The symptoms of AD/HD may first be recognized by parents or school officials. However, since there are several traits and symptoms that can be confused with those of AD/HD (see Ruling Out AD/HD), only a qualified medical professional is capable of an accurate diagnosis. Under no circumstances should you attempt your own diagnosis. The treatment options available, which the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends to include a professional behavior management/therapy component, are varied and will depend on the type and severity of the problem. For instance, many children require medication as part of their treatment program; while others with mild forms, sometimes do not. Only your doctor can make that determination.

Since AD/HD is such a controversial diagnosis, every doctor has an opinion on how it should be done. Statistics suggest that only one out of every three people who have an attention disorder ever get help. Therefore, two out of three people who have an attention disorder never receive a diagnosis or treatment.

Two common problems with diagnosing AD/HD:

• Over-diagnosis, in which case children are wrongfully diagnosed as having AD/HD.
• Under-diagnosis, which happens most often in a school setting wherein, for instance, a school psychologist writes a perfect report describing AD/HD, then refuses to label the child as AD/HD. Similarly, a therapist may identify AD/HD symptoms, but diagnose a family problem instead.