It is startlingly easy to misdiagnose a child with ADD/ADHD – because many, many different problems can look exactly like it. I see this all the time at my learning center in California, where I have worked with hundreds of mis-diagnosed children. I most commonly see a problem – which looks like ADD/ADHD – called a “tactile disorder.” This is a very simple problem with a child’s sense of touch, and it can cause the exact same distracted look that can be so easily mistaken for ADD/ADHD. (You can read more about the tactile sensitivity here).
Vision problems, hearing problems, and other learning deficiencies can also look like ADD/ADHD - but are not. You can find checklists for these problems here).
Children who perform poorly in the classroom may develop ADD/ADHD-like symptoms out of frustration. People with petite mal seizures often suffer attention lapses mistaken for ADD/ADHD. A middle-ear infection may cause minor hearing loss, making a person seem inattentive. Also, children under extreme anxiety, fear, or depression are often so disruptive that they are mistakenly diagnosed with ADD/ADHD.
Remember: identifying and treating ADD/ADHD can be difficult since it often appears in combination with another condition. At the Hardy Learning Center’s Online Resource Center, there are checklists designed to help you identify symptoms. If you suspect your child has a problem, consult your doctor, psychologist, or psychiatrist.
For more information, and for checklists for ADD/ADHD symptoms, check out Hardy Learning Center’s Online Resources.
To your success!
~Sherrie Hardy, Hardy Learning Center: www.hardybraintraining.com
