This is taken from the CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) website....
1. Does my child have AD/HD?
All children may be overly active at times, their attention spans may be short, and they may act without thinking. However, if your child seems more active than others the same age; if your child is notoriously forgetful, disorganized, and always losing things; if the teacher complains that your child cant stay seated or quiet, blurts out answers instead of waiting to be called on, pays more attention to the traffic in the hall than to her, behaves aggressively, or struggles academically, then you may want to have your child evaluated for AD/HD.
Determining if a child has AD/HD is a multifaceted process. Many biological and psychological problems can contribute to symptoms similar to those exhibited by children with AD/HD. For example, anxiety, depression and certain types of learning disabilities may cause similar symptoms.
A comprehensive evaluation is necessary to establish a diagnosis, rule out other causes and determine the presence or absence of co-occurring conditions. Such an evaluation should include a clinical assessment of the individuals academic, social and emotional functioning and developmental abilities. Additional tests may include intelligence testing, measures of attention span and parent and teacher rating scales. A medical exam by a physician is also important. Diagnosing AD/HD in an adult requires an examination of childhood, academic and behavioral history. The problems need to be rooted in childhood but persist into adulthood.
AD/HD symptoms often arise in early childhood. AD/HD is diagnosed using the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 4th Edition (DSM-IV). To meet the diagnostic criteria for AD/HD, symptoms must be evident for at least six months, with onset before age seven.
Diagnostic criteria are as follows:
Inattention:
often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities
often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (not due to oppositional behavior or failure to understand instructions)
often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities
often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort (such as schoolwork or homework)
often loses things necessary for tasks or activities (e.g. toys, school assignments, pencils, books or tools)
is often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli
is often forgetful in daily activities
Hyperactivity-Impulsivity
often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat
often leaves seat in classroom or in other situations in which remaining seated is expected
often runs about or climbs excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate (in adolescents or adults, may be limited to subjective feelings of restlessness)
often has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly
is often "on the go" or often acts as "driven by a motor"
often talks excessively
often blurts out answers before questions have been completed
often has difficulty awaiting turn
often interrupts or intrudes on others
2. Can my child have AD/HD and not be hyperactive?
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) identifies three types of AD/HD: Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type, Predominantly Inattentive Type, and Combined Type. Children with the mainly Inattentive type of AD/HD tend to daydream and have difficulty focusing.
The following criteria are used to diagnose children with AD/HD, Predominantly Inattentive Type. Symptoms must have been present for at least six months, with onset before age seven:
often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities
often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (not due to oppositional behavior or failure to understand instructions)
often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities
often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort (such as schoolwork or homework)
often loses things necessary for tasks or activities (e.g. toys, school assignments, pencils, books or tools)
is often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli
is often forgetful in daily activities
3. How is AD/HD treated?
Most experts recommend a multimodal treatment approach for AD/HD, consisting of a mix of medical, educational, behavioral, and psychological interventions. Interventions may include educational modifications and accommodations, behavior modification, parent training, counseling, and medication .
Psychostimulants (such as methylphenidate, dextroamphetamine, and pemoline) are the most widely used medication for the management of AD/HD-related symptoms. Between 70-80% of children with AD/HD respond positively to psychostimulant medications. Other medication includes some antidepressants and antihypertensives. These medications increase attention and decrease impulsivity, hyperactivity and aggression.
Behavior management is an important intervention with children who have AD/HD. The most important technique is positive reinforcement, in which the child is rewarded for desired behavior.
Classroom success may require a range of interventions. Most children with AD/HD can be taught in the regular classroom setting with either minor adjustments to the classroom setting, the addition of support personnel, and/or "pull-out" programs that provide special services outside of the classroom. The most severely affected may require self-contained classrooms.
Adults with AD/HD can benefit from learning to structure their environment. Medications effective in child AD/HD also appear useful with adults who have AD/HD. Vocational counseling is often an important intervention. Short-term psychotherapy can help the patient identify how his or her disability might be associated with a history of sub-par performance and difficulties in personal relationships. And extended psychotherapy can help address any mood swings, stabilize relationships and alleviate guilt and discouragement.
Here is a link for more info....
http://www.chadd.org/webpage.cfm?cat_id=7&subcat_id=41#q1
Both of my children have ADHD. Please understand that diagnosis is only the beginning of a lot of hard work. Hope this helped and Good Luck!!
If you have any questions or need any other info please feel free to pm or e-mail me.