Factors Considered in ADD Diagnosis
Attention deficit disorder (ADD) is diagnosed by a psychiatrist, a pediatric neurologist, or a pediatrician. ADD diagnosis cannot be accomplished by just running a test. Instead, in conducting an ADD diagnosis, a doctor considers many factors. These include the symptoms, details on educational background, family history, personality and temperament, social factors, and psychiatric history if applicable.
- Symptoms. The first step in ADD diagnosis is for the doctor to determine the specific symptoms and when they first began manifesting. The doctor will also find out if there are particular conditions that either bring out these symptoms or keep them at bay.
- Educational background. The past experiences and struggles that the person faced as a student are also important factors that help in ADD diagnosis. The doctor will ask, for example, if the person experienced certain difficulties in his or her studies and in relationships with peers and teachers, or if the person was prone to getting suspended and apprehended by teachers.
- Family history. ADD diagnosis also looks into possible patterns of depression or ADD occurrence among family members. The mental health of the person’s family is considered in ADD diagnosis.
- Personality and temperament. The person’s temperament is assessed in ADD diagnosis. The doctor also checks the temperament of the person’s family members and his or her relationship with them.
- Social factors. The social conditions that the person grew up in are also looked at in ADD diagnosis. Did the person go through some pressing problems like poverty while he or she was growing up? Such experiences can result in ADD.
- Psychiatric history. In ADD diagnosis, the doctor needs to check the person’s psychiatric history. This is done to eliminate other possible conditions that present symptoms similar with those of ADD.
These are the usual factors that a doctor checks in conducting an ADD diagnosis. Sometimes the observations of other people like teachers, psychologists, and health practitioners who know the person are also helpful in ADD diagnosis.
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