Parenting Guild - ADD/ADHD

I am always asked these questions about add-adhd:

How do I know if this is my child?
How is a child diagnosed?

The following is the definition of ADD and the criteria for diagnosis. What i would like to stress is: IF YOU THINK YOUR CHILD IS ADD OR ADHD....PLEASE TAKE THEM TO A KNOWLEDGEABLE PEDIATRICIAN!! They know what to do and can steer you in the right direction.

What is ADD?

Attention Deficit Disorder is a term used to describe a group of children (and adults) with many things in common. While many of the characteristics of ADD are present in all children at times, they will be more intense and persistent in the ADD child. Without proper early intervention, many will develop social and family problems.

ADD is not easily diagnosed. A diagnosis is arrived at through a combination of careful educational testing, parental and teacher interviews, and a thorough medical evaluation. Each child diagnosed as having ADD is an individual who is unique . The following characteristics my be present in varying degrees, although each child with ADD is different.

ADD Symptoms:

Inattention:

Inattention
Does not finish tasks
Does not seem to listen
Is distracted easily,
Has difficulty concentration on tasks
Has difficulty sticking to play
Is insatiable, impertinent, inconsistent

Impulsiveness:

Acts before thinking
Shifts from one activity to another
Has difficulty awaiting turn in line
Has difficulty organizing work,
Needs much supervision
Often calls out in class
Has difficulty making and keeping friends.

ADHD

ADHD includes all the characteristics above but with the addition of hyperactivity.

Hyperactivity:

Runs and climbs excessively
Cannot sit still, or stay seated
Is restless during sleep
Always on the go

Diagnostic criteria for 314.01 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
note: consider a criterion met only if the behavior is considerably more frequent than that of most people of the same mental age.

A) A disturbance of at least six months during which at least eight of the following are present:

1- Often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat ( In adolescents, may be limited to subjective feelings of restlessness)

2- Has difficulty remaining seated when required to do so

3- Is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli

4- Has difficulty awaiting turn in games or group situations

5- Often blurts out answers to questions before they have been completed

6- Has difficulty following through on instructions from others (not due to oppositional behavior of failure of comprehension), e.g., fails to finish chores

7- Has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities

8- Often shifts from one activity to another

9- Has difficulty playing quietly

10-Often talks excessively

11-Often interrupts or intrudes on others, e.g. butts into other children games

12-Often does not seem to listen to what is being said to him or her

13-Often loses things necessary for tasks or activities at school or home (e.g., toys, pencils, books, assignments)

14-Often engages in physically dangerous activities without considering possible consequences (not for the purpose of thrill-seeking), e.g. runs into street with out looking

Note: the above items are listed in descending order of discriminating power based on data from a national field trail of the Small criteria for disruptive behavior disorders.

B) Onset before the age of seven

C) Does not meet the criteria for a Pervasive Developmental Disorder

Criteria for severity of ADD/ADHD:

Mild:

Few, if any, symptoms in excess of those required to make the diagnosis and only minimal or no impairment in school and social functioning.

Moderate: Symptoms or functional impairment intermediate between "mild" and "severe".

Severe: many symptoms in excess of those required to make the diagnosis and significant and pervasive impairment in functioning at home and school and with peers.

Submitted by: LuAnn