Diagnosing ADHD
Posted in Homeschool View on Thursday, April 4, 2013
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder of childhood.
In fact, we often incorrectly identify difficult children as having ADHD and overlook those who do suffer from it. With all the confusion surrounding the disorder, how does a parent of a “wild child” know whether to attribute the fidgety behavior to ADHD or a mere lack of patience and focus?
The first point to consider is the child’s age and stage of development. Is his or her behavior out of the normal range? If so, certain signs can help you spot potential ADHD. In his article “Untangling the Myths of Attention Disorder,” Perri Klass, M.D., lists three groups of symptoms: inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior.
Inattentive symptoms:
-Fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork
-Has difficulty keeping attention during tasks or play
-Does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
-Does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork or chores
-Has difficulty organizing tasks and activities
-Avoids or dislikes tasks that require sustained mental effort (such as schoolwork)
-Often loses toys, assignments, pencils, or books needed for tasks or activities
-Is easily distracted
-Is often forgetful in daily activities
Hyperactivity symptoms:
-Fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat
-Leaves seat when remaining seated is expected
-Runs about or climbs in inappropriate situations
-Has difficulty playing quietly
-Is often “on the go,” talks excessively
Impulsivity symptoms:
-Blurts out answers before questions have been completed
-Has difficulty awaiting turn
-Interrupts or intrudes on others (butts into conversations or games
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offers three guidelines for diagnosing ADHD:
1. Children should have at least six inattentive symptoms or six hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms, with some symptoms present before age seven.
2. The symptoms must be present for at least six months, be seen in two or more settings, and not be caused by another problem.
3. The symptoms must be severe enough to cause significant difficulties in many settings, including home, school, and in relationships with peers.
Any child who exhibits these symptoms should be evaluated by a doctor.
Comments(2 comments)
SARA KINGSTON 04/04/2013 14:42:24
If you think your child has ADHD go to a therapist, not associated with the school. They will assess your child for 6 months. A pediatrician will offer you drugs, even though most of the psychology field believes children with these behaviors will learn to cope and figure out how they are able to learn. If you are homeschooling your child then you can find out what works for them. My son has some issues and therefore, I don't have him do online learning because I think it would be too much for him to be on the computer for that long.
Kim Jobe 04/16/2013 17:50:16
My child was not really "difficult" (except for being chatty); therefore, he was mostly ignored in schools. It was after I decided to start homeschooling and got information on ADHD from someone in our homeschool group that I took him to be diagnosed. It's sad that a child has to be disruptive to get attention, but the class sizes in most schools are far too large for a public-school child to get the individual attention that s/he needs. I'm glad to be able to homeschool my ADHD child, but not all parents can or will. (Counter to Sara's experience, online has worked better for us than books. You have to know your own child!)