Dear Teacher
The Way to Diagnose ADHD Question: My third grader’s teacher recently suggested that my third grader has ADHD because she is so inattentive in class. I thought that the symptoms of ADHD were hyperactive impulsive behavior. Could the teacher be right? – Unsure Answer: Your child’s teacher may or may not be right about this. You do need to find out as soon as possible for it is these children who have suffered the greatest learning loss during the Pandemic. There are a number of professionals including psychiatrists, psychologists, neurologists, school counselors, doctors, nurse practitioners and social workers who have the expertise to make an exact diagnosis. Diagnosing for ADHD may not be covered with your health insurance. The additude.mag website describes three presentations of ADHD. One is the predominantly hyperactive/impulsive where a child is blurting out answers in class. There is also the predominantly inattentive in which focus and attention are the primary symptoms rather than hyperactivity. And the
32
Family • September 2021
By Peggy Gisler and Marge Eberts
third presentation is where both inattention and impulsivity go hand-in-hand. Unfortunately, the signs of inattentive ADHD, which is found predominantly in girls, is often overlooked by parents, teachers and medical professionals so they rarely get the treatment that they need. Look at the signs of inattentive ADHD below to begin investigating if your child has this type of ADHD. The American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic manual for ADHD, the DSM-V, lists nine symptoms of inattentive ADHD. At least six of these must be present and must significantly disrupt a child’s life in order to merit a diagnosis. They are: Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, at work, etc. Often has trouble holding attention on tasks or activities (e.g., easily distracted). Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly. Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork or chores (e.g., loses focus, side-tracked). Often has trouble organizing tasks and activities. Often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to do tasks that re-
