How is ADHD diagnosed?

There aren't any special DNA tests, blood tests or other laboratory tests for ADHD. Determining if a child has AD/HD takes many steps. There is no single test to diagnose the disorder. As a result, a comprehensive evaluation is necessary to establish the diagnosis, rule out other causes, and determine the presence or absence of coexisting conditions. Such an evaluation requires time and effort. It should include a clinical assessment of the child’s school, social, and emotional functioning and developmental level. A careful history should be taken from parents, teachers, and the child when appropriate.

It will often be appropriate for other professionals such as psychologists, speech therapists, teachers and health visitors to contribute their observations to the assessment of a child with possible ADHD. Different sorts of information needs to be gathered, such as the following:

History of symptoms
The precise nature of the difficulties, when they were first noticed, in what situations they occur, factors that exacerbate or relieve them.

Medical history
Risk factors that could predispose the child to ADHD include difficulties and risks in pregnancy and during birth, for example if the mother was in poor health, very young or drank alcohol or smoked or had an extended or complicated labour.

Several medical conditions are known to be associated with ADHD. These include fragile-X syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, G6PD deficiency, phenylketonuria and generalised resistance to thyroid hormone.

Accidents, operations and chronic medical conditions such as epilepsy, asthma and heart, liver and kidney disorders all need to be taken in to account. Also of possible relevance is any medication the child is taking, as well as any adverse reactions they have had to medication in the past.

Past psychiatric history
Enquiring about any mental health problems the child has had can help rule out depression or anxiety being behind the symptoms.

Educational history
This means the level of their ability and what specific difficulties they have, how they function within their peer group and get on with teachers, and any behaviour difficulties such as suspensions or exclusions. A more detailed evaluation of the child's learning by a psychologist may be necessary.

Evaluation of the child's temperament and personality
The child's temperament and personality, those of other family members and the nature of relationships within the family may need to be assessed. This will include discussion of the methods used by the parents to manage the child's behaviour and how successful they have been. Although this seems intrusive, the assessor will remain neutral and parents should not feel the disorder is 'their fault'.

Family history
The mental and physical health of the child's parents and other family members can be relevant, particularly regarding the incidence of ADHD or depression.

Social assessment
The family's social circumstances, such as housing, poverty, and social support may all have an impact on the child's behaviour.

Only a child mental health expert (a child psychiatrist, an educational psychologist or a pediatrician) can make the diagnosis, based on the DSM-IV (the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), or the ICD-10 (its European counterpart). One aim is to rule out any other possible causes for your child's behaviour, such as language or hearing difficulties, dyslexia, autism, Asperger's syndrome, epilepsy or depression.

The DSM-IV-TR provides criteria for diagnosing ADHD. This diagnostic standard helps ensure that people are appropriately diagnosed and treated for ADHD. Using the same standard across communities will help determine the public health impact of ADHD.

Sources:
www.mind.org.uk
www.netdoctor.co.uk
www.chadd.org

Symptoms of ADHD

AD/HD symptoms usually arise in early childhood. Current diagnostic criteria indicate that the disorder is marked by behaviors that are long lasting and evident for at least six months, with onset before age seven.

A child with ADHD has a chronic level of inattention, impulsive hyperactivity, or both such that daily functioning is compromised. The symptoms of the disorder must be present at levels that are higher than expected for a person's developmental stage and must interfere with the person's ability to function in different settings (e.g., in school and at home). A person with ADHD may struggle in important areas of life, such as peer and family relationships, and school or work performance.

Three types of ADHD have been established according to which symptoms are strongest in the individual. These types are described below:

1. Predominantly Inattentive Type: It is hard for the individual to organize or finish a task, to pay attention to details, or to follow instructions or conversations. The person is easily distracted or forgets details of daily routines.

2. Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type: The person fidgets and talks a lot. It is hard to sit still for long (e.g., for a meal or while doing homework). Smaller children may run, jump or climb constantly. The individual feels restless and has trouble with impulsivity. Someone who is impulsive may interrupt others a lot, grab things from people, or speak at inappropriate times. It is hard for the person to wait their turn or listen to directions. A person with impulsiveness may have more accidents and injuries than others.

3. Combined Type: Symptoms of the above two types are equally predominant in the person.

Sources:

1. Center for Disease Control and Prevention

2. CHADD

Understanding ADHD

According to netdoctor, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attention deficit disorder (ADD) refer to a range of problem behaviours associated with poor attention span.

These may include impulsiveness, restlessness and hyperactivity, as well as inattentiveness, and often prevent children from learning and socializing well. ADHD is sometimes referred to as hyperkinetic disorder.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that ADHD is one of the most common neurobehavioral disorders of childhood and can persist through adolescence and into adulthood. Currently the causes are unknown.

Participation said that researchers and scientists have discovered that certain areas of the brain are usually affected in people who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). These are the frontal lobe (responsible for our attention span and concentration, controlling our behaviour, planning ahead and making good decisions), the middle brain (a complex area which affects our emotions, feelings and memory, as well as motivation and movement) and the Posterior area (which receives the incoming stimuli and is involved in the way we think, our emotions and things we do automatcially. It is the centre of balance for the other systems involved in learning, self-control and motivation). ADHDis a condition that becomes apparent in some children in the preschool and early school years. It is hard for these children to control their behaviour and pay attention. It is estimated that between 3 and 5 percent of children have ADHD, about five children and two adults out of every 100. This means that in a classroom of 25 to 30 children, it is likely that at least one will have ADHD.

ADHD usually runs in families and researchers believe it is in the genes of those families. So ADHD is a condition which is generally inherited.