Tipton-Burstein Foundation

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Diagnosis by a Professional

If you suspect that your child may be suffering from AD/HD or your child’s teacher has suggested testing, you should do the following:

1. Meet with your child’s teacher and discuss your child’s behavior; write down the behaviors the teacher describes.
    

2. Make a list of your child's behaviors at home.
    

3. Make an appointment with your pediatrician for a thorough physical examination to rule out any physiological cause for your child’s behavior.  Be sure to discuss the list of behaviors you recorded and the list from  your discussion with your child’s teacher. 
    

4. Ask your pediatrician to recommend a psychiatrist who has expertise in diagnosing AD/HD.  While your doctor can prescribe medications, most are not trained in the testing and diagnosis of AD/HD.
    

5. Make an appointment with the psychiatrist to discuss your concerns.  The doctor will want to take your child through testing to determine if, and to what degree your child may be suffering from AD/HD.  Usually, the first thing you will be asked to do is to complete a brief questionnaire about your child’s behavior. Your child’s teacher will be asked to complete a similar questionnaire. This helps the doctor decide if further testing is necessary or suggest one or a combination of several methods of treatment.

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