Diagnosis of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents: A Helpful Guide
- Tran, Thao
Thao Tran, BSN, RN, CPN, is a DNP Student, Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, FL.
Figure
No Caption available.
Leigh Small, PhD, RN, CPNP-PC, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN
The Primary Care Approaches section focuses on physical and developmental assessment and other topics specific to children and their families. If you are interested in author guidelines and/or assistance, contact Leigh Small, PhD, RN, CPNP-PC, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN, at [email protected].
Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neuropsychiatric disorders and the second most common chronic childhood illness, affecting millions of American adolescents and children. Many associations are drawn between ADHD and comorbid conditions, potentially causing unfavorable consequences that profoundly affect an individual's academic performance, social interactions, overall well-being, and quality of life, which is why it is so essential for providers to evaluate these children for coexisting disorders. The diagnostic evaluation for ADHD not only relies on the child's comprehensive assessment, but also includes the validated reports of parent(s) and teacher(s) to thoroughly assess the child's behavior in different environments (Feldman & Reiff, 2014). With the increasing prevalence of ADHD diagnoses in primary care practice, providers must have the needed knowledge and skill to accurately diagnose the pediatric population with ADHD and competently manage this disorder to optimize their outcomes (Wolraich et al., 2019).