The medical community isn’t currently aware of one single cause of ADHD, which makes the condition somewhat difficult to diagnose. Sometimes other issues, such as anxiety, thyroid problems, or a negative response to a traumatic life event, can mimic the symptoms of ADHD.
Generally, our physicians start by getting as much information as they can about your child’s behavior in various environments. Most children with ADHD show behavioral consistency in all environments, so if your child is only unfocused or hyper at school, but calm and attentive at home, he or she may not have ADHD.
Once the physician gathers the data, he or she will compare the behavior to standard behavior for a child of the same age. The child will then receive a full physical exam, particularly to see if a vision or hearing problem may be causing the ADHD-like symptoms. In some cases, your child’s brainwaves may be tested by an FDA-approved scan, as certain brainwave differences can indicate ADHD.