PrintDiagnosing ADHD in Children
To diagnose ADHD in children, a doctor must complete several assessments, including:
1. BEHAVIORAL HISTORY. Your initial meeting with the doctor (pediatrician or specialist) should focus on your child’s behavioral symptoms. Leave your child at home, and bring along written or verbal descriptions of your child’s behavior from current or former teachers, as well as copies of any psychological test results you might have.
You’ll be asked where and when your child’s symptoms occur and when you first noticed them. In addition, the doctor may ask you (and your child’s teachers) to complete the Conners’ Rating Scale, a questionnaire that helps determine the nature and severity of your child’s symptoms. And don’t be surprised if the doctor asks about family or marital stresses that could be making your child anxious.
2. MEDICAL HISTORY AND EXAM. If your answers convince the doctor that your child’s symptoms are chronic and pervasive, he or she will probably take a detailed medical history of your child. The goal here is to rule out anxiety, depression, sleep problems, seizure disorders, vision or hearing problems, and other medical conditions that mimic ADHD. Certain medications also cause symptoms of hyperactivity or distractibility in some children.
3. REVIEW OF RECORDS. The doctor should review relevant school reports and medical records. The doctor will want to have at least one phone conversation with your child’s teacher(s) or school psychologist.
If your child is diagnosed with ADHD, sit down with the doctor and discuss treatment plans—ADHD medication, behavioral therapy, and/or counseling. Ask him about accommodations or services that would help your child in school. Have him put all of this in a letter explaining his reasons for the accommodations.
Submit the diagnosis and recommendations on the doctor’s letterhead to your IEP or 504 team when sending a letter requesting that your child be evaluated for school services.
