Diagnosis
The diagnosis of ADHD is complicated, not only because the child’s age,
overall personality, and medical history must be taken into account, but
also because about 45 percent of children with ADHD have at least one
other psychiatric disorder, most commonly anxiety disorders, depression,
Tourette syndrome, or bipolar disorder. There is no single laboratory test,
imaging study, or neurological test that can be used to diagnose ADHD,
although there are behavioral checklists and questionnaires that doctors
can use to narrow the diagnostic possibilities. The diagnosis usually follows
a series of interviews with psychiatrists and psychologists as well as
the child’s pediatrician. A complete physical examination is important
to rule out vision problems, hearing loss, seizure disorder, or hyperthyroidism
as possible causes of the child’s behavior.
The diagnosis of ADHD in children is based on whether the child
meets the criteria specified in a diagnostic manual on mental disorders:
• The symptoms must have started before the child was seven
years old.
• The child must have had the symptoms over a period of at least six
months.
• The child must have six ormore of the signs or symptoms of inattentiveness
or hyperactivity/impulsiveness listed in the previous section.
• The symptoms must be shown to have affected the child’s ability
to function in at least two areas of life, usually home, relationships
with friends, and schoolwork. Thus, a child who is impulsive or
inattentive at school but relates well to friends or other family
members would not be diagnosed with ADHD.
A set of criteria called the Wender Utah Rating Scale is commonly
used to diagnose ADHD in adults:
overall personality, and medical history must be taken into account, but
also because about 45 percent of children with ADHD have at least one
other psychiatric disorder, most commonly anxiety disorders, depression,
Tourette syndrome, or bipolar disorder. There is no single laboratory test,
imaging study, or neurological test that can be used to diagnose ADHD,
although there are behavioral checklists and questionnaires that doctors
can use to narrow the diagnostic possibilities. The diagnosis usually follows
a series of interviews with psychiatrists and psychologists as well as
the child’s pediatrician. A complete physical examination is important
to rule out vision problems, hearing loss, seizure disorder, or hyperthyroidism
as possible causes of the child’s behavior.
The diagnosis of ADHD in children is based on whether the child
meets the criteria specified in a diagnostic manual on mental disorders:
• The symptoms must have started before the child was seven
years old.
• The child must have had the symptoms over a period of at least six
months.
• The child must have six ormore of the signs or symptoms of inattentiveness
or hyperactivity/impulsiveness listed in the previous section.
• The symptoms must be shown to have affected the child’s ability
to function in at least two areas of life, usually home, relationships
with friends, and schoolwork. Thus, a child who is impulsive or
inattentive at school but relates well to friends or other family
members would not be diagnosed with ADHD.
A set of criteria called the Wender Utah Rating Scale is commonly
used to diagnose ADHD in adults:
- A history of ADHD in childhood
- Hyperactivity and poor ability to focus or concentrate
- Difficulty completing tasks
- Mood swings
- Difficulty controlling temper
- Inability to handle stress
- Impulsive behaviors
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