Page 65 - Part-A

Understanding Specific Learning Difficulties

ADHD diagnosis in children and teenagers

Parents who are worried about a child displaying behaviours that may indicate ADHD
may first approach their GP for advice and speak to teachers to see if any concerns
have been noticed at school. While the GP would not formally diagnose the condition,
they can discuss the options for onward referral to a specialist.

For a formal diagnosis of ADHD in children, there must be six or more symptoms of
either inattentiveness or hyperactivity and impulsiveness present.
The child must also have:

• Been displaying symptoms continuously for at least six months
• Started to show symptoms before the age of 12

• Been showing symptoms in at least two different settings – for example,
at home and at school

• Symptoms that make their lives much more difficult on a social,
academic or occupational level

• Symptoms that are not just part of a developmental disorder or
difficult phase, and are not better accounted for by another condition.

ADHD diagnosis in adults

The diagnosis of ADHD in adults is a more complicated process than that for children.
It’s not usual for an adult to be given a diagnosis of ADHD unless the symptoms have
been evident since childhood. The GP will want to check that the symptoms are having
a significant effect on the person’s health and well-being, their relationships, daily life
and their ability to carry out a job.

The diagnosis for adults should only be made by a qualified specialist who has been
appropriately trained.

The guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
in 2008, and updated in 2018, states that:

“A diagnosis of ADHD should only be made by an appropriately qualified healthcare
professional with training and expertise in the diagnosis of ADHD, on the basis of:

• A full clinical and psychosocial assessment of the person; this should
include discussion about behaviour and symptoms in the different
domains and settings of the person’s everyday life, and

• A full developmental and psychiatric history, and

• Observer reports and assessment of the person’s mental state.”

Source: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG87

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