Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has long been diagnosed primarily by subjective measures. A child’s health care providers, parents and, often, teachers typically contribute behavioral observations about the child and, if he or she fits the established criteria for ADHD — generally speaking, a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development — a diagnosis may be made.1 Without an objective test or measure, the potential for over-diagnosis or misdiagnosis is high. By some estimates, up to 20 percent of children with ADHD are misdiagnosed.2 This is only compounded by the fact that many ADHD symptoms are...
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