DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST
for Inattention

Why: to determine if acute or chronic.

Why: causes of inattentive behavior vary with age. Note however, that normal young children are often very active with short attention spans e.g. most parents of 2 year old children become exhausted by the activity level, try to adjust to the frequent changes of activity and modify their houses and vigilance to cope with the impulsiveness.

Why: e.g. fetal alcohol syndrome, autism, microcephaly, Williams syndrome, brain damage, attention deficit disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, hearing impairment, vision impairment, learning disability.

Why: e.g. risk factors for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorders in children include disrupted childhood care; socially disadvantaged; lack of warm caring family; family violence (physical or sexual abuse); antisocial peer group exposure.

Why: e.g. bipolar disorder , depression, anxiety.

Why: e.g. it is controversial as to whether food allergies cause inattentiveness and hyperactivity. There is a small group of children who are sensitive to the ingestion of synthetic food colors and react with severe irritability, restlessness and sleep disturbance. They are so active and disruptive that they appear unable to concentrate. A trial of coloring-free diet for 6 weeks producing improvement in behavior and the observation of behavioral change associated with dietary infractions is suggestive of sensitivity.

Why: alcohol abuse may cause a poor attention span.

Why: e.g. amphetamines and cocaine may cause inattention, hyperactivity and agitation.

Why: A number of children have problems in focusing attention and maintaining concentration. In addition, many are described as being inattentive, overactive, fidgety, impulsive and distractible. All of these behaviors may contribute to problems in learning in the classroom, as well as social problems. Conversely children with learning disorders may tend to have increasing difficulty with peer relations, tend to withdraw from social situations, or exhibit acting out, hyperactive and difficult behavior.

Why: probably the largest group of children with hyperactive behaviors and with problems with concentration and attention are secondary to hearing deficits.

Why: e.g. impulsivity, inattentiveness, over activity, irritability, poor concentration and school learning problems.

Why: e.g. episodes of depression (often psychotic in intensity) and at other times episodes of psychotic excitement (mania or hypomania). Symptoms of psychotic excitement may include elevation of mood, hyperactivity, inattentiveness, grandiose ideas, irritability, disinhibition (which affects social, sexual and financial behavior), rapid speech and racing thought, delusions (persecutory or grandiose) and sometimes hallucinations.

Why: e.g. nervousness, shakiness, tremor, restlessness, hyperactivity, irritability, insomnia, poor concentration, heart palpitations, racing heart, sweating, dizziness, diarrhea, lump in throat and frequency of urination.

Why: e.g. depressed mood, crying spells, anhedonia (loss of interest or pleasure), increase or decrease in appetite (usually decreased), weight loss or gain, insomnia or increased sleeping (usually early morning waking), fatigue, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness, feelings of excessive guilt, poor concentration, difficulty making decisions, low libido, thoughts of death or suicide attempt. Some depressed people exhibit marked agitation which may take the form of poorly organized but purposeful activities, in which the person starts the same activity frequently, becomes distracted, starts an alternative activity, and so on. This agitation may be interpreted as inattentiveness.

Why: e.g. blurry vision, double vision, dizziness, weakness, numbness or tingling in any limbs, poor attention.