Differential Diagnosis
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder_Differential Diagnosis
Other conditions that should be considered in the diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) include:
- Developmental variations (eg intellectual disability, giftedness, behaviors that are within a normal range of development)
- Neurologic or developmental conditions such as
- Learning disorders, language or communication disorders
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Neurodevelopmental syndromes (eg fragile X syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, childhood cerebral adenoleukodystrophy)
- Seizure disorder
- Sequelae of central nervous system (CNS) infection or trauma (eg bacterial meningitis)
- Metabolic disorders (eg adrenoleukodystrophy, mucopolysaccharidoses)
- Motor coordination disorders
- Emotional and behavioral disorders (eg anxiety disorder, mood disorders, oppositional defiant disorder)
- Psychosocial and environmental factors
- Adverse childhood experiences
- Medical conditions (eg hearing or visual impairment, lead poisoning, thyroid abnormalities, sleep disorders, and medication effects)