After the required tests have been carried out, a diagnosis is made with suggestions for appropriate treatment.It should be noted that when ADHD diagnosed in children does not go away in adults, the disease remains, but its symptoms change. When diagnosing ADHD, all available medical documentation of the patient and the assessment of his psychopathological state are taken into account.
Diagnosing ADHD in children is easier for a specialist because a child can be seen and assessed here and now, while it is much more difficult to diagnose ADHD in an adult if the diagnosis was not made in childhood. Diagnostic recommendations require ADHD symptoms to appear by the age of 12, which is difficult to establish in elderly patients.The diagnosis of ADHD requires an interview with the child’s parents (guardians) or observation of their behavior during, for example, playing together.
Careful neurological and psychiatric examinations are very important as the symptoms of the alleged hyperkinetic disorder may in fact be caused by other physical or emotional conditions.When making a diagnosis, it is necessary to exclude other mental disorders or problems that may cause similar difficulties in functioning as in a child with ADHD. I am talking about: anxiety disorders, behavioral disorders, adaptation disorders caused by stressful events or new situations in a child’s life, intellectual disability, difficulties in mastering school skills.
Somatic and neurological diseases should also be excluded: diseases of the thyroid gland, epilepsy, tics, the effects of taking psychostimulants, side effects of drugs, allergies or problems with vision and / or hearing.Comorbidity is often found in the diagnosis of ADHDe other mental disorders. In the evaluation of children suffering from ADHD, symptoms of oppositional defiant disorders, behavioral disorders, anxiety, depression or tics disorders can be found.ADHD treatment Treatment should be started as early as possible in order to avoid the development of additional disorders.