Differential Diagnosis of Asperger's and ADHD in Adults

Plain-language summary

It can be tricky to tell the difference between Asperger's Syndrome and ADHD in adults because they often have similar symptoms and can even occur together. Research suggests that when diagnosing ADHD in adults, it's important to also look for Asperger's, as it might be a hidden co-occurring condition. Some diagnostic criteria have made it challenging to diagnose both at the same time, but there's growing recognition of their overlap.

Key findings

• When an adult is being diagnosed with ADHD for the first time, it's really important to also check for Asperger's Syndrome because they can often occur together.
• Some people with Asperger's Syndrome show symptoms that look a lot like ADHD, which can make it hard to tell the two conditions apart.
• Past diagnostic guidelines have sometimes made it difficult to formally diagnose both Asperger's and ADHD in the same person, even if they experience symptoms of both.
• A thorough diagnostic process is essential to ensure that all co-occurring conditions, like Asperger's, are identified alongside ADHD.

Studies cited (2)

1. Asperger Syndrome: a frequent comorbidity in first diagnosed adult ADHD patients? — Mandy Roy, M. Ohlmeier, Lasse Osterhagen (2013, Psychiatria Danubina, other)

   BACKGROUND Because adult ADHD is often accompanied by psychiatric comorbidities, the diagnostic process should include a thorough investigation for comorbid disorders. Asperger-Syndrome is rarely reported in adult ADHD and commonly little attention is paid to this possible comorbidity. SUBJECTS AND METHODS We investigated 53 adult ADHD-patients which visited our out patient clinic for first ADHD-diagnosis (17 females, 36 males; range of age: 18-56 years) for the frequency of a comorbid Asperger-Syndrome. Diagnosis of this autism-spectrum disorder was confirmed by applying the appropriate DSM

2. ADHD Symptoms in Adults with Asperger's Disorder: Findings from a Sample — Masayuki Tani, M. Igarashi, Y. Okajima (2014, , other)

   Introduction: DSM-IV and ICD-10 criteria do not allow co-diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but some researchers have noted that persons with PDD including Asperger's disorder (AS) sometimes have symptoms similar to those of ADHD. The present study evaluated ADHD symptoms in adults with AS using Conner's Adult ADHD Rating Scales screening version (CAARS- S:SV) in a Japanese sample. Methods: The present study evaluated ADHD symptoms in 40 adults with AS and 38 normal adults using CAARS-S:SV, Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), Sc