Diagnosing children and teens with ADHD can be a challenge. Very often the child or teen that comes to the office will have both a neurologically based Attention Deficit Disorder, as well as some other clinical condition that requires treatment. There are commonly two reasons for this:

First, because of a "fragile" brain. With the ADHD, some parts of the brain may be under-active, while other parts of the brain may be over-active. When the brain is already "out of balance," it is not uncommon to see neurologically based depressions, obsessive-compulsive disorders, learning disabilities, or even panic disorders.

Second, even if ADHD is the only neuologically based problem, constant failure at home, at school, and socially, can result in sadness, depression, anxiety, fear, worry, and giving up.

In children and teens diagnosed with ADHD we see these other problems: