Who Diagnoses ADHD?
If you are the parent of a child with ADHD, when did you first "discover" that your child had the disorder? When they were overactive, oppositional toddlers? Troublesome schoolchildren? Did the suggestion that your child might suffer from ADHD come from you, your physician, a family member or an outside source, such as a teacher or daycare provider? All too often teachers, parents, caregivers and other family members are far too quick to jump on the ADHD bandwagon when children start displaying symptoms, immediately whisking them away to a physician and demanding drugs to "keep them calm" before any medical determination about the source of their behavior has been made.
The temptation to label a child's behavior as ADHD is undeniable, the "quick fix" all but irresistible; however, in the long run these well meaning individuals may be doing more harm than good.
Who Should be Diagnosing ADHD? The answer to who diagnoses ADHD is simple: physicians and psychiatrists.
This may be a family doctor, a neurologist, a child counselor or a professional child psychiatrist, each and every one of which is qualified to offer a professional diagnosis on your child's condition-and more importantly, to give them they help they need to succeed.
When you go to one of these individuals for a diagnosis they will evaluate your child using the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) criteria for ADHD.
The DSM evaluates each child for consistent symptoms of classic forms of ADHD, focusing on impulsivity, inattention and hyperactivity.
Children who display a large quantity of these symptoms in a manner sufficient to affect their ability to accomplish what they need to accomplish are considered to have ADHD, and an official "diagnosis" is made.
It is at this point, and no sooner, that the use of natural and medicinal treatment options should be explored and implemented.
It's easy to look at a child who is hyperactive and oppositional and slap the title of ADHD on them with little concern for the reality of who diagnoses ADHD.
It's much harder to take the time to thoroughly explore their behavior and determine whether or not there are underlying conditions before initiating treatment.
If you believe your child may suffer from ADHD, take the time to get them fully evaluated by a medical or mental health professional before being labeled as ADHD.
It may be the most important thing you ever do for them.
The temptation to label a child's behavior as ADHD is undeniable, the "quick fix" all but irresistible; however, in the long run these well meaning individuals may be doing more harm than good.
Who Should be Diagnosing ADHD? The answer to who diagnoses ADHD is simple: physicians and psychiatrists.
This may be a family doctor, a neurologist, a child counselor or a professional child psychiatrist, each and every one of which is qualified to offer a professional diagnosis on your child's condition-and more importantly, to give them they help they need to succeed.
When you go to one of these individuals for a diagnosis they will evaluate your child using the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) criteria for ADHD.
The DSM evaluates each child for consistent symptoms of classic forms of ADHD, focusing on impulsivity, inattention and hyperactivity.
Children who display a large quantity of these symptoms in a manner sufficient to affect their ability to accomplish what they need to accomplish are considered to have ADHD, and an official "diagnosis" is made.
It is at this point, and no sooner, that the use of natural and medicinal treatment options should be explored and implemented.
It's easy to look at a child who is hyperactive and oppositional and slap the title of ADHD on them with little concern for the reality of who diagnoses ADHD.
It's much harder to take the time to thoroughly explore their behavior and determine whether or not there are underlying conditions before initiating treatment.
If you believe your child may suffer from ADHD, take the time to get them fully evaluated by a medical or mental health professional before being labeled as ADHD.
It may be the most important thing you ever do for them.
