This guide outlines how to get diagnosed with ADHD and what signs the doctors will look for in making the diagnosis.
The number of ADHD diagnoses in children and adolescents has continued to rise in recent years. Experts disagree as to whether this should be welcomed or viewed critically: On the one hand, it is important to take severe attention disorders and hyperactivity seriously in how to get diagnosed with ADHD properly. On the other hand, one should ensure diagnosis such as ADHD is not given unnecessarily.
Even today, an unequivocal and 100% confirmed diagnosis is still considered difficult to carry out and, as we will see, is also quite time-consuming. This is why a rapid or, as some parents or those affected sometimes imagine, a “quick diagnosis” is impossible.
However, it has often proven difficult for those affected to find a competent specialist in their area for how to get diagnosed with ADHD. This can prove to be tedious, especially because it cannot be done in a single short visit: answering and discussing the standardized questionnaires and tests together always takes several hours (on average 3 – 6).
The fact is that, either due to the currently relatively thin distribution of “ADHD specialists” or due to the difficulty of diagnosis, many sufferers are only diagnosed at a relatively advanced age.
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How to get diagnosed with ADHD: the checklist of signs
Children and adolescents with ADHD are particularly inattentive, impulsive or restless (hyperactive) compared to their peers. To a certain extent, such behavior is not uncommon. For the diagnosis with ADHD, the crucial question is when one can speak of a disorder or illness. In order not to mistakenly classify children as sick, experts have agreed on criteria that must be met for an ADHD diagnosis. However, ADHD can only be diagnosed with certainty after the age of three.
Diagnostic criteria for how to get diagnosed with ADHD
For a serious diagnosis, several “levels” must/should be taken into account, which of course complicates the process. The common diagnostic system is based on three assessment levels:
- The clinical level (diagnostic checklists)
- The level of external assessments by parents, teachers or kindergarten teachers/educators (external assessment forms)
- The level of the child’s self-assessment, but usually only from the age of eleven or so.
It is important that the individual symptoms observed as “disturbing” are not only present to an extent that is already appropriate for the child’s level of development, but also go beyond this level in how to get diagnosed with ADHD.
The medically correct formulation in most diagnostic manuals is: “an abnormally increased” or “significantly increased” behavioral originality, or better put: “a significantly increased level of suffering ”. Because this is what ultimately matters. Whatever may be “abnormally elevated” in a person’s life; As long as this person is not actually suffering from it, you should under no circumstances “create” an illness out of it.
On the one hand, there are the diagnostic criteria of the World Health Organization, which are defined in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). On the other hand, there are the criteria from the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM”. The DSM is published by the US Psychiatric Association, the world’s largest psychiatric society. The diagnostic criteria of the DSM are less strict than those of the ICD. This results in more children receiving an ADHD diagnosis under DSM than under ICD.
What is meant by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity?
Both diagnostic standards largely agree on what exactly is meant by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Accordingly, inattention is considered when a child or young person
- makes many careless mistakes when doing tasks at school, training or at home or is often careless when it comes to details.
- It is difficult to concentrate on one thing for a long time, whether playing or doing other activities.
- often doesn’t listen in conversations or in class.
- often does not complete tasks or activities, for example not completing homework or breaking off games with others.
- finds it difficult to organize his tasks and his everyday life.
- has a strong aversion to tasks that require long-term concentration and avoids them.
- often loses items that are needed for school or training, such as pens, textbooks or tools.
- is often distracted by environmental stimuli.
- forgets a lot in everyday life.
Hyperactivity is when a child or adolescent:
- is often restless, fidgets with his hands or feet, or shifts around in the seat.
- often gets up, even when it’s not convenient, for example in a lesson.
- frequently runs wild or climbs on objects, even though this is inappropriate (in children).
- often feels restless (in adolescents).
- finds it difficult to be quiet during class or during free time.
- is always in motion or appears to be driven.
One speaks of impulsivity when a child or adolescent:
- frequently interrupts others and “bursts” into conversations or games.
- often answers questions before the other person has finished asking them.
- has difficulty waiting for his or her turn.
Which criteria are crucial in how to get diagnosed with ADHD?
According to the ICD criteria, an ADHD diagnosis is made if
- There are at least six signs of inattention and three signs of hyperactivity and one sign of impulsivity; and
- These signs were noticed before the seventh birthday.
According to the DSM, an ADHD diagnosis is made when:
- There are at least six signs of inattention or at least six signs of hyperactivity and impulsivity; and
These signs were noticed before the twelfth birthday.
Both the ICD and DSM criteria set for how to get diagnosed with ADHD also state that:
- the behavioral problem has been observed for at least six months,
- the behavior was observed in more than one environment, such as at school and at home,
- the behavior severely affects everyday life, for example school performance, family life or friendships suffer, and
- other mental illnesses were ruled out as causes for the unusual behavior.
The two sides of the diagnosis
Children and young people with ADHD have problems building relationships with other people and often lag behind in school or training. In order to create options for help and further treatment, it is important that you first get the right onediagnosisreceive.
On the other hand, it is important to make ADHD diagnoses very carefully and never hastily. When children or young people are mistakenly diagnosed with ADHD, self-doubt or feelings of inferiority can arise. If, for example, because of a misdiagnosis, children are consciously or unconsciously told that they are less intelligent and capable than others, this is exactly what can happen: they fall short of their potential.
Families experience an ADHD diagnosis differently. Some are relieved when there is finally onediagnosisexists that explains the unusual behavior. Others have a hard time with itdiagnosisto accept, feel stigmatized or have doubts about whether their child is actually affected.
How can misdiagnosis be avoided?
Some children and adolescents with ADHD have a mild form in which the boundary between behavior that is still normal and behavior that requires treatment is blurred. With them it candiagnosisto be difficult. Therefore, several examination appointments are usually required, which include detailed discussions with the child or young person and the parents. If possible, information from school or kindergarten should also be taken into account. The examinations may also include observation of behavior.
It is important to take the official diagnostic criteria seriously. A study suggests that in practice many diagnoses are not made precisely enough:
- On the one hand, only 29% of children and adolescents with an ADHD diagnosis actually met the DSM criteria for ADHD.
- On the other hand, only 43% of children and adolescents who met the DSM criteria actually received an ADHD diagnosis.
At the diagnosis it is very important to take a child’s age into account. The younger a child is, the more “immature” and impulsive behavior is age-appropriate and therefore normal.
Several studies have shown that children who are among the youngest in a school year are more likely to receive an ADHD diagnosis than children who are among the oldest. This is probably not because younger children actually have ADHD more often, they are just more immature compared to their older classmates and therefore appear more impulsive.
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