Medical Evaluations for Children

Diagnosing ADHD in children is not a simple task for medical professionals which in turn may lead to misdiagnosis.

According to the Mayo Clinical Staff, “a child shouldn't receive a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder unless the core symptoms of ADHD start early in life — before age 12 — and create significant problems at home and at school on an ongoing basis” (Mayo Clinic, 1). Gathering a child’s history is not an easy task depending on the child’s age, when these inattentive, impulsive, and boisterous symptoms started occurring, and when these symptoms were first noticed by teachers, guardians, or parents. With all of these variables to consider, collecting accurate data needed for a healthcare professional to diagnose a child with the disorder can be challenging.

Healthcare professionals will start a medical evaluation of a young child with a medical exam such as blood tests which will eliminate other causes of the symptoms displayed. After reviewing the results of the medical exam, healthcare professionals will gather information such as a personal and family history, current medical issues, and school records to further explore the causes of these symptoms. When a family history, personal history, and school records have been reviewed, family members, teachers, coaches, or other people that the child has close interaction with will be interviewed (Mayo Clinic, 1). The APA recommends, “healthcare professionals ask parents, teachers, and other adults who care for the child about the child's behavior in different settings, like at home, school, or with peers (APA, 1). After these steps have been closely reviewed, the DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association) will help determine whether the young patient displays symptoms of ADHD (Mayo Clinic, 1). Tammy Preston confirms, the patient must display at least six symptoms from the DSM-IV in order for the child to be accurately diagnosed with the disorder (Tammy Preston, 1). This shows that two different editions of the DSM are being used, which may lead to misdiagnosis of ADHD in children. One edition being older and outdated, the DSM-IV, compared to that of the DSM-V which is the updated and current edition of the DSM, both which are currently being referred to by healthcare professionals.

According to the CDC, “To make a diagnosis of ADHD, the primary care clinician should determine that diagnostic criteria have been met based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – Fifth edition (DSM-5, which replaced the Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) in May 2013)” (CDC, 1). This clearly shows that the DSM-V replaced the DSM-IV in May 2013 which leads me to question the healthcare professionals that are referring back to the outdated edition. An evaluation such as this takes place because a specific test to diagnose ADHD does not exist, according to the Mayo Clinic (Mayo Clinic, 1).