Difficulties in the diagnosis of comorbid ADHD. Case studies. Evaluation and intervention protocol

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the neurodevelopmental disorders with the highest co-morbidity rate. Only about 30% of cases show a pure diagnosis. Approximately 1 out of 3 subjects presents comorbidities with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLED), as well as 33-37% present symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). All this makes the intervention very difficult, including both the evaluation process and subsequent diagnosis, as well as the recommended treatment. Throughout this symposium we intend to analyze the difficulties encountered in the diagnosis of ADHD and its comorbidities. The results of the application of a multidisciplinary protocol (neurological, psychological and psychopedagogical) of specific evaluation for the detection and subsequent diagnosis of ADHD and its co-morbidities with the Autism Spectrum Disorder, in the first place, and with Specific Difficulties in Learning to Read and Write, in the second place, are shown. Next, the results derived from the application of a protocol of neurological, psychological and psychopedagogical intervention are presented for each of the cases developed previously: ADHD comorbid with ASD and ADHD comorbid with SpLED.

Marta Sánchez Muñoz de León has a degree in Education and a degree in Psychopedagogy from the University of Málaga. Subsequently, she made her doctoral thesis entitled “Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity: emotional self-regulation and executive functions” at the same university. From 2017 to the present, she has carried out her research work as a member of the HUM-347 Research Group (Necesidades específicas de apoyo educativo en niños y adolescentes con trastornos en el neurodesarrollo – Specific educational support needs in children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders – ) of the University of Málaga, funded by the Department of Education and Science of the Regional Government of Andalusia. As far as her teaching career is concerned, it is worth highlighting her work as an academic tutor in the Master’s in Early Care at the University of Málaga and her functions as a teacher-tutor at the UNED, an associated centre in Málaga.