Key Questions to Consider Before Meeting with ADHD Specialist

ADHD was the topic of last week's blog post. The article listed some key information meant to help parents to begin to understand how this disorder affects children and the learning process. Today’s focus is on key questions to think about before meeting with a specialist about school, home, behavior/learning concerns. Medical specialists use rating scales with questions relating to the highlighted text below to gather information about a child. The scales are given to parents and adults who know the child well as he/she functions in different environments compared to his/her same age peers. The answers are often rated according to how often the problem behavior occurs and affects school and daily living situations. A skilled professional will know how to sort out the feedback s/he receives. An ADHD diagnosis is based on guidelines that are outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).

A.
Does your child make careless errors when doing pencil and paper work?
Does s/he have a difficult time staying on task?
Does s/he appear as if not listening when you speak to him/her?
Does s/he have difficulty with following directions?
Does s/he finish schoolwork, chores, tasks?
Does s/he avoid tasks that require concentration?
Is s/he disorganized? Does s/he lose things need for play or schoolwork?
Is s/he easily distracted?

B.
Does s/he fidget or squirm when sitting?
Does s/he get out of his/her seat at inappropriate times?
Does s/he seem to be overactive and on the go, as if driven by a motor?
Does s/he talk excessively?
Does s/he blurt out answers before called on?
Is s/he have difficulty waiting his or her turn?
Is s/he easily excited and/or exhibit quick mood changes?
Does s/he interrupt or intrude on others at inappropriate times?

C.
Additional Questions:
Have you observed any of these behaviors before age 7?
Have the behaviors lasted for more than 6 months?
Do these behaviors affect your child negatively in two or more areas such as home, school, while playing with friends?

The questions in section A relate to features of children who are inattentive.The questions in section B relate to features of children who are hyperactive.The additional questions in section C will help a specialist to learn additional information in order to rule out or confirm a possible diagnosis.

There’s much more to learn about rating scales and how the process of diagnosing a child with ADHD works. However, given the limited information you know, you may have some opinions to share. What’s good about this process? What’s wrong with the process?

You can find a tutor online who knows learning techniques and tutoring strategies for children with ADHD.