Legal & Karmic
Stuff related to
using these
free resources.

Conditions with ADHD
“Look-Alike” Symptoms

by Jane Bluestein, Ph.D.

Several of the following conditions, problems or disorders can have similar symptoms to those frequently misdiagnosed as ADD or ADHD. This list includes the items presented in the book, as well as a number of other conditions brought to my attention by concerned workshop participants, readers and email correspondents.

Highly Kinesthetic and Tactile Learners

Strong in bodily-kinesthetic, spatial, musical intelligences

Auditory Dominant (likes to talk)

Communications-Limited (needs time to process, retrieve and articulate information)

Sensory Integration Dysfunction

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Depression

Bi-polar Disorder

Asperger’s Syndrome

Sleep Disorder

Absence Seizures (Petit Mal Epilepsy)

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects

Chronic middle ear infection, Sinusitis

Visual or hearing problems; sensitivity to fluorescent lighting

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Lack of natural light

Too-warm temperatures

Thyroid problems

Poor diet, food allergies, sensitivity to food additives

Chemical, environmental sensitivities

High extrovert; processes through social interactions, talking, writing

Emotional problems

Lack of clear guidelines or instructions

Inadequate feedback

Inadequate instructional stimulation (lack of novelty, relevance, choices or autonomy)

Child abuse and neglect

Reactive Attachment Disorder

Oppositional-Defiant Disorders, Conduct Disorders

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome

Temperament-related patterns (oversensitivity to sounds or sights, difficulty sequencing movements or processing visual or auditory input, or a tendency to be distracted by details).

Use of stimulants

Deliberate misbehavior: Better to be seen as “bad” than “dumb”

The ever-increasing length of this list and growing number of kids being referred, diagnosed and treated as ADD or ADHD suggest the very real possibility that many, many children are being misdiagnosed, and that, in many cases, alternate and often less-invasive interventions are in order. I include this list as a plea to rule out other possible causes of the symptoms before automatically jumping to the assumption of ADD or ADHD. If you know of any other conditions that might be mistaken for ADD or ADHD, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Excerpted and adapted from Creating Emotionally Safe Schools, by Jane Bluestein, Ph.D. © 2001, Health Communications, Inc, Deerfield Beach, FL.

Buy this book.

Also adapted from Creating Emotionally Safe Schools:

Working With Different Sensory/Modality Strengths and Limitations

The "Ideal" Student: Kids for whom traditional classrooms are ideally suited (and why so many non-traditional learners struggle in these instructional environments).

Ways to Reach More Students

Multiple Intelligences

Water and the Body

Other handouts by Dr. Jane Bluestein

Complete alphabetical listing of all handouts on this site.

Articles and excerpts by Dr. Jane Bluestein

Complete alphabetical listing of all articles on this site.

Complete listing of all articles and handouts in Spanish or French.

Books, Articles, Audio and Video Resources and other Resources by Dr. Jane Bluestein

Humor and Fun: Brighten your day with fun facts, short pieces about kids, pets and work, and hilarious things kids say, do and write. Includes items you can share with kids or use as a springboard for discussions and activities.

Please note that not all pages linked in this section are updated and that you make end up on a page with a broken link. The pages will be redone to look this this page and all the links will be checked and errors corrected. Please be patient during our renovation!