Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD is a perplexing condition that affects many children and even extends into adulthood. Its symptoms manifest themselves as an inability to focus, impulsive behavior, and hyperactivity.
When parents and teachers suspect a child may have this condition, obviously they would like to get a diagnosis. However, diagnosing can be just as convoluted as the condition itself. Here are some answers to some of the questions you may have when it comes to diagnosing this condition.
Who Can Diagnose for ADHD?
When you are seeking help for your child’s condition, it is normal to turn to anyone who you think may have an answer. However, you should understand that a proper diagnosis can only be done by a trained and experienced medical professional. It is a mistake to get the opinion of a school counselor, teacher, or other parent and use that as a diagnosis.
The medical professional can be a psychiatrist, psychologist, or medical doctor. More than likely, medications will be prescribed if a diagnosis is made and this is one of the reasons why a licensed medical professional needs to be sought out.
This is not to say that you cannot get good advice from teachers and counselors who have had experience with ADHD children. It is just important to understand that they cannot do the diagnosis and the diagnosis is necessary for getting the proper treatment. Remember that these other individuals will be your most important support group if your child is diagnosed with the disorder. For starters, without them, you might not have known that there was a problem.
The Tests for Diagnosing ADHD
The first battery of tests is basically a physical exam and psychological assessment. This is because symptoms of ADHD can be spawned by other health and emotional conditions. So the battery of tests will evaluate such areas as:
• Sensory problems (vision and hearing)
• History of specific behaviors
• Dietary deficiencies
• Sleep disorders
• Problems in the glands
• History of learning difficulties and recent stressful events
• History of seizures
The medical professional diagnosing the patient will do a lot of research and fact finding talking to teachers and studying records. Other persons they will consult include you the parents, babysitters, coaches, counselors, and any other significant adult in the child’s life.
Behavioral Analysis
Since ADHD is detected by the observance of specific behaviors, the medical professional will look at the patient’s history in this area closely. Behavioral analysis will be conducted in such areas as:
• The frequency of specific behaviors related to ADHD
• The continuing nature of specific behaviors
• How those behaviors are affecting others related to and around the patient
• If the child’s behavior is significantly different from those surrounding him or her
• Where these behaviors typically occur
Of course frequency of behaviors is important in order to determine if this is an ongoing and consistent problem or just isolated responses to temporary situations. Those suffering from ADHD usually carry it with them most of their lives and it is important to identify these children from the general group of others they interact with.
A classic indicator of ADHD is when the patient’s behavior disrupts the others around him or her. In other words, the patient’s peers find his or her behavior to be very different and unusual from what they are accustomed to.
The locations of these behaviors are important because there may be certain environmental characteristics in a particular locale that trigger the symptoms. This will also become an important factor in the treatment phase. For example, if there are stressful or threatening conditions in the patient’s home then these need to be identified and resolved as part of treatment.
Making the Diagnosis
When all the facts, histories, and observations are gathered and documented the findings are evaluated against the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). The DSM-IV has specific criteria that must be matched against the information gathered to determine a clear ADHD diagnosis.
A clear diagnosis opens the door to making a treatment plan that will be designed to relieve the patient of his or her symptoms. If you believe that your child is suffering from ADHD, seek the help of a trained medical professional so that treatment can be quickly started and restore the quality of your child’s life.
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