Diagnosing children, teenagers, and even adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be a tricky thing, indeed. If you just ask any parent if whether they have suspected their kids of being "too hyperactive" during a particularly taxing time, the invariable answer that you would have got would be yes. But as you may know by now, diagnosing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is more than just looking at a person and judging their behaviour and communication. Unfortunately, this "myth" has been too prevalent, even during these times where a parent or health client is more informed than he or she was ten or twenty years ago.
What all behavioural experts agree on is that a definite diagnosis can only be come upon if the possible signs and symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder that an individual may exhibit have lasted for more than six months. There is a checklist of behavioural activities, at least six of which must have been present for more than six months for ADHD to be diagnosed. A definite diagnosis is also influenced by many factors that are related to how the affected individual lives his or her life, from the medical history to any problems that the client may feel is really bothering him or her personally. If you are a parent, or have a loved one who you may suspect as having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, being honest about everything is the key in diagnosing your loved one's condition, and the first step towards initiating a specific treatment plan and goal.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disordes
For children, there are certain standards that paediatric mental health specialists follow to specifically find out if the problem is indeed related to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Aside from gathering the specific data that is related to the child's growth and behaviour ever since he or she was still a toddler, the health care specialist will also compare the child's behaviour against the "normal" baseline behaviour of other kids which are the same age as him or her. The three "classic" signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder that the checklist previously mentioned covers are hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and inattentiveness, which can be manifested in several ways like the child being constantly on the move, an inability to focus or concentrate on the task or the assignment at hand, or can easily be distracted by little instances such as hearing a noise from a distance.
As well as the checklist of symptoms, the child must have had some sign of symptoms before the age of seven and must manifest the symptoms in more than one place, for instance, home and school. Finally the symptoms must be shown to impair academic, social or occupational functioning and must not be exclusively present during the course of a separate developmental condition such as schizophrenia.
A thorough physical examination should not be completely out of the question when a specialist is trying to determine whether your child is a candidate for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, since there are several medical conditions that can also cause your child to exhibit actions that may be similar to ADHD, like hypo- or hyperthyroidism, a barely noticeable and generally unobserved seizure condition, sleeping problems (there are some instances where children as young as five are developing signs of insomnia), a developing anxiety that is otherwise unexpressed by the child, or even a sudden a life-changing incident where the occurrence of a situation has caused a child to cope with the problem by acting this way, like a death of a loved one or a separation between the parents.
If you ever see any of the above signs on your child, just take a deep breath and know that, help is at hand, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder won't necessarily be diagnosed. However, if you have a child or a loved one who has been diagnosed with this condition, there are several therapies and treatments with which you can help your loved one control and overcome his or her ADHD. For more information, please consult your doctor, a specialist and your child's school.
How Is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Diagnosed?
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