Children with attention-deficit disorder (ADD), now known as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), have various impairments that can be observed and quantified through psychological and educational tests. There is, however, no single ADHD test for kids. Psychologists and educational professionals, who are often referred to as diagnosticians, must use evidence gathered from various tests, behavioral observations, clinical interviews with parents and teachers, and clinical judgment. They must also rule out other disorders that have similar symptoms and determine if an additional disorder is causing functional impairments.
Aptitude Tests
According to the American Psychiatric Association, children with ADHD on average have IQs that are several points lower than peers. This means that conducting an intelligence or aptitude test on a child suspected of having ADHD can be quite useful. First, it is helpful in determining if the ADHD symptoms might be affecting retention of knowledge, information processing speed and/or working (short-term) memory. It is also important when assessing for additional disorders such as learning disabilities or mental retardation and in treatment planning and educational service qualifications. Scores on intelligence tests range from 40 to 160 with scores 90 to 110 falling in the average range or near the 50th percentile. These tests generally provide a full scale IQ and subscales such as verbal and performance (non-verbal) intelligence, working memory and processing speed.
Academic Tests
Academic tests are important for both the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. These tests measure a child's skill level in such areas as reading, mathematics and spelling. Academic tests are often compared with intelligence test results to determine if there is a significant discrepancy between a child's IQ and academic performance. A significant discrepancy might suggest a learning disability and/or other psychological concerns that could be hindering performance such as ADHD. According to the APA, children with ADHD often struggle with academic underachievement and attend less years of school than their peers. Early academic interventions can help a child with ADHD be more successful in the classroom and, hopefully, minimize these trends.
Personality Tests
A child may be administered a personality test to determine if there are deficits in social and emotional functioning, which are common in children with ADHD. These tests are designed in a true-or-false format and are often administered by computer. Diagnosticians also give behavioral checklists that the child, parents and teachers can fill out to record behaviors that are a concern.
Neuropsychological Tests
Neuropsychological assessments ask the child to perform tasks that are associated with a particular part of the brain. For children with ADHD, this is usually the frontal lobe. The frontal lobe, which is also referred to as the executive functioning system, it thought to be impaired in children with ADHD. The executive functioning system helps control attention, impulses and with planning behavior.
References
- APA: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition Text Revision, 2000
- Child Psychopathology Second Edition, 2003
