Excerpted and adapted from Creating Emotionally Safe Schools, by Jane Bluestein, Ph.D. © 2001, Health Communications, Inc, Deerfield Beach, FL.
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.
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).
More information about this book.
What people are saying about this book.
Other handouts by Dr. Jane Bluestein
Articles and excerpts by Dr. Jane Bluestein
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© 2008, Jane Bluestein, Ph.D., Instructional Support Services, Inc.
Last updated on
October 16, 2006 5:08 PM
