PURPOSE: To characterize the behavioral signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) from the perspective of the professionals who diagnose and manage these conditions in Brazil. METHODS: Forty-two health professionals in Brazil (medical doctors, speech therapists, psychologists, and pedagogues) participated in this study, and they responded to a questionnaire listing 58 behavioral signs of ADHD and CAPD. The participants were asked to score the listed behavioral signs according to the frequency with which they occurred, from 1 (never) to 5 (always). The average values were compared to the results of a similar study conducted in North America. RESULTS: Some of the listed behavioral signs were indicated more often than others, depending on the disorder. In the case of ADHD, the behavioral signs most often mentioned were difficulty playing quietly, distraction, disorganization, inattentiveness, hyperactivity, restlessness, shifting from one incomplete task to another, poor self-control, lack of persistence, and hastiness or impulsiveness. The most evident behavioral signs of CAPD were auditory divided attention deficit, auditory selective attention deficit, difficulty following instructions given orally, poor auditory association skills, difficulty hearing in a noisy environment, auditory sustained attention deficit, difficulty discriminating speech, and reduced auditory information processing rate. CONCLUSION: The health professionals identified some behavioral signs as being more evident in ADHD and other signs as more evident in CAPD.
Attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity; Auditory perceptual disorders; Diagnosis, Differential; Behavioral symptoms; Health care