Sensory Issues Sometimes Misdiagnosed

Children who have sensory issues often seek out more and more stimulation. They won't sit still in class, they're disruptive, talk loudly and chew non-food items.

"The behavior gets many kids mislabeled as having ADHD, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Yoder says. But instead, they are having difficulty regulating the information taken in through their senses. The nervous system either overreacts or underreacts to what's going on around them. At either extreme - craving stimulation or avoiding it - the problem can be a sensory processing disorder that disrupts a child's daily life."

Extremes include craving loud music or other loud noises, a child who's nearly oblivious to his surroundings, or one who's such a picky eater that he gags when he smells food he doesn't like. A child who's displaying these types of behaviors should be evaluated by someone who's qualified to make distinction between ADHD and sensory issues.

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Vision Trouble and ADHD

Vision problems that go undetected and untreated can cause children to display ADHD-like symptoms. Due to the similarities, some children are being diagnosed with ADHD when - in reality - it's their eyes that are causing the trouble.

"A recent study by researchers at the Children's Eye Center, University of San Diego, uncovered a relationship between a common vision disorder, convergence insufficiency, and ADHD. The study 'showed that children with convergence insufficiency are three times as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than children without the disorder.'"

The new research supports existing opinions that vision problems are often found in children with learning disabilities. Parents are encouraged to have their children's eyesight tested if they're struggling in school. Read more at Canada.com.

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Bipolar Disorder Commonly Misdiagnosed

In an essay appearing March 17 in The Lancet, Franco Benazzi, MD, PhD, writes about a common but poorly recognized form of bipolar disorder, called bipolar disorder II. Because the disorder is so often misdiagnosed, patients are often wrongly treated with antidepressants alone, which can make the problem worse, the professor of psychiatry tells WebMD.