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Understand how ADHD is diagnosed through interviews, rating scales, and cognitive tests, since no single blood test can confirm the condition.
Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.
Diagnosing ADHD is a detailed and careful process because there is no single medical test or scan that can confirm the condition. Instead, specialists rely on a comprehensive evaluation that looks at the child’s developmental history, school performance, and behavior across different settings such as home, classroom, and social environments.
This helps determine whether the symptoms are truly due to ADHD or whether they stem from other issues like anxiety, learning difficulties, sleep problems, or simply normal variations in childhood energy levels. A thorough assessment ensures that each child receives the most accurate diagnosis and appropriate support.
The first tool in our diagnostic kit is the standardized rating scale. These are questionnaires filled out by parents, teachers, and sometimes the child (if they are older).
After the paperwork is done, the core of the ADHD diagnosis happens in the office.
Before diagnosing a brain disorder, we must rule out physical problems. A child might ignore the teacher because they cannot hear, not because they are distracted.
For a more objective measure of attention, we may use a CPT.
If the diagnosis is unclear or if the child is struggling academically despite treatment, we order full neuropsychological testing.
Preparation is key to an accurate diagnosis.
There is no “pass” or “fail.” The diagnosis is based on the DSM-5 criteria.
Parents often ask for an MRI or CT scan. Currently, brain imaging cannot diagnose ADHD. While research shows subtle differences in brain size and activity in groups of ADHD patients, these differences are too small to diagnose an individual child. We only use imaging if we suspect a tumor, seizure disorder, or brain injury is causing the symptoms.
Most cases are diagnosed with rating scales and interviews. Advanced testing (like Neuropsych evaluations) is reserved for “complex” cases. This includes children who are failing school despite high intelligence, children with suspected autism co-occurring with ADHD, or children who have severe mood swings suggesting bipolar disorder. At LIV Hospital, our multidisciplinary team decides when these deeper dives are necessary.
Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.
There is no single medical test. Diagnosis uses behavioral rating scales (like Vanderbilt forms) filled out by parents and teachers, combined with a detailed clinical interview and developmental history. We also perform vision and hearing screenings to rule out physical causes.
The most important preparation is gathering data. Bring copies of report cards, teacher comments, and any previous testing. Ensure that both you and your child’s teacher have completed the rating scale questionnaires provided by the clinic before the visit.
No, the evaluation is painless. It consists mostly of talking, playing, and answering questions. If a blood test is needed to check for thyroid or lead issues, there is a momentary pinch, but the ADHD assessment itself involves no needles or physical pain.
When performed by a specialist using DSM-5 criteria and multi-source data (home and school), the diagnosis is reliable. However, single, short appointments have a higher rate of misdiagnosis. This is why LIV Hospital uses a comprehensive, multi-step evaluation process.
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