As a parent, you want to make sure that you are supporting your child every way you can. That’s why it’s important to consider deeper motives behind your child’s actions. If a child is constantly fidgeting, struggling to focus, or acting impulsively, many parents find themselves asking ‘Does my child have ADHD, or is this normal behavior?’ While all kids can be energetic, ADHD involves persistent patterns that disrupt daily life.
Common Signs of ADHD in Children and Adolescents
- ADHD typically presents with inattentive symptoms, hyperactive symptoms, or a combination of both.
- Inattentive symptoms include:
- Difficulty focusing on tasks or in conversations, zoning out
- Getting distracted easily by things going on in the environment such as noises or sounds
- Jumping from task to task or tasks taking much longer than they should
- Struggling to follow multi-step instructions due to getting distracted
- Forgetfulness of plans, homework, or objects such as frequently losing their coat or belongings
- Making careless mistakes and missing details
- Procrastinating or avoiding tasks that require mental effort
- Hyperactive symptoms include:
- Being restless and fidgety and getting in trouble in class for getting out of their seat, interrupting peers, talking out of turn
- Acting as if “driven by a motor” or “bouncing off the walls”
- Interrupting in conversations
- Acting impulsively
- Talking all the time
- Difficulty waiting their turn
- Parents often ask how do you separate out these symptoms from what is normal for a child, and there are a few things to look for.
- Are there any ways these symptoms are negatively impacting the child or family’s life? For instance, if the child is getting in trouble a lot at home or school, the child is falling behind in their classes and getting bad grades, or their friendships are being impacted can all be signs that they may have ADHD rather than it being normal development. We also look for the symptoms to be occurring in multiple settings, such as both at home and school. Lastly are these issues that the child is frequently having but their peers are not.
How to Assess ADHD
If any of these symptoms resonate with parents or they are seeing that the symptoms are impacting their child negatively, then the next step could be looking for a free online assessment such as Vanderbilt Assessment Scale, an ADHD questionnaire often used by mental health practitioners to screen for ADHD and which can be scored easily online. There are also ADHD quiz for kids that may indicate further testing is advised. These tools are helpful to distinguish if your child may differ from their peers and if further testing and diagnosis with a professional is warranted. Ultimately, if you have concerns for your child having ADHD, we recommend getting them tested since early interventions can make a big difference in the child’s future.
Where to Get My Child Tested For ADHD?
Can a Pediatrician Diagnose ADHD?
A pediatrician can diagnose ADHD, and they may diagnose through a combination of a child/parent interview, rating scales, or some computer-based tests. It depends on the pediatrician’s comfort level with ADHD and managing mental health conditions for whether they will diagnose and treat ADHD.
Does a Therapist or a Psychiatrist Diagnose ADHD?
A therapist typically does not diagnose ADHD unless they are a licensed psychologist. A psychiatrist, in particular a child and adolescent psychiatrist, regularly diagnoses ADHD.
Why to See a Psychiatrist For ADHD Testing For Your Child
We recommend that the person best positioned to diagnose your child with ADHD is a psychiatrist. They have the most training and familiarity with ADHD. Treating ADHD can be a very effective treatment but may come with risks and side effects that need to be navigated carefully with an experienced professional.
ADHD Testing For Kids at A Better Day Psychiatry
When deciding where to go for ADHD testing, A Better Day Psychiatry is the best option. Next day appointments are available. Our focus at ABD is to provide high quality, personalized, evidence-based care. We focus on educating the patients and family on all of the options and approaches for managing ADHD including lifestyle modification, nutrition, therapy, and medications.