Diagnosing Children With ADHD Attention

Diagnosing Children with ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly prevalent neurobehavioral disorder which usually has an early onset (Spencer, Biederman, Mick, 2007).

This disorder is characterized by certain behavioral symptoms, such as hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, and it is generally associated with the experience of disability and comorbidities with other psychiatric conditions (Spencer, Biederman, Mick, 2007). ADHD is theorized to have links to environmental, genetic and biological etiologies (Spencer, Biederman, Mick, 2007). The diagnosis of ADHD is considered to be highly reliable, but there are still issues surrounding the effectiveness of certain diagnostic measurements and tools. What are some of the issues of concern with regards to the diagnosis of ADHD?

Psychometric measures are often involved in the diagnosis of many psychiatric conditions, including ADHD. One such instrument used in the diagnosis of this disorder is the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 3rd and 4th editions (Maves & Calhoun, 2006). Maves & Calhoun (2006) examined the effectiveness of these two editions (WISC-III and WISC-IV) in the diagnosis of ADHD. WISC-III and WISC IV profiles were observed for children with ADHD and children without the disorder. The results of the study indicated that the WISC-IV was a better indication of discrepancies between children with ADHD and children without ADHD. Therefore, based on the findings, the researchers concluded that the newer edition of the WISC, the WISC-

IV, may be more effective in the diagnosis of children with ADHD (Maves & Calhoun, 2006)..

Another study that examined the effectiveness of certain instruments in the diagnosis of ADHD was conducted by Kim, Park, Cheon, Kim, Cho, and Hong (2005). These researchers looked at how effective the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the ADHD Rating Scale-IV (ARS-IV) are in accurately identifying children that may have ADHD. These researchers conducted this study by observing the clinical validities and efficiencies of these two instruments. Results indicated that both of these instruments were effective for diagnosis of the disorder. Furthermore, the highest levels of positive predictive value were obtained when the researchers combined the CBCL and ARS-IV instruments during diagnosis (Kim et al., 2005). In conclusion, Kim et al. (2005) suggested that combining the use of the CBCL with the ARS-IV could be used by clinicians as a fast and effective method of predicting, identifying, and diagnosing children with ADHD.