The Scandal of ADHD Diagnosis in the U.S.
When diagnosing ADHD, most doctors are not using the best, evidence-based techniques for children, or in treatment. Learn more.
2 Comments: The Scandal of ADHD Diagnosis in the U.S.
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@marybethmiottomd
I was started on Ritalin for ADHD when I was four years old in the mid-1990s, and I’ve been on medication ever since.
As a board-certified pediatrician who has been involved in ADHD care for over 25 years, I agree that parents should insist on the best evidence based evaluation and ongoing monitoring of symptoms suggestive of ADHD. The American Academy Of Pediatrics and the American Academy Of child and Adolescent Psychiatry provide clear clinical practice guidelines to assist all healthcare professionals in this diagnosis and treatment.
Just to clarify however, the AAP and the CDC DISCOURAGE pharmacological treatment of most 4 and 5 year olds and reinforce the use of evidence based parent behavioral management training in this age group. Programs like Triple P and The Incredible Years are excellent programs that not only help parents of children with ADHD but also help all parents working problem behaviors. Only a fraction of preschool or kindergarten children who may show extreme signs of ADHD should ever get medication treatment at this young age.
We CAN and MUST do better with diagnosis. It takes time and the attention to not only comorbidities but also mimickets of ADHD as well as toxic stress. With the new 2019 AAP guidelines, we have another chance to educate professionals and parents on the appropriate care of childhood ADHD.