Why is the ADHD Diagnosis so Important?

Patrick McKenna – why is the ADHD diagnosis so important?

[Dr. Jain] I remember one particular individual an adult patient who was erroneously diagnosed as mentally retarded as a child. To a point where he believed that he had no potential, went through life yes disruptive and be you know angry, got married to a low functioning individual, had many children many of whom were ADHD, and he came to us largely because his kids were diagnosed and that’s part of a family assessment.  When I looked at this individual I said you notice you know a dumb guy. In fact I think you’re a real smart guy. So I did an assessment of it turned out to be gifted. Turned out to be gifted.  A guy who was diagnosed as retarded as a child becomes gifted.

At that point in his life he said you know, I knew I could do stuff that nobody else could do.  I knew there was always something about me that was different and good, and the fact that I know that I’m smart changes everything in a space of just five years he complete his undergraduate degree and with the law school, and his belief was this is not going to happen to anybody else in many ways when I looked at that individual I said why did it happen in the first place? Why would a kid have to suffer a whole life having been been put through misery and erroneous diagnosis and treatment that was not provided that would have changed her life.

Dr Margaret Weiss: So this is a tremendous public health opportunity because we have a lot of people in our society who could be receiving treatment who are not receiving treatment and if they were their quality of life and the quality of of those around them would be much improved.