If you're concerned that your child might have ADHD, find a doctor who knows how to make an accurate diagnosis in children — and can tell it apart from ADHD-related conditions.
By Wyatt Myers
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH
An ADHD diagnosis in children can be distressing for parents. And when you consider that many medical conditions are commonly confused with ADHD because of similar symptoms or that they can occur alongside ADHD, it can be even more distressing and confusing.
To the untrained eye, a whole host of medical conditions can look like ADHD, explains Edward Hallowell, MD, a board-certified child and adult psychiatrist and author of two books on ADHD, Driven to Distraction and Delivered from Distraction.
“Modern life itself, with its myriad distractions and interruptions, can resemble ADHD,” he says. “Certain medical conditions, like hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, can resemble ADHD. If you do not get enough sleep, you can behave as if you have ADHD.”
To better understand ADHD, it helps to take a close look at childhood anxiety disorder and other ADHD-related conditions to see the differences.
Conditions Related to ADHD
When it comes to making an ADHD diagnosis in children, the common learning disability dyslexia is sometimes confused with ADHD, but Dr. Hallowell says that a good physician should be able to easily tell them apart. “Dyslexia refers to a reading problem, while ADHD refers to inconsistency of attention,” he says. “They are entirely different syndromes, but they may occur in the same person.”
Another common condition that sometimes gets confused with ADHD is a petit mal seizure. “The hallmark of petit mal is the presence of brief (a second or less) moments of complete absence of attention,” says Hallowell. “Hence they are often called ‘absence’ seizures.”
Bipolar disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and some autism disorders can also mimic ADHD symptoms at times.
Conditions That Accompany ADHD
In addition to conditions that have similar symptoms to ADHD, there are other conditions that often occur at the same time as ADHD. For example, it is not unusual to see childhood anxiety disorders appear in tandem with ADHD.
“Anxiety and depression usually occur in the wake of ADHD,” says Hallowell. “It is depressing to underachieve and not know why, and it is anxiety-provoking not to know what mistake you’re about to make. Once ADHD gets treated, depression and anxiety usually abate.”
Making an Accurate ADHD Diagnosis in Children
Doctors use a whole host of tests to determine whether or not your child has ADHD. In many cases, an accurate, detailed medical history is the key to getting at the truth of what your child is experiencing, explains Hallowell. In other instances, more extensive medical testing may be needed. “For example, petit mal seizures are diagnosed through an EEG, a brain wave test,” says Hallowell.
Ultimately, Hallowell says it’s critical to find a doctor who is experienced in working with patients with ADHD. “In the hands of a well-trained doctor, it is not a difficult diagnosis to make,” he says. “The problem is, most doctors do not know enough about ADHD in children or in adults. Since we do not have a test for ADHD, we have to rely on the clinical acumen of the doctor.” For that reason, Hallowell says, it’s not only important to find a doctor whom you trust, but also to find one who has a lot of experience with ADHD.
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