ADHD vs Things that are Not ADHD

There are a lot of situations that can look like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children or teens, but is NOT ADHD.

A Careful Diagnostic Exam for ADHD is Needed

This is why a careful ADHD diagnostic evaluation is so important. A physician, or mental health professional, must spend quality, and quantity, time to rule out other conditions that can look like ADHD. This conditions include:

• Pervasive Developmental Disorder or PDD
• Asperger's Disorder
• Tourette's Disorder (Tourette's Syndrome) or Tic Disorder
• Mental Retardation
• Schizophrenia, or other Psychotic Disorder
• Bipolar Disorder or Manic Depression
• Depression or other Mood Disorders
• Anxiety Disorder
• Oppositional Defiant Disorder
• Conduct Disorder
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (prenatal exposure to alcohol)
• In Utero (prenatal) Drug Exposure
• Brain damage at birth
• Head Injury or Brain Trauma
• Mercury, Copper, Nickel or Other Heavy Metal Toxicity from Dental Work such as fillings or braces
• Specific Learning Disability or Disabilities
• Laziness
• Disobedience

Each one of the items on this list should be ruled out by diagnostic evaluation for ADHD. Learn more in our section on Differential Diagnoses to ADHD .