There are several different methods of evaluating whether a person has an attention disorder or not. All of the tests involve a list of questions aimed towards the parents, teachers and/or main caregivers. When I first had Alex tested for ADHD I really wasn’t sure how it was done. There is no blood test and brain scan to look at and say “oh your child has ADHD”. Alex’s dad and I were handed a sheet to fill out that had maybe 10 questions on it asking things like, “does your child sit still to eat”? Then followed by a scale; never, rarely, sometimes, frequently and always. I have to admit I giggled as I watched Alex crawl around the room, climbing on the examine table and opening cabinets while we were trying to answer the questions. I think at that moment the questions seemed irrelevant. I have now come to learn, after a second Doctor evaluated Alex, normally there are several questions (and I mean several in pages) worth of questions to answer to get closer to a correct diagnosis of ADHD. The Doctor should also ask teachers and/or any main caregiver for the child to answer these same questions. To be officially diagnosed a person must exhibit these behaviors in more than one situation. So if your child only acts up at Grandma’s house (lots of freedom there) then they probably do not have ADHD.
3 TYPES
There are 3 basic types of ADHD, Inattentive,
Hyperactive/Impulsive, and Combined.
Inattentive
Inattentive means they can sit still and appear to focus but not actually taking anything in.
Hyperactive/Impulsive
Hyperactive/Impulsive means they cannot sit still, can pay attention, may yell things out at the incorrect time, fidget with hands or objects, have a hard time playing quietly and are in constant motion.
Combined
Combined is the first two put together. Cannot sit still or focus to retain information. Combined is the most commonly diagnosed ADHD. Alex is combined.
What causes ADHD
Like a lot of other illness or disorders there is not “actual” proven cause for ADHD. Some feel in is a heredity thing. Others believe it was due to trauma while pregnant or during birth. They do agree it is a chemical imbalance where those areas of the brain that control impulse and hyperactivity are suppressed
Note: This is a very basic Adriane termed way of describing ADHD. A generalization of what I have read in pamphlets and books and been told by Doctors over the last few years. Make sure you do your own research if your child has ADHD. I have found a lot of information but some of it is hard to process through all the medical terms. Take your time with it. Ask questions and make sure your child is being properly diagnosed with ADHD.
-Adriane
Tags: ADHD, Learning disability, Special Needs