ADHD impacts learning and behaviours in school, but the condition is different than a learning disability. Children with ADHD are three to five times more likely to develop a learning disability as those without ADHD. Around one-half of all those with ADHD also have some type of LD. Those with an LD may have trouble organising thoughts, finding the right word to use when speaking, mastering reading, writing, or math, or having difficulty with memory.

About a quarter of those with ADHD also have an anxiety disorder. As with depression, the two share common symptoms, such as lack of focus and insomnia. Nervousness is also a possible side effect of stimulants. If you have unexplained and persistent fears, or experience panic attacks, and feel that your ADHD treatment is not working, talk with your doctor about an anxiety disorder.

Symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) include repeated temper tantrums, excessive arguing with adults, being uncooperative, deliberately annoying others, seeking revenge, being mean and spiteful. Research shows anywhere from 45 to 84 percent of children with ADHD will develop ODD. Treatment for ODD includes psychotherapy and medication.

Bipolar disorder is characterised by mood swings—high, euphoric periods (mania) and low periods of depression. The mania stage is sometimes seen as hyperactivity and the low states as inattention and lack of motivation, all of which are common with ADHD. Those with bipolar may lose touch with reality or have a distorted sense of reality; their moods, both mania and depression, may last for weeks. About a fifth of those with ADHD also have bipolar disorder.

Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is an inability to sort out external stimuli—making the smallest stimuli unbearable—or the need to search out high-stimulus activities to arouse sluggish senses. When researchers looked at children who showed symptoms of ADHD or SPD, 40 percent showed symptoms of both. It is important that both conditions are identified and treated early.

A new study suggests that ADHD kids are 20 times more likely to exhibit some signs of autism compared with non-ADHD kids. There isn’t a lab test to diagnose autism. Because symptoms of both conditions overlap, diagnosing and separating the disorders can be hard. Autism is characterised by social and communication difficulties and repetitive behaviours. Some early symptoms are delayed speech and avoiding eye contact. Early detection and treatment are important.

Twenty to 30 percent of adults with ADHD go on to develop substance abuse problems at some point in their life. Some use drugs or alcohol to combat symptoms of ADHD—to sleep better or improve mood. People with substance abuse problems have a higher risk of depression and anxiety. Misusing drugs and alcohol makes treating ADHD more difficult.

Stimulant medication was previously thought to cause Tourette’s Syndrome. Recent research has shown that both disorders have similar risk factors—smoking during pregnancy, being born prematurely, and low birth weight. Those with Tourette’s exhibit motor and vocal tics—rapid, repetitive movements and sounds. About 90 percent of those with Tourette’s syndrome also have another disorder, the most common being ADHD.

Between 25 and 45 percent of ADHD kids develop conduct disorder (CD). Characteristics of CD include fighting, cruelty toward others, destructiveness, lying, stealing, truancy, and running away from home. Treatment for CD includes making sure ADHD symptoms are adequately treated, behaviour therapy, and counselling.

Finding the right treatments - and managing them - takes research, planning, organisation, and persistence. Early on, talk with your doctor about your options. If you use medication, speak with the prescribing professional about his or her expertise with treatment options. If you do not use medication, find a professional who specialises in the types of treatments you want to use - for example, a dietician or psychologist specialising in behaviour therapy.

Medication is often the first line of defence against the symptoms of ADHD for one simple reason: studies show it to be most effective. “When adults ask me questions about why they should try medication to manage their ADHD, my answer always comes down to two words: Medication works,” says Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D., a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Paediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina. “When you find the right medicine, you can experience substantial improvements in your ADHD symptoms.” With the right drug and the optimal dosage, the success rate is high: Medication works for at least 80 percent of people with ADHD.

It will take time for you to find the optimal medication and dosage with minimal or zero side effects. To get the most out of medication, you must communicate with the prescribing doctor and follow his or her advice, especially during the initial phase of taking medication. This communication is needed to adjust dosage and control side effects in a timely manner. Medication isn’t a magic bullet. It helps manage some ADHD symptoms, but it does not cure the disorder.

Supplementing medication with behavioural therapy and/or coaching is often a more effective strategy than managing ADHD with one or the other alone, as studies have shown medicine alone is not sufficient treatment for most adults with ADHD. This is especially true for adults struggling with work and day-to-day responsibilities. While medication works on a neurological level to regulate the brain, behavioural therapy addresses specific problem behaviours by teaching the individual how to structure their time, establish predictability and routines, and increase positive outcomes.

Changing your diet to increase the consumption of certain ADHD-friendly nutrients — fish oil, the minerals zinc, iron, and magnesium — as well as protein and complex carbohydrates, can help the brain function at optimal levels and control swings in mood and behaviour.

“Think of exercise as medication,” says John Ratey, M.D., an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. “Exercise turns on the attention system, the so-called executive functions — sequencing, working memory, prioritising, inhibiting, and sustaining attention.” Walking for 30 minutes, four times a week, is enough exercise to yield benefits.