The primary caregiver nearly always has the most experience with the infant or child and is the expert on their behavior, However, the primary caregiver is rarely aware of the major categories of temperament and the boundaries between some of the overlapping dimensions. Ratings using an age specific questionnaire can focus the caregiver's experience and give a temperament profile that is likely to be more valid than general impressions. It is very likely that many children are being diagnosed with ADHD when in fact they do not have a neurobehavioral disability. Many spirited children need time to adjust to changes in rules, routines and expectations before they will be comfortable and settle in. The ADHD diagnosis require six months or more of inappropriate behavior influencing a child in two or more major areas of his or her life.
All children have temperaments.
Assessment and environmental changes to address temperament issues can still be very helpful in many cases. Although most licensed and certified professionals know about the existence of temperament research, many do not know about the information and resources available for use in practice today.