Teachers are important partners to health
professionals in identifying and managing children with
attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, they may
be over-identifying children with possible ADHD diagnoses.
Diagnostic criteria for ADHD require that the
symptoms are present both at school and at home. School assessments
are generally carried out by rating scales and school reports.
However, these may be unreliable, and a more
structured approach should be taken to school assessment, according
to a new study.
A recent US study pointed to various school
factors that may make teachers more or less likely to report
ADHD-like symptoms. The authors of this latest study set out to
determine how informative teacher-reported symptoms of ADHD were in
the final diagnosis.
A retrospective review was undertaken of
referrals for ADHD, or inattention in school, to the Child and
Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Team for the eastern
sector of Tower Hamlets in London.
The diagnostic process and outcome was mapped
for all the children. Of those for whom teachers suspected ADHD, an
unstructured observation was performed by a CAMHS professional.
Between November 2006 and October 2007, 52
children were referred to CAMHS with ADHD-like symptoms. Enough
concern was raised of 14 children to warrant school
observation.
Of these, only five were diagnosed with ADHD,
and one additional child was also diagnosed prior to a school
observation being carried out.
The researchers comment that they are unsure
why teachers may be over-identifying children with possible ADHD
diagnoses.
They suggest that better educational resources
need to be made available to teachers to help them accurately
identify those children with ADHD, and that CAMHS teams should
develop structured school observation tools or telephone interview
schedules, so that identified children can be independently and
expertly assessed in a classroom setting.
For further information, please contact Liz Fox or Deborah
Hart in the Communications Department.
Telephone: 020 7235 2351 Extensions. 6298 or 6127
References:
Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Annual Meeting, Imperial College, London, 1 - 4 July 2008