I think my 7-year old has ADHD. What steps do I need to take to find out and help him?

The Dr. is in and talking about steps parents can take when they suspect their child has ADHD.

By Dr. Ayala Wegman

Advice

Parenting

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about the doc

Ayala Wegman is a clinical assistant professor in the department of pediatrics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.  She has two young boys and deeply enjoys caring for her community at NYU-Langone Global Pediatrics on the Upper East Side of Manhattan where she resides. We are proud to introduce Ayala as our All About The Mom resident pediatrician. You will find her advice in our Ask a Doc section.

My 7 year old son’s teacher shared that she feels that my son has an issue focusing and that we should go see a doctor to rule out ADHD. We have several friends that have recently received a diagnosis of ADHD. It feels like doctors are “labeling” kids more and more these days. How do I know if my son’s “active” and “energetic” personality is something to be concerned about? Can you share some signs it could be ADHD? What is the best age to take a child to be tested?

Your pediatrician can absolutely help you determine if your child meets criteria for ADHD, and offer treatment if necessary. A very sensitive and specific screening tool called the NICHQ Vanderbilt Assessment scale should be filled out by both yourself and your son’s teacher. This tool is a very useful diagnostic and can help parse out if a child meets criteria for treatment. Children who have ADHD are either hyperactive, impulsive, and/or inattentive and these behaviors have a significant impact on both social and academic functioning at school and home.

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