Up to 50 percent of children with ADHD have a coexisting learning disorder compared to only 5 percent of children without ADHD have learning disorders. Learning disorders can cause problems with how individuals acquire or use new information such as reading, writing, or calculating. The most common learning disorders in children with ADHD are dyslexia and dyscalculia. In addition, 12 percent of children with ADHD have speech problems, compared with 3 percent without ADHD. Diagnosing learning disabilities requires specific academic testing, which is usually done by a psychologist.

As many as 30% to 50% of all children with ADHD have oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). These children are often disobedient, defiant, hostile toward authority figures, and have random outbursts of temper. ODD is more common in boys than girls. ODD involves a pattern of arguing; losing one’s temper; refusing to follow rules; blaming others; deliberately annoying others; and being angry, resentful, spiteful, and vindictive.

Conduct disorder is a more serious form of antisocial behavior. Approximately 27 percent of children, 45–50 percent of adolescents and 20–25 percent of adults with ADHD have conduct disorder (CD), which These children with conduct disorders would frequently lie or steal, tend to disregard the welfare of others. They risk getting into trouble at school or with the police. Children with conduct disorder may be aggressive to people or animals, destroy property, run away or skip school and destroy properties. Adults with CD often exhibit behaviors that get them into trouble with the law.

Anxiety disorders are associated with overwhelming worry and nervousness and also obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Up to 30 percent of children and up to 53 percent of adults with ADHD may also have some form of anxiety disorder. About 20-25% children with ADHD may have anxiety or depression. Patients with anxiety disorders often worry excessively about a number of things and may feel edgy, stressed out, tired and tense and have trouble getting restful sleep.

Approximately 38 percent of adults with ADHD have a coexisting mood disorder. Mood disorders are characterized by extreme changes in mood. Children with mood disorders may seem to be in a bad mood often. They may cry frequently or become irritable with others for no apparent reason. Some children with ADHD will go on to develop mania. Up to 20 percent of individuals with ADHD may show symptoms of bipolar disorder, a severe condition involving periods of mania, abnormally elevated mood and energy, followed by episodes of clinical depression. The bipolar child may have alternate between elated moods and feelings of importance with periods of depression or irritability. If left untreated, bipolar disorder can damage relationships and lead to job loss, school problems and even suicide.

Autism spectrum disorder is a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others. Studies show that between 30 and 50% of individuals with ASD also shows symptoms of ADHD. It’s estimated that two-thirds of individuals with ADHD also show features of ASD.

Very few children have this syndrome, but many people with Tourette syndrome also have ADHD. Less than 10 percent of those with ADHD have tics or Tourette Syndrome, but 60 to 80 percent of those with Tourette Syndrome have ADHD. 

Tourette syndrome is a neurological condition that causes various nervous tics and repetitive mannerisms. Some people with Tourette syndrome may blink often, clear their throats frequently, snort, sniff, or bark out words. Sometimes, these tics can be made worse by ADHD medication. 

Tics involve sudden, rapid, recurrent, involuntary movements or vocalizations. Tourette Syndrome is a much rarer, but more severe tic disorder, where patients may make noises, such as barking a word or sound, and movements, such as repetitive flinching or eye blinking, on an almost daily basis for years.

8. Substance Abuse Disorders

including drugs, alcohol and smoking. 

Research suggests that youth with ADHD are at increased risk for very early cigarette use, followed by alcohol and then drug abuse. Cigarette smoking is more common in adolescents with ADHD. Youth with ADHD are twice as likely to become addicted to nicotine as individuals without ADHD. Adults with ADHD have higher rates of smoking and more difficulty in quitting.

There are also two genetic disorders that are commonly associated with ADHD. 

PANDAS is an autoimmune condition triggered by strep throat infections, which disrupt a child’s normal neurologic activity. Symptoms usually appear abruptly overnight. 

With PANDAS, the immune system produces antibodies, intended to fight an infection, but instead, it mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in the child’s brain, resulting in inflammation of the brain.

Children with PANDAS frequently get misdiagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, bipolar disorder, or OCD that is unrelated to any infection.

One Italian study reported significant improvement in ADHD symptoms in ADHD kids with Celiac disease on a gluten-free diet for 6 months. The researchers tested 67 people with ADHD for celiac disease. Study participants ranged in age from 7 to 42. A total of 15 percent tested positive for celiac disease. That’s far higher than the incidence of celiac in the general population, which is about 1 percent.

Another study investigated the incidence of ADHD symptoms in people with newly diagnosed celiac disease. It looked at 132 participants, ranging from toddlers to adults. The study showed that a gluten-free diet improved ADHD symptoms substantially in about six months after starting the diet. 

Ok, there you have it…

I hope you find this information helpful. Let me know what you think and comment below. 

Remember ADHD does not doom your child to a life of under-achievement. You know your child is bright, full of potential, and deserves the best. In fact, many of the world’s greatest discoveries and inventions were made by people with ADHD.

I helped my crazy wild ADHD child who couldn’t read or write overcome her lack of focus and hyperactivity, and become a merit scholarship student majoring in premed. 

If you’re just starting out on this natural ADHD treatment journey and still in the research phase, check out my new book Eat to Focus. Inside this book, you’ll learn why your ADHD child is always hungry, why he or she seems addicted to milk and bread, the underlying causes of ADHD, and the most effective ADHD treatment that addresses all the causes to reduce hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and anxiety while improving focus and calmness in your ADHD child. 

Or if you’re ready to go on the fast track and work with me to create a customized diet and supplement plan for you or your child, contact us. 

Don’t forget to download your free gift ADHD-Friendly Breakfast Ideas before you leave.