ADHD and Comorbidity examines how attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder intersects with learning differences, anxiety, depression, tic disorders, sleep problems, and substance use across the lifespan. This page focuses on clinical decision points: distinguishing ADHD from look-alikes (sleep deprivation, trauma, high-functioning autism, thyroid issues), understanding developmental trajectories from childhood through adulthood, and mapping impairment rather than symptoms alone. We outline assessment strategies that integrate collateral histories from families and schools, standardized rating scales across settings, digital attention measures when useful, and a stepwise plan that addresses functional goals first. For readers considering an ADHD Conference, we translate research into daily practice—how to time stimulant trials when anxiety is prominent, when to prioritize psychotherapy before medication, and how to protect sleep while treating daytime inattention and impulsivity. Because medications intersect with growth, appetite, cardiovascular risk, and tics, we pair every prescribing choice with monitoring plans, shared decision-making, and age-appropriate education for families and patients.

Comorbidity is the norm, not the exception. Anxiety and mood symptoms can mask or mimic attentional deficits; autism traits shift social demands; sleep disorders amplify daytime variability; and substance use may emerge in adolescence and young adulthood. We show how to build integrated care around these realities: school accommodations, behavioral parent training, cognitive-behavioral strategies for organization and emotional regulation, and careful psychopharmacology that sequences stimulants, non-stimulants, and adjuncts without escalating polypharmacy. When SUD risk is present, clinicians can stage care to address impulsivity and reward sensitivity while delaying or selecting formulations with lower misuse potential. We also emphasize transitions—child to adolescent to adult services—so continuity of care survives changes in insurance, school, and work. For medication safety, developmental dosing, and interaction management, see Pediatric Psychopharmacology, which complements this page’s focus on functional outcomes, family systems, and coordinated supports.