Title

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a complex and chronic disorder of brain, behavior, and development whose behavioral and cognitive consequences pervade multiple areas of functioning in an estimated 3% to 5% of school-age children. Consummating a diagnosis of ADHD in children is a multifaceted, time consuming endeavor, which is complicated by multiple factors. Expert guidelines in psychiatry and psychology recommend that a qualified clinician conduct a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation utilizing multiple assessment instruments. These range from subjective measures such as ratings scales and clinical interviews to increasingly objective measures such as direct observation and sophisticated actigraphs. The process must also include careful review of psychoeducational test data and the child's social developmental, medical, educational, psychiatric, familial, and treatment histories. There are no stand-alone instruments, diagnostic tests, or experimental paradigms that can reliably yield a diagnosis. Epidemiological and developmental studies indicate that ADHD-related behavior problems typically emerge by 3-3.5 years of age and worsen significantly when children enter a structured environment that requires them to pay attention to and complete academic tasks for age-appropriate time intervals. Socialization processes are also strained at this time. A psychoeducational assessment, comprehensive clinical evaluation, intensive historical review, and advanced knowledge concerning differences between and among common clinical child disorders with overlapping symptom presentations is needed to accurately distinguish ADHD from other clinical disorders. Renewed efforts to challenge and explore potential underlying core deficits associated with ADHD, such as working memory, will stimulate the creation of valid assessment instruments for diagnosing ADHD. © 2006 Copyright © 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved..

Publication Date

12-1-2006

Publication Title

Clinician's Handbook of Child Behavioral Assessment

Number of Pages

401-435

Document Type

Article; Book Chapter

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-012343014-4/50017-4

Socpus ID

34548421385 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/34548421385

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