It certainly isn't unusual for a child not to sit still for any extended period of time. It becomes intriguing when these individuals can neither sit still nor pay attention. Sometimes they also exhibit controlling impulsive behavior at the same time. When symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) begin to affect children in school, there is usually interference with their academic studies. This child may also become fidgety in social settings as well as the workplace. Proper detailed evaluation is the tool that tells you whether your child truly suffers from ADHD.

Characteristics Of The Disease

Characteristics of ADHD disease point to insufficient levels of inattention, hyperactivity as well as impulsive behavior. The condition is thought to be a brain-related disease, but no definitive connection to the brain has been identified by scientists so far.

Family Physician Examination

Family physicians generally adopt guidelines issued by The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) when first examining children with ADHD symptoms. Thus, a standard history and physical examination is conducted, and information is gained about a child's development history as well. A development delay could mean that there is an underlying organic condition at work.

Vision and hearing assessments are important aspects when examining a child for ADHD confirmation. Poor vision and hearing qualities could be causing a child to not adequately perform at expected educational levels. Thus, ADHD might not be a proper diagnosis for a child with poor vision and hearing capability. While examining a child, the physician might want to learn about your child's family history. Family stressor information is an important part of an initial evaluation. Stressor issues give the examining physician important leads into how the family as a whole copes with a child who exhibits ADHD symptoms.

Comorbid Psychiatric Conditions

A child may also be showing signs of suffering from psychiatric disorders such as defiant behavior, depression, anxiety or other general conduct disorders, which make it difficult to isolate a general diagnosis of ADHD. In the final analysis, the child may be diagnosed as having comorbid psychiatric conditions along with ADHD. Your child's physical ADHD evaluation may indicate a need for further testing to include blood tests and perhaps brain imaging studies, but these tests are not as a general rule conducted in a routine evaluation for ADHD. Laboratory testing is usually called for in the event there is a suspicion that your child has inherited a genetic disorder.

A child must be examined and evaluated thoroughly before treatment for ADHD can begin. A comprehensive approach to proper diagnosis is the best way to determine whether ADHD is the cause of your child's behavior problems. Treatment can then later be determined to deal with the condition.