I have just had the new ADHD quotient test brought to my attention. This has been FDA approved as the objective way to test for ADHD and it is now very successful in the US. Shortly to be available world wide.

Very simply it is a computer test that lasts 15 minutes and is designed to be boring. Children  and adults can be tested on this and it involves responding to different shaped stars appearing randomly on the screen, For each different shape you have to press a different key and so you have to pay attention throughout a boring exercise.

However, you are wired up to infra technology that can monitor movements in your feet  and your head and which can indicate when you get impatient or when your attention wanders. These scores are then analysed and give a read out on impulsivity and inattentiveness levels.

So, Has anybody here tried this and also what do you all think about it?

Do you think it will lead to more prescibing of medication?

It is encouraging to see there is something more than subjective interpretation of behavioural responses to define a diagnosis of ADHD. This is certainly commendable data to be taken into account in  any bench marking or evaluation methodology  in approaches which support ADHD. Throughout my research programme I used observational data by unobtrusively observing the number of times children came off task in class throughout therapeutic interventions. Also observing HOW they came off task was significant in defining triggers to their behviour. This was monitored throughout the intervention phase of the research.

Now I do have a couple of considerations I would like  to share for opinion:

Firstly, Does working with computers / infra red technology affect the brainwaves of sensitive children ( as defined in the Dorren Virtue model of Indigo children)? Don't forget some of these children have extreme hypersensitivity which translates as compromised (overstimulated) autonomic nervous systems which present as ADHD symptoms.

Secondly, While it helps to define the nature of the ADHD condition, Does it take us any closer to truly understanding what causes the symptoms that define the condition? It's a bit like a headache - the symptoms can be the same or similar for everyone who has a headache - but the reasons are very diiferent.

Thirdly, this new development can lend itself to even more prescription of medication which at best can be described as concerning in relation to the side effects. No one really knows how Ritalin works but we do  know a lot about the side effects! we do not really need to increase the medication rates to bring down the scores on this system, as a justification to medicate through prescribing stimulants.

Also it doesn't take account of the person who wants to go on medication and therefore not does comply with the aim of the test and deliberately fails to respond as the test requires them to .

I would love to use this system to monitor the results of the different stages and levels of an integrated system  such as HET ( Holistic Educational Therapy)

What do you think?

Tags: ADHd ADHD Tests ADHD Testing Tests For ADHD

Bookmark: