Assessment and diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in pediatric general practice

Thorough assessment is a critical first step in the treatment of any psychiatric disorder. The need for rigorous assessment procedures is underscored for those disorders, such as Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) of childhood, that have a high comorbidity with other common psychiatric disorders, including childhood depression and anxiety. Extensive research regarding diagnostic procedures for ADHD has demonstrated the importance of obtaining assessment data from multiple informants and in multiple modalities as a way of confirming ADHD diagnoses. This article describes how a physician in general pediatric practice might execute a thorough initial and follow-up assessment of a child's ADHD symptomology.