Introducing ADHD Test
Indentifying ADHD is generally done with an ADHD test. It has nothing to do with any blood test since ADHD is a mental disease, so it is not diagnosable through basic medical tests.
The American Psychiatric Association
The Association of American Psychiatric or APA has made a list of fourteen behavioral checkpoints to test for ADHD. According to the APA checklist, a kid must show at least eight of the checkpoints to be diagnosed with ADHD.
Problems with ADHD Behavioral Observation Tests
There are a lot of kids who are misdiagnosed as having ADHD. One of the main logic that ADHD is often misdiagnosed is that identifying is purely observational as well as therefore subjective.
The person giving the test may be less able to tolerate certain behavior than another would be and may mark it as a problem when someone else would consider it normal. For this reason, ADHD testing is often done as a collaborative effort where parents, teachers and doctors all give their opinions about a child's behavior.
It is also common for parents to believe their child has ADHD simply because they are with them often and common ADHD behaviors can be difficult to deal with. A child can only be considered to have a problem when they are displaying a symptom frequently on a regular basis.
Example of ADHD Test
Below are the examples of checklist items that would be found on a special ADHD test:
* Is not diligent at school
* Family history of ADHD or ADD, other learning problems or substance abuse
* Easily sidetracked
* Does not pay attention to detail.
* Plain writing
* Poor listening skills
* Forgetfulness
* Troubles learning new things
* Appear impatient
* Nervous or anxious behavior
* Cannot communicate well
* Controlling impulses trouble
* Easily getting bored
* Careless speaking
* Impatient
* Makes careless mistakes
* Unorganized
The American Psychiatric Association
The Association of American Psychiatric or APA has made a list of fourteen behavioral checkpoints to test for ADHD. According to the APA checklist, a kid must show at least eight of the checkpoints to be diagnosed with ADHD.
Problems with ADHD Behavioral Observation Tests
There are a lot of kids who are misdiagnosed as having ADHD. One of the main logic that ADHD is often misdiagnosed is that identifying is purely observational as well as therefore subjective.
The person giving the test may be less able to tolerate certain behavior than another would be and may mark it as a problem when someone else would consider it normal. For this reason, ADHD testing is often done as a collaborative effort where parents, teachers and doctors all give their opinions about a child's behavior.
It is also common for parents to believe their child has ADHD simply because they are with them often and common ADHD behaviors can be difficult to deal with. A child can only be considered to have a problem when they are displaying a symptom frequently on a regular basis.
Example of ADHD Test
Below are the examples of checklist items that would be found on a special ADHD test:
* Is not diligent at school
* Family history of ADHD or ADD, other learning problems or substance abuse
* Easily sidetracked
* Does not pay attention to detail.
* Plain writing
* Poor listening skills
* Forgetfulness
* Troubles learning new things
* Appear impatient
* Nervous or anxious behavior
* Cannot communicate well
* Controlling impulses trouble
* Easily getting bored
* Careless speaking
* Impatient
* Makes careless mistakes
* Unorganized
About the Author:
Anne Durrel comes from Stockton, California. She has written a number of articles on Bipolar and ADHD . Please also check out her other guide on symptoms of add tips, and bipolar medications guide!