ADHD TESTING

Lake Elsinore Pediatrics will help determine whether your child has ADHD using standard guidelines developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. In order to properly diagnose your child we need documentation of symptoms and impairment in more than one setting, typically at home and school. It is difficult to diagnose children less than 4 years of age. Between 4-6 is less challenging, but children 6 years of age or older, becomes more apparent if they are going to have issues with learning due to their inattention or hyperactivity. 

If the diagnosis of ADHD is made, and there are no other underlying learning or health issues confounding the clinical picture, then treatment usually starts with Parent Training in Behavior Management (PTBM), which is typically done by a behavioral therapist. Also, we will notify the school of your child's diagnosis so that they can make the appropriate assessments and come up with the proper behavioral classroom interventions. Often those are done in the form of an Individual Education Plan (IEP). If after the proper steps are taken and your child still has problems focusing, learning or behaving, then your doctor will discuss medication as an addition to behavioral management.