Behavioral signs of central auditory processing disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) present overlapping symptomatology. Attention and listening problems, maladaptive behavior, distractibility, instruction-following difficulty, and increased time required to complete tasks appear on checklists purportedly characterizing behaviors exhibited by individuals with CAPD and ADHD. The present study compared audiologists' and pediatricians' rankings of 41 behavioral symptoms associated with ADHD and CAPD. Audiologists ranked the degree to which each item pertained to individuals with CAPD and pediatricians ranked the same items as related to ADHD. Item analysis revealed that only two of the most frequently cited behaviors were judged as characteristic of both disorders (i.e., inattention and distractibility). The majority of frequently cited behaviors were not seen as common to ADHD and CAPD.