ADHD is a difficult disorder to diagnose. While it’s easy to assume that a hyperactive young boy or an inattentive student might have ADHD, these symptoms can also indicate a number of unrelated disorders – autism, sensory integration problems, learning disorders, and even hearing problems. When these disorders occur with ADHD, they are called “co-morbid” disorders and should be addressed through the child’s treatment plan.
One way that specialists screen for co-morbid learning disorders is through a reliable tool called the Vanderbilt ADHD Rating Scale (VARS). This scale is specifically designed to determine if a child with ADHD also has learning disorders, particularly in spelling or reading.
VARS is not actually used on the child per se; Instead, the scale is answered by parents and teachers. After all, it is they who regularly see how the child behaves. Items on the scale include behavioral descriptions, such as “a seat that leaves when it’s supposed to stay in its seat” or “afraid to try new things for fear of making mistakes.” The test taker must rate the following behaviors on a scale of 0 to 3 where 0 stands for “never” and 3 stands for “often”.
It is important to note that this rating scale is not designed to identify or diagnose a comorbid disorder that a child may have. Instead, it will help you find out if your child has any learning difficulties that need to be addressed by the appropriate specialist. Then your child can undergo some therapies to overcome these problems along with the symptoms of ADHD.
Additionally, VARS cannot identify math learning disorders. Despite these limitations, the researchers found VARS to be a reliable screening tool for children with ADHD. A recent VARS reliability study involved 128 untreated children with ADHD aged 7 to 11 years. After parents and teachers took the test, it was discovered that 38% of the children met the criteria for spelling and reading disorders.
So when your child is evaluated for ADHD, make sure the doctor uses VARS or similar assessment tools designed to rule out co-morbid disorders. Aside from treating the underlying symptoms of ADHD, it is important that you disclose all the issues your child may be facing so that they can fully recover.