Separating the Wheat from the Chaff

The range of what constitutes an ADHD evaluation varies considerably.  Too often a diagnosis of ADHD is made based on a brief history and review of a parent and teacher behavior rating form.  Unfortunately those rating forms are “not useful” in predicting ADHD (DuPaul, Power, Anastopoulos, & Reid, 2016, p. 69) and fall short of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) clinical practice guidelines (2011).  Less often a more robust evaluation is completed that includes an intentional combination of History, Assessment and Observation that is intended to identify problems related to ADHD and carefully distinguish those problems from closely related problems such as Trauma, Anxiety, Depression, Sleep disturbance, disordered Conduct, Learning difficulties or poorly matched school Curriculum, disruptive Classroom, Neurodevelopmental disorders, Substance use or Medications, Vision or Hearing impairment, Hyperthyroidism, Anemia, and Family dysfunction.

Facts About ADHD

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013) that is characterized by symptoms of Inattention, Impulsivity, Hyperactivity (Fabiono et al., 2013), and impaired Executive Functioning (Reddy, Weissman, & Hale, 2013) that are considered developmentally inappropriate.  Prevalence estimates of ADHD vary significantly across studies, from a low of 1.7% to a high of 17.8% (Rowland et al., 2002).

What to Expect: Systemic ADHD Assessment

The Outdoor Achievement Group, L.L.C. specializes in assessing, diagnosing, treating, supporting, and monitoring children and families struggling to navigate problems with energy and focus.

  1. Prior to your first appointment please download, complete, and return the Parent Intake Questionnaire.
  2. Your first appointment will last 2-hours.  Both parents should plan to attend the first session.  Please bring any pertinent educational (e.g., standardized/achievement testing in math and reading) and medical records.  Please bring contact information for your child’s teacher(s).  During this appointment we will discuss the reason(s) for referral, review the Parent Intake Questionnaire, and review relevant educational and medical records.  Between the first and second session parents and teachers will be asked to complete one or more computer-based assessments.
  3. Your second appointment will last 2-hours.  Both parents should plan to attend the second session.  During this appointment you and your child will complete several paper-and-pencil and/or computer-based assessments.
  4. Your final appointment will last 1-hour.  Both parents should plan to attend the final session.  During this appointment we will review the systemic evaluation report, discuss intervention strategies, and discuss treatment options.

We are happy to support your child and family through the individualized education program (IEP) and 504 plan processes. To schedule a systemic ADHD evaluation please contact the Outdoor Achievement Group, L.L.C. at (405) 361-1754.

References

American Academy of Pediatrics.  (2011).  ADHD: Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents.  Pediatrics, 128(5), 1-16

American Psychiatric Association.  (2013).  Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).  Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing

DuPaul, G. J., Power, T. J., Anastopoulos, A. D., & Reid, R.  (2016).  ADHD rating scale-5 for children and adolescents: Checklists, norms, and clinical interpretations. New York, NY: The Guildford Press

Fabiono, G. A., Pelham Jr., W. E., Majumdar, A., Evans, S. W., Manos, M. J., Caserta, D., … Carter, R. L.  (2013).  Elementary and middle school teacher perceptions of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder prevalence.  Child Youth Care Forum, 42:87-99. Dodi: 10.1007/s10566-013-9194-1

Reddy, L. A., Weissman, A. S., & Hale, J. B. (Eds.).  (2013).  Neuropsychological assessment and intervention for youth.  Washington, DC: American Psychological Association

Rowland, A. S., Orbach, D. M., Stallone, L., Nextel, J., Bohler, M., & Sandler, D. P.  (2002).  Prevalence of medication treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among elementary school children in Johnston County, North Carolina.  American Journal of Public Health, 92:231–234