Early Identification

 I had always learned that there are several steps in diagnosing an individual with ADHD, and that the earlier the better. However, I was looking at a certain study and read several claims about these steps that may influence the accuracy of ones diagnosis.

Tracy Packiam performed a study in 2009 examining the effectiveness and accuracy of the most common types of behavior checklists. Here she looks at how these checklists discriminate the methods used in labeling "typically developing" children, those with working memory impairments, and those with ADHD.

Let me remind you that teacher evaluations and behavior checklists are only one aspect in diagnosing a child! Here are several complications I had found with the studies outcome:

1.) The characteristics measured and exhibited by those with working memory deficits are near similar to those of individuals with ADHD.
2.) The similarities can lead to the misinterpretation of ones behavior to be something that its not.
3.) This diagnostic can act as a bias for the later evaluations, for example, like parent evaluations.

Take home message: Behavior profiling in the classroom may seem like the most accurate means of evaluating a students behavior, however often times it is difficult to discriminate behaviors associated with ADHD individuals and those with other impairments of a similar matter.

There is hope! Now-a-days certain districts require their general educators to have at least some certification or knowledge of special education and exceptional learners in order to become one of their employees.