Now that you suspect that your child may be suffering with ADD or ADHD it is important to get a proper diagnosis. The diagnosis of ADD or ADHD is best made by a child psychiatrist. There is no particular psychological or blood test to diagnose the disorder. The most effective way to diagnose ADD or ADHD is by gathering a history about your child from you, your child’s teachers, and others who interact with your child on a regular basis including coaches, tutors, childcare personnel, and so on.
Thus a lengthy history gathering is necessary. Care has to be taken to rule out other disorders that can look similar, especially anxiety disorders, depression with agitation, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Also remember sometimes children can react to situations that exhibit some of the symptoms of ADD or ADHD, but these symptoms are only short-term and passing and do not make the diagnosis.
Once the diagnosis is made, a multimodal or combination approach is usually necessary including some form of therapy such as:
- Behavioral therapy
- Individual talk therapy
- Educational help
- Family therapy
- Parent education
- Skills training
- Medication
It is important to remember that therapy for common secondary effects of ADD/ADHD such as feelings of isolation, alienation, depression is every bit as important as treating the syndrome itself.
Once you have the proper treatment in place there will be ongoing monitoring to make sure that your child is responding well to treatment. This is the beginning of treatment for your child and you will be working closely with your child’s psychiatrist over however long a period of time is needed to make sure that your child is responding well to treatment.
DISCLAIMER
Information contained in this blog is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical or psychiatric advice for individual conditions or treatment and does not substitute for a medical or psychiatric examination. A psychiatrist must make a determination about any treatment or prescription. Dr. Paul does not assume any responsibility or risk for the use of any information contained within this blog.
