Children with autism spectrum disorder may mistakenly be diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) because they have autism-related social impairments rather than problems with attention.
The researchers noted that a well-established screening tool used to assess children for ADHD may be less accurate when a child has autism.
"One of our best current screening measures for ADHD may be over-diagnosing ADHD in children with autism," said study leader Benjamin Yerys, a researcher in the Centre for Autism Research at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in the US.
"This is important because medications that work for ADHD may be less effective for a child on the autism spectrum," Yerys noted.
The researchers suggested that the tool they analysed, the ADHD Rating Scale Fourth Edition (ADHD-RS-IV), while well-validated in assessing ADHD in a general population of children, may overestimate ADHD in children with autism spectrum.
One complicating factor is comorbidity -- an estimated 30 percent or more of children with ASD also have ADHD, said the study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
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The study team concluded that the tool needs to be refined to better identify the correct disorder, and that clinicians should supplement the screening tool with careful clinical interviews.
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