ADHD is a diagnosis applied adults who consistently display certain characteristic behaviors over a period of time that would likely impair effective learning and test taking performance in a traditional college environment. The most common core features include:
In order to meet diagnostic criteria these behaviors must be excessive, long-term, and pervasive. The behaviors must appear before age 7, and continue for at least 6 months. A crucial consideration is that the behaviors must create a real handicap in at least two areas of a person's life, such as school, home, work, or social settings. These criteria set ADHD apart from the "normal" distractibility and impulsive behavior of childhood, or the effects of the hectic and overstressed lifestyle prevalent in our society.
The DSPS department at College of the Redwoods does NOT provided services to assess whether or not an individual has ADHD. ADHD must be verified by an appropriate licensed or certified professional or through documentation from a referring agency that obtains its verification from an appropriate licensed or certified professional.
Typically when making an ADD/ADHD diagnosis a medical specialists must consider several critical questions: Are the behaviors in question excessive, long-term, and pervasive? That is, do they occur more often than in other people the same age? Are they a continuous problem, not just a response to a temporary situation? Do the behaviors occur in several settings or only in one specific place like the playground or the office? The person's pattern of behavior is compared against a set of criteria and characteristics of the disorder. These criteria appear in a diagnostic reference book called the DSM (short for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). According to epidemiological data, approximately 4% to 6% of the U.S. population has ADHD.
According to the DSM-IV some common symptoms of ADHD include: often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes; often has difficulty sustaining attention to tasks; often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly; often fails to follow instructions carefully and completely; losing or forgetting important things; feeling restless, often fidgeting with hands or feet, or squirming; running or climbing excessively; often talks excessively; often blurts out answers before hearing the whole question; often has difficulty awaiting turn. It should be kept in mind that the exact nature and severity of ADHD symptoms varies from person to person however. Approximately one-third of people with ADHD do not have the hyperactive or overactive behavior component, for example.
Related Links:
National Institute
of Mental Health