If your child displays some of the symptoms of impulsivity, hyperactivity, and/or inattention listed above, see your family doctor or pediatrician to have him or her evaluated. Also, if these symptoms sound like they may apply to you but you have never been diagnosed with ADHD, you may want to talk to your doctor about being tested for ADHD. In addition to family doctors and pediatricians, other professionals that are qualified to diagnose ADHD include psychiatrists, psychologists, neurologists, and clinical social workers.

Unfortunately, there is no medical test for ADHD. Diagnosing the disorder is based on detailed observation of behavior as well as ruling out other possible causes of the behavior such as learning disabilities, mood disturbances, hyperthyroidism, or seizure disorders. The child should also be tested for learning disabilities such as dyslexia and other psychological disorders like depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances as all of these tend to be much more common in children with ADHD.

One factor that makes the diagnosis of ADHD more difficult is that the behaviors must be observed in several contexts (e.g. classroom, playground, home) to ensure that symptoms are not caused by something specific to a given environment. This means that for a doctor, psychologist, or neurologist to diagnose a child with ADHD, they often must rely on observations made by other people such as parents, teachers, and others who may know your child well. Your doctor may also use ADHD-specific rating scales, such as the Vanderbilt questionnaire, the Connors’ Rating Scales or the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) to help diagnose your child.

Symptoms must be ongoing for at least six months in order for an ADHD diagnosis to be made. The symptoms must also cause real difficulties in the child’s life (not just be annoying to the parents) in order to be considered ADHD. Gathering as much information as possible about your child’s behavior yourself and going to see the doctor armed with this information is the best way to help ensure an accurate diagnosis.

It is important to note that despite the fact that brain scans may show differences in the average brain activity of children with ADHD versus those without the disorder, this technique cannot currently be used to diagnose ADHD. Also, the fact that a child shows improvement after taking ADHD medication is not a reliable way to diagnose the disorder; children without ADHD may show improvement on these drugs as well.