Tuesday, May 11, 2010

How Do Doctors Test If A Child Has Add

Signs Doctors look for in a child that may have ADD / ADHD


In the current days of modern medicine, there are no laboratory or imaging tests that exist in order to accurately determine if a child suffers from ADD / ADHD, but there are three main characteristics that need to be present to determine if a child could have the disorder. Inattentive, hyperactive or impulsive behaviors are those can lead to problems at home and school, and are recognized to be at the root of the condition that can prompt parents to seek medical consult.


Testing and Evaluation


When having a child tested for ADD/ADHD, it's extremely vital that he undergo a complete medical and psychological evaluation by psychologists, pediatricians, or psychiatrists. The diagnosis is based on the signs and symptoms that are observed, and done so by ruling out other disorders. When observed for diagnosis, doctors primarily look for behavioral symptoms that have been present before age seven, have lasted least six months continuously, and have been present in two or more settings, such as home, school, and other social settings.


Accuracy of ADD/ADHD Testing


When testing children, doctor's make sure that parents are extremely aware that there are many rating scales, surveys, questionnaires, and checklists that are being marketed as "tests" or "indicators" of ADHD, and that none of them have ever been validated in the determination of ADD/ADHD. Since it's considered a neurological disorder with no direct cause, and can greatly affect each child differently; its diagnosis is amongst the few in medicine that are viewed to be very subjective. When testing a child for ADD/ADHD, it's best to do so at the discretion of a few different doctors' opinions to grasp a better perspective of the diagnosis.

Tags: been present, determine child, have been, have been present, home school