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Diagnoses of ADHD are becoming increasingly common among younger and younger children. Some in the medical community are beginning to warn the public-at-large that many kids may be misdiagnosed. Add to that the dangerous side effects often associated with ADHD prescription medication and many parents are starting to worry. How can you be sure your child has been properly diagnosed?
First - has your child's behavior been assessed from several different people? A child with ADHD will have the same behavioral issues at home as he does at school or in the grocery store. It's important that both you and your doctor discuss your child's behavior with several other adults who have been able to observe him for long periods of time.
How long has your child been "over active"? Most children who have ADHD have been hyperactive since before they were seven-years-old. This can be a point of confusion for many parents. What does it mean for a child to be "hyperactive"? What's the difference between hyperactivity and a kid simply being a kid? The main difference is the level of control your child has over his or her level of activity. Is he constantly in motion, even when he should be sitting still? Does he seem to simply be unable to be quiet? Is he constantly talking or moving? Granted, most children have their restless moments, but a hyperactive child is unable to reign in his activity, even if he's put in a "time out" or receives some other consequence.
Does your child begin tasks or projects but never finish them? This is common among children with ADHD. They often have trouble focusing on a task or activity for longer than a few minutes. They simply bounce from one thing to another to another, never finishing any project or game.
Though ADHD children often misbehave, they rarely do it on purpose. If you've told your child not to climb on the furniture, and she does it anyway and doesn't seem to even hear you when you tell her to get down, she may have ADHD. A child without ADHD who knows not to climb on furniture but does it anyway will often look to see if the parent is watching.
The challenge with accurately diagnosing ADHD in young children is that it looks much different than in adolescents or adults. When trying to understand your child's behavior, talk to a child psychiatrist. Many people will take their children to see a pediatrician. Pediatricians are great when diagnosing physical ailments, but aren't equipped to accurately diagnose psychological ones. Some doctors will simply talk to the parents and the child for 20 minutes or half an hour, before making a diagnosis. But the evaluation needs to go further than that. Thorough testing is required in order to accurately diagnose ADHD. The doctor needs to speak with teachers, other family members, and possibly track the child's behavior over the course of a few days to determine behavioral patterns.
What looks like ADHD could also be bi-polar disorder. Though it usually presents in adolescents or adults, some younger children have been diagnosed and treated. Ask your child psychiatrist to identify the differences and ensure proper diagnosis.
Similarities between bi-polar and ADHD include: impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity. But bi-polar is a mood disorder, often triggered when a parent or other authority figure tries to set boundaries, rules, or other limits. An ADHD child can exhibit the same kind of temper, but the cause is different (i.e. - overstimulation or frustration) and an ADHD child won't purposely destroy things. Bi-polar patients are also more likely to exhibit signs of psychosis - thoughts and ideas not in keeping with the "real world".
Consider sleep deprivation also. Someone who isn't getting enough sleep can exhibit similar symptoms like difficulty focusing and overly-emotional reactions to people and situations.
The National Institute of Mental Health states that ADHD symptoms "must appear early in life, before age 7, and continue for at least 6 months. Above all, the behaviors must create a real handicap in at least two areas of a person's life..."1 the child's pattern of behaviors should be carefully considered. If the problems are primarily occurring in school, for example the problem may not be ADHD.
The most important thing to do is ask a lot of questions. Don't worry about upsetting or offending the doctor. A parent who's trying to help his or her child has every right to ask questions, make sure he or she understands what's happening with the child, and see to it that the child is properly diagnosed.
1 Source: National Institute of Mental Health website; www.nimh.nih.gov.