Any professional practising good ADHD diagnosis and management is probably already doing most of what the guidance suggests. A range of treatments should be considered, which may include Ritalin if appropriate. The NICE guidance clarifies the diagnosis, suggesting that ADHD can only be diagnosed by observing the child in different situations although acknowledging there is, as yet, no validated diagnostic test. Some of the signs were present before the age of seven The signs can not be accounted for by other mental disorders, such as depression or anxiety. The NICE report points out that the consequences of severe ADHD for children and their families can be very serious.
Children can develop poor self-esteem, emotional and social problems.
Their educational progress is often severely impaired. Treatments for ADHD include a range of social, psychological and behavioural interventions, which may be focussed on the child, parents or teachers and may include giving of information through to formal psychotherapeutic interventions. Dietary interventions have been found to be useful in some cases, where a particular food seems to aggravate hyperactivity. Part of the reluctance by some psychiatrists to diagnose ADHD and to use Ritalin has been the relative lack of scientific studies underpinning the condition and its treatment. However, some clues are starting to emerge.