Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

1. Treatment

1.1. Child's doctor or psychologist, school team, and parents will work together to develop a plan to manage the child's ADHD

1.2. An IEP may be developed

1.3. Medication might be prescribed

2. Conners Questionnaire and Rating Scale

2.1. One of the many ways to screen for ADHD

2.2. The psychologist will usually ask parents to fill in some structured questionnaires so they can learn about the child’s general behaviour at home

2.3. Teacher will likely be asked to fill in structured questionnaires or rating scales so the psychologist can learn about the child's behaviour at school

2.4. Questionnaires may ask parents or teachers to indicate the degree to which each item listed describes their child (eg. not at all, just a little, quite a bit, or very much)

2.5. Psychologist will total the score based on the parents or teachers responses

3. Symptoms

3.1. Difficulty controlling attention, behaviour and impulses

3.2. Can appear as inattention, over-focusing, hyperactivity and impulsivity

3.3. Usually become more obvious from age seven to nine but can sometimes appear as late as age 13 to 15

3.4. Can interfere with a child’s ability to learn, follow classroom routines and complete school work

3.5. May not be present all the time

4. Diagnosis

4.1. Made by a qualified health-care professional

4.2. Can occur when a child’s symptoms are excessive, last for a number of months and occur in two or more settings

4.3. Based on a thorough clinical history, a physical examination and descriptions of symptoms by the parent and teacher

4.4. There is no specific test for ADHD