Who Can Diagnose ADHD?

2 Comments: Who Can Diagnose ADHD?

1. It disappoints me to see that this article omitted two key pieces of information regarding psychologists. First, psychologists are the only progress trained to include neuropsychological and psychological testing in our diagnosis. Why is that important? Because anyone can look at the criteria online and conclude or claim to meet them. Neuro/psychological testing provides truly objective, quantifiable, performance data that uniquely adds to the psychologist’s diagnostic capabilities. Second, 5 states allow psychologists to complete additional training to allow prescribing. Thus, psychologists in those states are well trained to diagnose and treat in a manner that truly integrated the psychological and the medical. It also allows us to consider compensatory adaptation such as mentioned by donsense.

2. You know it is interesting that a malfunction of the brain due to a paicity of neurotransmitter and the faulty wiring adaptations is not ADHD unless it is the cause of multiple lifestyle maladjustments. It may if measured produce the same clinical findings in measurable neurotransmitters and aalternate color live imaging Brain activity sources but isnt ADHD
   If my left arm or hand is useless because muscle nerve connections are faulty i am disabled regardless of whether i have compensated totally with a single right arm. Think of the one armed baseball pitcher.
   We now know that ADD is a disability of the brain which makes for characteristic flaws, weaknesses and strengths. we know that it responds well to medication and CBT . Why do we not label it as a paucity of necessary neurotransmitters and other brain parts and make the diagnosis clinical instead of functional. . Damn if my son has 5 of 6 functional problems it only means he has one child adaptation that works as a child. Why postpone treatment if he has all the clinical issues.