A study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders has recently revealed that a popular screening tool for the diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is inaccurate, especially in cases of children having Autism spectrum Disorder (ASD). The study claims that a lot of Autistic children may have been mistakenly diagnosed with ADHD so a refined screening method should be required to provide accurate results.

It was said that the experts have analyzed 386 autistic children between the ages of 7 and 17 who had no intellectual disability or history of such. The subjects were then subjected to a screening test for ADHD using the scale developed in the 1990s. Consequently, investigators have found some of the questions on the ADHD scale were high for children with autism instead of being high just for the subset of children who had ADHD symptoms.

In one of their statements reported by Mad In America, the researchers have highly emphasized that the scale used in the screening process does not precisely separate the constructs of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity in ASD. Rather describing it as just a condition of unacceptable fit.

Furthermore, as reported by UPI, lead researcher Benjamin Yerys said that a lot of questions related to these conditions may actually require rephrasing since it usually has been misunderstood by many. Yerys has also suggested that for those parents who are highly concerned should seek out physicians who are conducting evaluations for ADHD and are also taken into consideration with regards to the possibility of autism, until they are able to develop and updated version of the rating scale that takes symptoms of autism into account.