understanding of your child’s challenges. The issue isn’t whether it’s bad behavior or ADHD but rather how to teach your child to modify their inappropriate behavior. ADHD is a catchall diagnosis that is often contained within other issues. Teach your child to recognize unacceptable behavior and modify it.
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Consult a Professional
Not everyone who exhibits hyperactive, impulsive, or inattentive traits has ADHD, so how is a diagnosis made? It is important that a child receive a thorough examination and appropriate diagnosis by a qualified professional. Since ADHD has a strong genetic link and tends to run in families, the doctor will need the child’s complete medical history.
To rule out other medical problems, hearing and vision problems should also be considered, as they could contribute to similar behaviors.
If ADHD is suspected, a specialist should be consulted for a formal diagnosis. Developmental/behavioral pediatricians, clinical social workers, behavioral neurologists, child psychiatrists, and psychologists are qualified to diagnose ADHD.
These steps are recommended:
- Talk to your child’s pediatrician
- Make an appointment with a child psychiatrist to review specific ADHD symptoms
- Request a neuro-psychological evaluation (from school, a mental health clinic, or a private psychologist)
- A good evaluation will look not just at the possibility of ADHD but also at possible learning disabilities that may make a child’s behavior look like ADHD.