Vol. 15, No. 08 October 22 1999
Avoid misdiagnoses: Use ADD/ADHD specialists to insure correct ID of
students with attention disorders. Let trained staff or an outside contractor
make the proper identification that will lead to appropriate services
While you and many other school districts may now appreciate the value of
having an autism expert on staff or at your disposal, you also should secure
the expertise of an ADD/ADHD specialist to help you accurately identify and
serve students with perhaps the most complex and misdiagnosed disorder in
school districts, says an expert.
Students with ADD/ADHD often are either misdiagnosed or
cross-diagnosed as having conduct disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, an
emotional disturbance, oppositional defiance disorder and learning
disabilities.
I believe that in many cases ... what is being diagnosed as a learning
disability is actually a byproduct of ADD," said Dr. Ron Weinstein,
clinical director of The ADD Centre. "Therefore, it's futile to try to remediate these children as if
they were LD. They don't have a problem learning; they're speaking a
different language."
In Connecticut, and in many other states, over 80 percent of students who
go into special ed remain there and they don't have to. Why? Because they're
not receiving the appropriate services," Weinstein said.
Determining what the student needs starts with a correct diagnosis after a
comprehensive assessment, he said. Districts should begin gathering data
after completing their usual procedures when identifying a student who is
having difficulties. Data includes classroom observations, evaluations,
health factors and family information.
If school staff then suspect that the student has attentional or impulse
problems, Weinstein says the school district should have a policy that
requires an ADD/ADHD specialist — one of the district's trained staff or an
outside contractor — to come on board and collect additional information,
synthesize it and present it to the IEP team.
Making a proper assessment requires that you have someone who's looking at
and evaluating all the information and can then present a clear picture of
the student's needs," he said. "School districts should be leery of
making a diagnosis. Let a specialist make the determination."
A specialist may:
Explore the student's family history.
Observe parent-child interactions.
Work with the student's physician to make sure other illnesses have
been ruled out.
Scrutinize the student's records.
Only by using such diligence can a diagnosis be justified, said Weinstein.
To help districts conduct the proper legwork during the identification and
evaluation process, and to avoid potential litigation for not identifying a
student, Weinstein developed a checklist to assist them in the process.
He conducts workshops to help school districts develop various protocols,
such as a physician form, to ensure the if the child's medical doctor is
making the diagnosis, she has to provide more than a note written on a
prescription pad after a 10-minute office visit. (See below and on the facing
page for the checklist and the protocol.).
Dr. Ron Weinstein is currently clinical director for The ADD and Family
Support Centre located in Harrogate and London, Englannd. He is an
internationally renowned expert on ADD/ADHD, learning and behavioral problems.
Email him at DrRon@addcentre.co.uk
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