American Academy of Pediatrics Supports Psych Evals for AD/HD Diagnosis
Monday, December 26, 2011 at 04:54PM Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) made news in the world of parenting because they published an article on Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD). Unfortunately, articles on the internet tend to boil things down beyond basic, often leaving out crucial details and making errors by misinterpreting information. Here’s what they actually said and why it matters.
The article is entitled “ADHD: Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents.” If you’d like to find the source material, here it is: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/10/14/peds.2011-2654.full.pdf
Here are the 6 Key Action Statements with some interpretation and comments:
- Children, between the ages of 4 and 18, who are exhibiting signs of academic or behavioral difficulties, including inattention, hyperactivity, or impulsivity, should be evaluated for ADHD.
- This does NOT mean that a slew of 4-year-olds should be diagnosed and medicated.