ADHD mimics

Conditions that mimic or masquerade as attention deficit disorder (ADHD):

physical impairments
- vision impairment
- hearing impairment - nerve deafness or chronic ear fluid (serous otitis media)
- sleep disorders including obstructive sleep apnea
neurological problems
- petit mal (abscence) seizure disorder - staring spells
- disruptive night terrors or insomnia
drug abuse
psychiatric disorders
- depression
- Bipolar Disorder - manic/depressive illness mimics
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- Anxiety Disorder
- Adjustment Disorder - due to stress of loss of parent to divorce or death, moving, etc.
- Asperger's Disorder - a social interaction disorder
- Language Disorder - abnormal difficulties with language understanding or expression