What Should Physicians Look For?

Some key clues that should alert physicians to consider the possibility of ALD include:

A family history of significant medical conditions, early morbidity, or symptoms of behavioral or developmental disorders that appear to be genetic;

Signs of abnormal development in the child;

Changes in the child’s functioning, such as declines in cognition, learning, behavior, or emotional regulation;

Rapid acceleration of such changes;

Late onset of symptoms that typically occur earlier in childhood, such as attention or learning problems;

Visual-spatial or visual-perceptual difficulties; and

Lack of sustained response to symptomatic therapies.

Physicians may consider referring to the following table when ALD is included as a differential diagnosis:


Degenerative Disorders
(e.g., ALD)
Developmental/Behavioral Disorders (e.g., ADHD)