| It is important to understand that diagnosis of ADD | | | | or condition from others presenting similar symptoms". |
| ADHD requires a considerable amount of observation | | | | Essentially, the process takes place in the following |
| as well as thorough psychological and medical testing. | | | | manner: |
| There are also diagnosis made on reporting basis such | | | | Before anything else, the clinician investigates the |
| as self-reporting, reporting from parents, teachers and | | | | history and physical examination of the patient so that |
| caregivers. It is common for individuals to be diagnosed | | | | possible disorders can be list out. This process is called |
| with ADD/ADHD by the family physician and without | | | | differential diagnosis and it is a clinical decision making. |
| going through much discussion on the condition of the | | | | With all the possible disorder listed, related tests are |
| person. Diagnosis have also been made without further | | | | carried out on the patient- Encyclopedia Brittanica. |
| testing crucial to clarify that the symptoms are really | | | | Perhaps the most important part of the process is |
| ADD/ADHD and not other common disorder as well | | | | when "the clinician then decides what tests to order to |
| as undesirable behavior. | | | | help refine the list or identify the specific disease". In |
| The condition of being misdiagnosis, be it over | | | | many cases, this refinement never takes place. |
| diagnosis and under diagnosis have been causing great | | | | Conditions such as food allergies, toxicity, and |
| problems for the medical community even worse for | | | | psychological issues are rarely investigated. There are |
| society that has to deal with deviant behavior etc. | | | | several reasons for this. It is often difficult for a |
| Proper diagnosis is needed to ensure sanity for all. | | | | physician to confront a parent with what may be a |
| Many common disorders can mimic the symptoms of | | | | display of symptoms due to poor parenting, abuse, or |
| ADD/ADHD resulting in an incorrect diagnosis if | | | | familial stress, and many physicians realize that the |
| adequate care is not taken to compare the symptoms | | | | work involved in teaching everyone involved with |
| of each individual carefully with every available | | | | someone diagnosed with a nutritional deficiency or |
| condition rubric. The symptoms of ADD/ADHD are so | | | | toxicity is more than some families will commit to. |
| obtuse that they can easily be attributed to depression, | | | | Additionally, it's ok to have ADD/ADHD, it's not ok to |
| anxiety, specific learning disabilities, early onset bipolar | | | | be in the early stages of developing a major mental |
| disorder, Tourette's Syndrome, food allergies, head | | | | disorder. |
| injuries, fetal alcohol syndrome, dental problems (such | | | | Suggesting that parents change their method of |
| as abscessed root canals or mercury toxicity from | | | | parenting can be an impossible mission. |
| fillings), family dynamics issues, grief or trauma, and | | | | It is hard to accept that a diagnosis points to mental |
| even simple poor parenting! | | | | illness. |
| There is really not many cases of real ADD/ADHD | | | | Most people tend to ignore the necessity of meeting |
| diagnosis out there. | | | | nutritional needs as well as addressing allergies and |
| Due to the fact that other disorders have symptoms | | | | sensitivities. Not many will make effort to avoid toxic |
| very similar to ADD/ADHD, a better method of | | | | substance either. |
| diagnosis is required to ensure preciseness of | | | | It's easier to medicate. |
| diagnosis. | | | | This simply bailing out using medication is causing |
| Differential diagnosis is a process that so far has | | | | dangerous misdiagnosis. Correct diagnosis of ADD |
| proven correct diagnosis of ADD/ADHD. | | | | ADHD consist of careful examination on what is |
| Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary defines | | | | causing the symptoms and this may takes up much |
| differential diagnosis as "the distinguishing of a disease | | | | time, energy and resources. |