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Your ADHD Grandchild (Part Two)

© Wesley Sharpe

Not all ADHD children http://www.chadd.org./ behave in the same way because the symptoms vary in degree and severity. Making a proper diagnosis is difficult and doctors and mental health professional use specific guidelines to make their diagnosis.

"A child can have many of the following behaviors and not have ADD or ADHD. The criteria should serve as a red flag for grandparents who are concerned about a child's behavior at home and at school. If a child shows many of the behaviors listed below you should consider having him or her tested by a team of qualified professionals" (Living With ADHD, Rebecca kajander, 1995).

DSM-IV Diagnostic Manual

The following specific guidelines help to diagnose Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD).

The actual diagnosis as shown in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) follows:

A. The child must satisfy the criteria for either (1) or (2) as follows:

(1) Six (or more) of the following symptoms of inattention have persisted for at least 6 months to a degree that is maladaptive and inconsistent with the child's developmental level:

Inattention

(a) often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in school work, work, or other activities.

(b) often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities

(c) often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly

(d) Ofthe does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish school work, chores, or duties in the work place (not due to oppositional behavior or failure to understand instructions)

(e) often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities

(f) often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort (such as school work or homework)

(g) often loses things necessary for tasks or activities (e.g.), toys, school assignments, pencils, books, or tools

(h) is often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli

(i) is often forgetful in daily activities

Hyperactivity

(a) often fidgets with hand or feet or squirms in seat

(b) often leaves seat n classroom or in other situations in which remaining seated is expected

(c) often runs about or climbs excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate (in adolescents or adults, may be limited to subjective feelings of restlessness)

(d) often has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly

(e) is often "on the go" or often acts as if "driven" by a motor

(f) often talks excessively

Impulsivity

(a) often blurts out answers before questions have been completed

(b) often has difficulty awaiting turn

(i) often interrupts or intrudes on others (e.g.), butts into conversation or games)