ADHD testing?

Question

How exactly is a child tested for ADHD? do they do brain testing or just a "fill in the answer" kind of test? how do they determine?

Answer 1

It depends on the age of the child and the reason for referal. They will almost always have the parents complete a questionare that includes symptoms of ADHD. They might also have the child's teacher complete a questionare, and for an older child, the child himself might complete one. If the parents and teacher agree to it, the tester might observe the child in his classroom. She might also observe him in a clinical setting.

Also, the child might be given certain neuropsychological tests that test executive functions. Executive functions include things like regulating attention and impulses, and complex planning. These functions are typically impaired in people with
ADHD, so they will tend to perform poorly on these.

They might also use other tests to look for other learning disabilities and also for depression, as either of these could cause ADHD-like symptoms but would be best treated through different means. A learning disabled child might be disruptive in class and preforming poorly because he is frustrated, rather than because he is generally unable to sit still and pay attention. The cognative symptoms of depression are similar to ADHD, but would tend respond to antidepressants rather than the stimulants traditionally used to treat ADHD.

People with ADHD tend to show reduced size of the prefrontal cortex (a particular region of the brain), and/or reduced blood flow to this region. This is visible on an fMRI. So you might think that ADHD could be diagnosed via an fMRI. However, this test is expensive, and tends to be stressful for the patient, so it's a bit extreme for diagnosing ADHD. But more than that, ADHD, like most psychiatric disorders, is defined based on the presence of symptoms that interfere one or more areas of day-to-day life. A person could have reduced PFC activity without having impaired function, or normal PFC activity with significant ADHD symptoms. The point is that the diagnosis is clinical, and not neurophysiological, and based on the goal of making the diagnosis, it makes sense for it to stay that way.

P.S. As another answerer mentioned, there is a computerized test for ADHD that involves images flashing on a computer screen. However, any psychologist worth their salt can tell you that this test is unreliable, and so it's rarely used. The results far more to do with your ability to stare at a computer screen than your ability to attend to things in a real-world setting. Kids who play a lot of video games or even watch a lot of TV will score higher (less likely to have ADHD) on this test because they're used to staring at a computer screen for prolonged periods.

Answer 2

They do have you (and often the child's teacher as well) fill out a behavioral questionnaire. I don't think, at this point, brain testing is an option (although the differences shown in brain scans of people with ADHD and people without are remarkable...if you are interested in looking into that further, check out the book Healing ADD by Daniel Amen.)
There is a thing called a TOVA test..I can't recall what it stands for...but it is done using a computer. It involves clicking a button when certain things show up on the screen or in certain places of the screen...it's an easy but boring test. I'm not, however, sure if it is used with children. I was probably about 23 when I had it done.
It doesn't actually show "Yes, you have ADHD" but what it shows are whether or not there are significant problems with attention. (which can be caused by other things, including sleep disorders.) I was given this test years ago and even though I suspected I had ADHD, I thought the test was ridiculous and wasn't going to tell them anything. Boy was I wrong! The results were really interesting.

I just want to add, EmilyRose gave an excellent, accurate and informative answer.

Answer 3

There's no specific test for ADHD. Most of the time, a diagnosis is based off of observations by various professionals and answers to questions from parents, teachers, and the child himself. This is why ADHD and the medication for it are so controversial - there is no real physical test for it.

Answer 4

It is a behavioral questionaire. There are 12 criteria and if the child has 5 or more of the criteria, they are diagnosed with ADHD. There is also an observational time the psychologist or neurologist spends with the child and they count the number of seconds that a child can spend thinking about one thing. The lesser the number of seconds, the greater the extent of the ADHD.

Answer 5

I had a very different experience with my children. It wasn't exactly what I would call a "test". The pediatric psychiatrist asked me a lot of questions about my son and then spoke with him individually. They had some behavior forms to be filled out by my son's school to see how he behaved at various points during the day. There's no real physical test for it.

Answer 6

well they say kids have adhd because they are hyper, my son age 10 was told he had adhd and a.d.d bvut he is just being a kid, I found out that the schools get 7 thousands per kids that has add or adhd just for being in there school, so most school say your kid has it. my kid took 3 different meds. until I desided he was only a boy. after I stopped the meds. he started listening to the teachers and now makes a's and b's. they wanted him to have it. oh to answer ur ? they only ask you thinks like is he running around or not listening, you know, acting like a kid.

Answer 7

ADHD symptoms: http://www.strattera.com/1_3_childhood_adhd/1_3_1_3_symptoms.jsp

Answer 8

Basically... there is no such thing. Paying attention or not paying attention, depends not on an illness...

And hyper people who can't pay attention don't need drugs. They just need to be simpler and silenter. Of course, they're the farthest away from doing so... but this also makes them the ones who benefit most.