Autism and ADHD

"My daughter has autism!" she blurted out

"Really?" I asked. It had been awhile since I saw a child with autism, and honestly speaking, it wasn't a diagnosis my colleagues entertained even when it was staring them in the eyes.

"Well, she is now 6 and quite active. She has developed rather slowly and it is only now that she has started to speak. She is quite a handful, more than my other kids were at her age; she does not pay attention, cannot follow instructions, and is quite destructive," she summarized.
"C'mon, that isn't autism!!" I screamed in my head. Of course I wasn't going to tell her right then that I thought her doctor had gotten the diagnosis wrong! I needed to hear the story and even get a chance to interact with the child. But even before we could do that, I already had in mind Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, commonly referred by its acronym ADHD.

Well then, what's the difference?

Autism defines a spectrum of disorders that are characterized by impaired social interaction and language development, repetitive behavior or restricted interests, and learning difficulties (mental retardation) . Thus, children with autism may not respond to name even when they can hear well. They will have little or no facial gestures for communication and will usually not maintain eye contact with others. They have reduced imagination and will not pretend play (e.g. you be daddy and I will be mummy, or I am a policeman et.c). They will have delayed language skills and may be speaking less than 10 words by the age of two years. They rarely interact with others and do not initiate social interaction. They do not even enjoy situations that most children like e.g. birthday parties. Often, they will play alone and not share. They may have unusual interests in repeated movements such as flapping hands or rotation of a wheel and may be averse to change.

To the contrary, the profile of a child who has ADHD is that of a very active and restless child, who is impulsive and pays little attention. And this behavior manifests anywhere, irrespective of the social environment, but is most obvious when the child's attention and concentration is needed e.g. in class. Usually such children are labeled rude and misbehaved and they perform poorly in school due to their inability to concentrate and focus, rather than due to diminished intellectual capacity.
Both conditions have different levels of severity and are limiting to different children at different extents. Proper management obviously requires correct diagnosis and they both need one to develop an understanding relationship with the child.
There are standard diagnostic interviews and criteria to help in making the correct diagnosis (can be administered on request).

Treatment for both is multifaceted and will entail:
•Identifying individual aggravating factors
•Behavioral therapy
•Educational support
•Treating any associated conditions
•Drug therapy for severe cases of ADHD (usually amphetamines). There is no medical treatment for Autism.
•Most cases of ADHD improve with age.
•Parents may encounter unique situations and they should feel free to submit questions regarding their experiences to the site.