What Other Conditions Share Symptoms With ADHD? - Are You Sure You Have Got the Right Diagnosis?
How did your ADHD diagnosis go? Apart from wanting to know the result, it is not such a silly question! I asked it deliberately because I know, for a fact, that many ADHD diagnoses are not carried our properly and all the questionnaires are not completed which leads of course to this condition being overdiagnosed.
It also raises the question about first ruling out all the other conditions which share symptoms with ADHD.
It is true that a lot of conditions can co-exist with ADHD and these are known as comorbid conditions.
We also know that only about 30% of the children with ADHD will have that condition alone.
Basically the fact that there is no diagnostic test for this condition means that there is certain amount of subjectivity in giving the final diagnosis.
That is one problem.
The second one is that as there are as many as thirty to fifty other conditions which display similar symptoms with ADHD, you can understand that there is a certain amount of confusion.
Anyway, here are the main conditions which share symptoms with ADHD.
Did you know that many children in single parent families who are under pressure from poverty and social conditions, respond to that by displaying behavioral problems?.
Yet they do not have ADHD! A stressful family situation where a divorce is in progress, for example, can also produce the so called symptoms of ADHD such as hyperactivity and impulsivity.
The main conditions which mimic ADHD in some ways are thyroid problems, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, food allergies, sleep problems and emotional stress.
As well as gathering all the information by means of the questionnaires, including the teacher's feedback, assessment can continue and use some more objective tests.
One of these is called the Optical Tracking and Attention Test.
It actually measures the patient's capacity to stay focused on a task.
Normal children will be able to score highly and may get more than 80%.
ADHD children because of their difficulties with inattention and distractability will only get a score of around 40%.
Another test is known as the QEEG Test which actually measures the electrical activity present on the prefrontal cortex.
Possible ADHD candidates will have a low score here as there is usually not much activity in that part of the brain.
Whatever the results of the ADHD diagnosis, you will have established if there are any conditions which share symptoms with ADHD and start to think about what will be the most appropriate treatment.
That is why I have built a website setting out some of the symptoms of ADHD,the treatment options and the best approach to give your child the greatest possible chance in life.
It also raises the question about first ruling out all the other conditions which share symptoms with ADHD.
It is true that a lot of conditions can co-exist with ADHD and these are known as comorbid conditions.
We also know that only about 30% of the children with ADHD will have that condition alone.
Basically the fact that there is no diagnostic test for this condition means that there is certain amount of subjectivity in giving the final diagnosis.
That is one problem.
The second one is that as there are as many as thirty to fifty other conditions which display similar symptoms with ADHD, you can understand that there is a certain amount of confusion.
Anyway, here are the main conditions which share symptoms with ADHD.
Did you know that many children in single parent families who are under pressure from poverty and social conditions, respond to that by displaying behavioral problems?.
Yet they do not have ADHD! A stressful family situation where a divorce is in progress, for example, can also produce the so called symptoms of ADHD such as hyperactivity and impulsivity.
The main conditions which mimic ADHD in some ways are thyroid problems, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, food allergies, sleep problems and emotional stress.
As well as gathering all the information by means of the questionnaires, including the teacher's feedback, assessment can continue and use some more objective tests.
One of these is called the Optical Tracking and Attention Test.
It actually measures the patient's capacity to stay focused on a task.
Normal children will be able to score highly and may get more than 80%.
ADHD children because of their difficulties with inattention and distractability will only get a score of around 40%.
Another test is known as the QEEG Test which actually measures the electrical activity present on the prefrontal cortex.
Possible ADHD candidates will have a low score here as there is usually not much activity in that part of the brain.
Whatever the results of the ADHD diagnosis, you will have established if there are any conditions which share symptoms with ADHD and start to think about what will be the most appropriate treatment.
That is why I have built a website setting out some of the symptoms of ADHD,the treatment options and the best approach to give your child the greatest possible chance in life.