical and neurological abnormalities, as objective bases for placing children on medication; (7) experimental psychological approaches to the study of ADD, including support for the assumption that the basic problems are hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity; (8) rating scales that reliably assess ADD; (9) structured interviews that can be administered by lay persons or professionals and their value in diagnosis; and (10) psychoeducational, neuropsychological, and neurological assessment methods. (Contains approximately 600 references.) (DB)