I hadn't really thought about the process and screening of children who might have ADHD and how doctor's are able to determine a diagnosis for children. Monica brought up a good point and I have began to look into a website she posted on another post.

www.addresources.org/?q=node/375


Right when I began reading this article I was surprised to see that an ADHD evaluation can take just an hour to determine a diagnosis. It also says that many professionals take hours for this assessment. Reading further, it states that there are 18 symptoms of ADHD. I would think that an evaluation might take longer than just an hour to determine these characteristics for a child. There are many different aspects that can go into an evaluation that a child and the family need to make sure that all of the possible testing is completed.

I love the closing to this article...

"Finally, keep in mind that when children leave school they are not asked their weakest subject and most annoying behavior and then assigned a job involving both for life. In fact, it is just the opposite. We accomplish our goals in life through our strengths and assets. For me, an evaluation considering ADHD in a child must also place equal focus on defining and understanding that child's strengths and abilities."


I fully believe that as a teacher, we should be focusing on a child's strengths and challenging them in the classroom. We should also not judge children or anyone for their weaknesses, but see what we could do in the classroom to accommodate and help student's still be successful. 


Thanks for the information Monica! I think I will be looking more into this on my next post as well.