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diagnosis
A diagnostic evaluation will include several aspects:
- thorough review of the child's developmental, medical, family and social history
- detailed information from parents, teachers, and/or daycare providers about the child's typical behavior and responses to the environment, and mental health status
- recent physical examination if the evaluation is not being conducted by a medical professional
- standardized behavior rating scales completed by parents, teachers, and/or daycare providers
- psychological evaluation to rule out learning disabilities or other developmental problems
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Diagnosing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children
involves identifying the behaviors that are problematic and assessing
whether they are extreme for the age of the child in question. ADHD
is characterized by hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention, but
these behaviors must be evaluated in the context of what is age appropriate,
since all children exhibit them to some extent. Hyperactivity refers
to a degree and/or intensity of movement when such movement is not
appropriate, and can include everything from constant fidgeting to
running around and climbing on furniture. Impulsivity refers to a
child's difficulty in inhibiting behavior that he knows he should
inhibit, like touching everything in a grocery store or hitting someone
who has made him angry. Inattention is difficulty maintaining attention,
especially to things that aren't that interesting to the child. Many
children with ADHD can attend to very salient things, like TV and
computer games, but have trouble attending when required to by parents
and teachers.
Professionals use diagnostic checklists, interviews of caregivers,
observation, and standardized behavior rating questionnaires to
determine if the behaviors are present, if they are more extreme
than for other children the same age, and if the behaviors are interfering
in the child's development and/or functioning. Because the behavior
of children with ADHD is very variable, it is important to get information
about their behavior in more than one setting. In addition, it is
important to rule out other problems, such as anxiety disorders,
environmental stressors, language disorders,
and learning disabilities. Children with
these difficulties will often display behaviors typical of ADHD.
In addition, children with ADHD often have other disorders that
need to be treated as well. This is particularly true of learning
disabilities and anxiety disorders.
Diagnosis of ADHD in very young children can be particularly difficult, especially if they have not been in group settings where their behavior can be compared with other children of the same age. Young children typically have difficulty with the behaviors in question, and they can make dramatic improvements in their ability to sit still, attend, and control their behavior. In fact, many children who meet the criteria for a diagnosis of ADHD between the ages of 3-5 no longer have significant difficulties with behavior at ages 6 or older. However, there are some children between the ages of 3-5 whose behavioral difficulties warrant intervention. It is unusual for children under the age of 3 to receive medical intervention for ADHD. Children between the ages of 3-5 who are having significant difficulties with attention, activity level, and/or inattention should receive a thorough evaluation from professionals with experience working with these ages, including a thorough developmental evaluation in addition to the information listed above. For more details, refer to evaluation of young children.
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Disabilities 
