Blacksburg Virginia ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) Diagnosis

ADHD are neurological-behavioral disorders that must be diagnosed through a thorough evaluation of multiple behavioral measures from multiple sources, across a variety of different environments, i.e. home, school, work.

Many specialists now believe that these disorders are significantly overdiagnosed in our society. The overdiagnosis of ADHD is often related to the following:

• Some physicians may diagnose children on the basis of one behavioral checklist and parent or teacher reports. The problem here is that ADHD very closely resembles and shares common symptoms with functional behavioral problems, anxiety and depression in children as well as anxiety, depression and functional motivational problems in adults.
• Teachers and parents are under pressure to have the child function in the school environment effectively without disruption.
• Adults with marital or work-related problems are under pressure to function effectively in the home and work settings and maintain good relationships.
• ADHD seen as a "medical" disorder that can be "controlled with a pill" offers a quick solution to a problem that the individual cannot control and (as a chemical imbalance in the body) is not responsible for.
• Many professional evaluations of ADHD lack a thorough developmental evaluation of the primary symptoms from birth. This is an essential practice in order to minimize misdiagnosis.
• The coexistence of ADHD and other disorders such as anxiety and depression is increasing rapidly in our society. Consequently, ADHD can mask or hide these other disorders and these other disorders will often mask or hide the symptoms of ADHD. As a result, the proper diagnosis may be missed and the consequent medical or psychological treatments result in compromised effectiveness or durability.

Our assessment procedures are designed and selected to prevent the common problems and shortcomings noted above. We offer tried and tested informational and assessment systems that provide a sound beginning to the processes of the accurate identification and treatment of ADHD.