ADHD Assessment & diagnosis
From Childhood to Adulthood: Trajectory of ADHD Brain
From Childhood to Adulthood: Trajectory of ADHD Brain Dr Shelley Hyman Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder often distinguished by the individual’s inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive behaviors. With the advances in brain imaging technology, research shows that there are structural and functional brain differences between individuals diagnosed with and without ADHD. Specifically, previous…
Read MorePitfalls in ADHD diagnosis
Pitfalls in ADHD diagnosis Dr Shelley Hyman Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder has been considered one of the most commonly diagnosed behavioural disorders in children according to researchers. It is characterized by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour. The large number of children being diagnosed with ADHD may be due to the fact that they are being misdiagnosed…
Read MoreGiftedness versus ADHD? Potential misdiagnosis.
Giftedness versus ADHD? Potential misdiagnosis. Dr Shelley Hyman A child who is gifted shows similar behaviours to a child who has ADHD. This includes high activity levels, difficulty paying attention, difficulty following rules and difficulty persisting at a task. However, what is different is that children who are gifted tend to only show these behaviours…
Read MoreDiagnosing ADHD too early? Risk factors.
Diagnosing ADHD too early? Risk factors. Dr Shelley Hyman According to the criteria for diagnosing ADHD, a child must present a number of symptoms such as inattention, impulsivity or hyperactivity before the age of 7. However, studies have shown that only 50% of patients present these symptoms before 7 years of age. (Kessler et al.,…
Read MoreADHD & learning disabilities: Implications for diagnosis
ADHD & learning disabilities: Implications for diagnosis Dr Shelley Hyman Attention Deficit/hyperactivity disorder share many symptoms with Learning Disorder. In fact, up to 70% of children with ADHD also have LD (Barkley, 1994). This can be an important issue when it comes to diagnosing children with ADHD because they may have symptoms that look like…
Read MoreVisual issues and ADHD misdiagnosis
Visual issues and ADHD misdiagnosis Dr Shelley Hyman Visual issues are now being shown to be a common factor unlying the misdiagnosis of ADHD. This has been largely ignored in paediatric assessment with many paediatricians referring for basic eye sight tests (of acuity), but not checking actual eye alignment and occular motor functioning. There are…
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