Most of the parents, especially in Hong Kong, are familiar to ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), ADD (Attention-Deficit Disorder) or HD (Hyperactivity Disorder). While the parents get the general information from different medium, such as psychologists, counsellors, social workers, and magazines but lack of the professional knowledge, the professions would be their guideline. However, how many argumentative and misdiagnosed cases have happen? How many riddles of ADHA have been raised?

Owing to DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), we have the relatively criteria to diagnosis the above disorder. Yet, some of the non-professions haven’t enough professional knowledge and experience to analysis the behaviours and symptoms. For example, “often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities”, or “often leaves seat in classroom or in other situations in which remaining seated is expected”. Does it mean that we have not to identify the insidious factors of this behaviour? Or ignore the other possible answers? 

There are many factors to cause the symptoms of ADHD, ADD or HD. Not only have the children ADHD, ADD, HD, but the adults also have it. It’s no wonder that adult will get one of above disorders whereas the pressure or the social anxiety to urge. The problem is that they really get ADHD, ADD or HAD whatever children or adult? 

Interestingly, misdiagnosis of ADHD is not the abnormal issue. The recent researches from American, UK, other European and Asian countries showed that, the dramatic rise of diagnosis of ADHD, age groups of the clients is stretching to the adults. We take the conjectural reasons out from the upward trend, and look separately at the situations in Hong Kong.  

We have to consider the experts or professions that he or she is really qualify or not? Do they get the related qualifications, experience? The most essential hint is the process of diagnosis which means the experts do the enough, suitable, reasonable, detailed tests and assessments. Are the tests and assessments are validity and reliable? Accuracy is not based on competitive assessment price, and not how many certificates that the experts have. Almost every two months that I heard, in HK, most of the cases are diagnosed by the professions who haven’t any qualification and experience on diagnosis, but they diagnosed the cases only by observation, and they feel they can’t pay attention during the class, along with their energetic character, or different criteria in DSM that they observed, but ignore they could have the melancholic feeling, or other psychological stresses at that moment or it is the oppression for a long time. 

Ironically, after the “professions” diagnosed without or inadequate assessment, or examined deliberately, those children still keep the good academic result and their learning attitudes are above average when out of their sights. Furthermore, the children haven’t been gotten help from any special treatment or therapy, and hadn’t changed their living style after were diagnosed. 

Misdiagnosis affects the children development directly and immediately. Parents have to pay more attention on the behaviours, emotion, as well as the verbal or non-verbal performance of your children. You supposed to be the one who has more understanding to your children rather than that “professions”. 

Further Reading：

This is the link that showed some schools have adopted the unreliable or inadequate assessment to assess whether the children have ADHD or not?

http://specialedpost.org/2013/04/22/school-district-accused-of-conducting-improper-adhd-assessments/

Eddy

Psychological Counsellor