In addition, the symptoms must date back to childhood, age seven or younger.Īdults manifest symptoms of ADHD that are often different from those in kids. These symptoms must have been present for at least six months and must impact at least two areas of functioning such a home life, school, social or work life. A person suspected of having this disorder must have at least six of nine symptoms suggestive of hyperactivity-impulsivity or inattentiveness.
The DSM-IV manual lists certain criteria that must be met to make the diagnosis of ADHD. DSM-IV recognizes three subtypes of ADHD – an inattentive type, hyperactive-impulsive type and a type that has features of both. To diagnose childhood ADHD, doctors use DSM-IV criteria, defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Why is ADHD in Adults More Difficult to Diagnose? Diagnosing adult ADHD is more challenging than making the diagnosis in children. This disorder can negatively impact almost every aspect of a person’s life, destroying careers and disrupting family life. Far from being a self-limited condition, adults with ADHD frequently have difficulty with relationships, problems holding down jobs and struggle to achieve their goals.
As many as 60% of children with ADHD go on to manifest ADHD symptoms as adults. Many people think ADHD is a childhood disease that kids “outgrow.” Not necessarily so. One of the first steps in diagnosis is an adult ADHD test.
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