Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, can have dramatic ramifications for your child’s life. This condition affects his or her ability to pay attention and focus, which means they may struggle in school, or even when performing regular tasks and chores around the house.
Of course, it can be difficult to determine if your child has ADHD (or ADD) or is just going through normal development. An ADHD assessment can help determine if ADHD is present, and then guide you afterward.
How Does an ADHD Assessment Work?
It’s important to understand that these assessments are not medical tests in the sense that they require specialized equipment. In fact, the bulk of the assessment falls into either visual observation of your child, using measurement scales to rate symptoms, and conducting interviews. So, if you are concerned that your child will be subject to injections or invasive procedures, you can put those fears to rest.
There are several potential components involved in an ADHD assessment. Interviews will be conducted with you, with other relatives, and possibly with your child’s teachers. These interviews help give insight into your child’s actions and behavioral patterns. The assessment will also involve at least some portion where the assessor visually observes your child interacting with his or her environment, often while engaged in a number of different activities. You may be asked to completed questionnaires, and if your child is old enough, he or she may provide input in this form as well.
Psychological and medical tests will often be given to help rule out other potential conditions. For instance, a vision test and hearing test may be given to rule out vision and hearing problems as culprits. Blood testing for thyroid disease may also be conducted.
Based on the information gleaned in the ADHD assessment, your child’s doctor will categorize their condition into one of three types of ADHD, including inattentive, hyper-impulsive, or combined, as specified by the American Psychiatric Association. To help further refine and define their diagnosis, your child’s doctor may require an MRI or CT scan.
Is your child struggling in school? Is he or she unable to focus and pay attention? It could be ADHD, but it could also be any number of other conditions. Contact Dr. Joshua Shifrin to schedule an appointment to discuss your options and determine if an ADHD evaluation is the right step. You can also follow them on Twitter for latest news and update!
