Differential diagnosis and management of central auditory processing disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently present difficulties performing tasks that challenge the central auditory nervous system. The relationship between ADHD and central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) is examined from the perspectives of cognitive neuroscience, audiology, and neuropsychology. The accumulating evidence provides a basis for the overlapping clinical profiles yet differentiates CAPD and ADHD as clinically distinct entities. Common and distinctive management strategies are outlined.