Testing For ADD
When doctors first tell parents they want to do some testing for ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), most parents blanche in fear.
With visions of electrodes and brain samples dancing in their heads like some kind of deformed Frankenstein, they ask their physician in a teary voice if testing is really necessary.
Can't they just write a prescription for Ritalin and be done with it? At this point most physicians give these individuals "The Look".
Anyone who has ever asked their doctor a question that the medical community considers to be obvious has seen "The Look"-the look that says, "I'm going to speak very slowly and clearly to make sure you understand what I'm saying, because you obviously didn't get it the first time.
" "The Look" symbolizes the first of many moments in the course of treating a child with ADD where physicians and parents are not on the same page, because most physicians assume that the parent knows far more about testing for ADD than is actually the case.
Testing for ADD doesn't require blood samples, brain tissue or endless hours spent measuring your child's brain activity and hormone levels (although blood testing may be done to rule out other conditions that could be causing your child's symptoms).
Actually, testing for ADD is probably the simplest, most straightforward and non-invasive procedure your child will ever enjoy at the hands of the medical profession over the course of their entire life.
Testing for ADD takes place in the office of a physician or psychiatrist, and it consists of the doctor observing the child's behavior and asking parents a series of questions about their child's behavior over the last six months.
These questions are intended to compare your child's symptoms with the ADHD diagnostic criteria laid out by the DSM-IV diagnostic manual used by the mental health profession to "officially" diagnose the condition, a criteria which is directly available online through the official website of the Center for Disease Control.
From that observation and the results of their interview medical professionals will determine if your child has ADD and, if they do, what the best course of treatment is for their particular circumstances.
It's important that you remember not to exaggerate your child's symptoms during this interview.
For the parent living with children exhibiting the symptoms of ADD everything they do may appear to be a minor catastrophe, and they display it as such during testing for ADD; however, in many cases their behavior is actually completely age appropriate and unlikely to be a screaming sign that your child has the disorder.
Testing for ADD before beginning a course of treatment is vital for the simple fact that the medications most commonly used to treat ADD (Ritalin, Adderall, etc.
) are actually considered to be Class Two Controlled Substances, along with methamphetamine and cocaine, and because of the potential for side effects over the course of long term use should be handled with care.
Take the time to confirm that your child has ADD and, if they do, that medication is the best course of treatment for them before signing on the dotted line.
It may be the most important decision you ever make.
With visions of electrodes and brain samples dancing in their heads like some kind of deformed Frankenstein, they ask their physician in a teary voice if testing is really necessary.
Can't they just write a prescription for Ritalin and be done with it? At this point most physicians give these individuals "The Look".
Anyone who has ever asked their doctor a question that the medical community considers to be obvious has seen "The Look"-the look that says, "I'm going to speak very slowly and clearly to make sure you understand what I'm saying, because you obviously didn't get it the first time.
" "The Look" symbolizes the first of many moments in the course of treating a child with ADD where physicians and parents are not on the same page, because most physicians assume that the parent knows far more about testing for ADD than is actually the case.
Testing for ADD doesn't require blood samples, brain tissue or endless hours spent measuring your child's brain activity and hormone levels (although blood testing may be done to rule out other conditions that could be causing your child's symptoms).
Actually, testing for ADD is probably the simplest, most straightforward and non-invasive procedure your child will ever enjoy at the hands of the medical profession over the course of their entire life.
Testing for ADD takes place in the office of a physician or psychiatrist, and it consists of the doctor observing the child's behavior and asking parents a series of questions about their child's behavior over the last six months.
These questions are intended to compare your child's symptoms with the ADHD diagnostic criteria laid out by the DSM-IV diagnostic manual used by the mental health profession to "officially" diagnose the condition, a criteria which is directly available online through the official website of the Center for Disease Control.
From that observation and the results of their interview medical professionals will determine if your child has ADD and, if they do, what the best course of treatment is for their particular circumstances.
It's important that you remember not to exaggerate your child's symptoms during this interview.
For the parent living with children exhibiting the symptoms of ADD everything they do may appear to be a minor catastrophe, and they display it as such during testing for ADD; however, in many cases their behavior is actually completely age appropriate and unlikely to be a screaming sign that your child has the disorder.
Testing for ADD before beginning a course of treatment is vital for the simple fact that the medications most commonly used to treat ADD (Ritalin, Adderall, etc.
) are actually considered to be Class Two Controlled Substances, along with methamphetamine and cocaine, and because of the potential for side effects over the course of long term use should be handled with care.
Take the time to confirm that your child has ADD and, if they do, that medication is the best course of treatment for them before signing on the dotted line.
It may be the most important decision you ever make.