“It was clear, after he started Concerta, that the autism-like symptoms remained,” Bertin says. After being diagnosed with ADHD, Clark started taking Concerta to treat his symptoms. In Clark’s case, treatment with ADHD medication helped to clarify his diagnosis. In fact, the interventions themselves may help determine the most accurate diagnosis.” “It can be helpful to think, ‘What interventions would be most useful right now?’ instead of waiting for complete certainty on the diagnosis. “There are times when we need to put aside the diagnostic debate, in the short run, and focus instead on a plan to address whatever is go- ing on with the child,” Bertin says. He had a lot of trouble staying on task.” Clark received anĪDHD diagnosis in fourth grade, and Asperger’s syndrome (no longer a discrete diagno- sis) about a year and a half later.Īlthough parents might find it stressful not knowing the source of their child’s challeng- es, there isn’t always a definitive answer.
“It was when he started school that we noticed ADHD symptoms. “We first noticed autism-like symptoms when Clark was two, like running to the left in circles while waggling his left hand,” Hutchins says. Although Hutchins’ earliest concerns about Clark were about autism-like symptoms, ADHD, not ASD, was Clark’s first diagnosis. It was for Clark, now 17, according to his mother, Pamela Fagan Hutchins, the author of the book The Clark Kent Chronicles: A Mother’s Tale Of Life With Her ADHD And Asperger’s Son. “Evaluating both ADHD and autism remains a clinical skill based on getting to know a child and seeking a comprehensive picture of their life in the real world, a global sense of a child’s social and conversational abilities, as well as their play and daily living skills.”ĭiagnosis can be a fluid, ongoing process. “Various test measures try to document ADHD symptoms, executive function, social and communication delays, anxiety, mood disorders, and a host of other symptoms.”īut tests alone are not enough.
“A thorough evaluation aims to define a child’s strengths and weaknesses,” he says. To obtain an accurate, complete diagnosis, Bertin suggests working with a profession- al who is familiar with both conditions. They may not respond when called because of attention problems, but they are socially engaged and recognize their name and what it means,” Bertin says. “Kids with ADHD may not be able to stick to turn-taking play, but they understand it. Those traits, when lacking, are critical indicators of autism. Traits like appropriate facial affect (the child’s facial expression reflects his or her current emotional experience), humor, and empathy are also unaffected,” Bertin says. “Children with ADHD may struggle socially, but with ADHD alone, markers of early social development, such as turn-taking play, gesture language, responding to names, and imaginative play, are usually intact. For children with ADHD, the root causes may include inattention and inability to organize their thoughts, or impulsivity.įor autistic children, the reasons are often different - such as not understanding nonverbal communication or delays in language skills. For example, both can cause social challenges. The trick to differentiating between them is to determine the reason behind the behavior.
While the primary components of ADHD and ASD are different, some overlap exists be- tween the two.
They often find it challenging to manage social interactions and emotions. They have specific behaviors, such as limited imaginative play or lack of gesture language. “Children with autism do not intuitively understand some aspects of the social world,” Bertin says. “It is primarily a disorder of self-regulation and executive function – skills that act as the ‘brain manager’ in everyday life,” says Mark Bertin, M.D., a developmental-behavioral pediatrician and the author of The Family ADHD Solution (#CommissionsEarned).Īutism typically includes problems with social interactions, communication, and repetitive or ritualistic behaviors. The most notable symptoms of ADHD include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. 1 What’s the Difference Between ADHD and Autism? Some studies suggest that nearly half of autistic children also have ADHD. Roughly two-thirds of children with ADHD have at least one comorbid condition, and autism is among those that commonly occur with ADHD. What’s the Relationship Between ADHD and Autism?
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