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February 26, 2010 by KJohnson

Attention Problems versus ADD or ADHD: Getting an Accurate Diagnosis

People often ask, “What’s the difference between ADD and ADHD? There have been several names for the same disorder, but ADHD, which stands for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, is the current accurate medical term. There are three subtypes of the disorder: inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive and combined. For example, ADHD Inattentive Type replaced the former term ADD. A diagnosis of ADHD means that the problem behavior is beyond the normal limit for the individual’s age and gender. It is easy to err on one side of the spectrum or the other—friends and relatives may tell you, “All children act like that—that’s not ADHD” or alternatively, just because a child does have symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, or hyperactivity does not mean that he or she has ADHD. Many other things can cause symptoms that are identical to the symptoms of ADHD. Before an accurate diagnosis of ADD / ADHD can be made, it is important that a professional explore and rule out the following possible causes of the ADHD-like symptoms:
  • Major life events or traumatic experiences that have caused stress (e.g. a recent move, death of a loved one, bullying, illness, divorce).
  • Learning disabilities or problems with reading, writing, motor skills, or language.
  • Psychological problems including anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder.
  • Behavioral disorders such as conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder.
  • Medical conditions, including thyroid problems, neurological conditions, epilepsy, and sleep disorders.

A neuropsychological evaluation is a comprehensive evaluation that directly measures an individual’s attention skills and capabilities in addition to other cognitive skills. Neuropsychological assessment may also uncover problems in other areas that masquerade as attention problems but are not primarily attention problems (i.e., anxiety, learning disability, etc.).  A neuropsychological evaluation is preferred when an individual presents with problematic symptoms in order to prevent missing other disorders that commonly co-occur with ADHD symptoms.  However, an ADHD evaluation is an abbreviated neuropsychological evaluation that can diagnose or rule-out ADHD or attention problems.

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