More than words: Atlanta pediatrician uses computer test to better diagnose children with ADHD

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Doctors can sometimes misdiagnose attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) because their information is limited to what patients and caregivers tell them.  

Aside from listening to the child, Dr. Melinda Willingham, an Atlanta-based pediatrician, administers a computer-based test of attention and impulsivity. 

"One of additional steps that I did was actually start using Qbtech, which is a FDA-approved diagnostic tool that can assist with the diagnosis of ADHD," Willingham said. "And I've been using that for more than 10 years."

She likens holistic care to a bar stool, with the patient examination as one leg, hearing the child's history from caretaker(s) as a second leg, and, to balance the seat, a third leg stands on objective diagnosis testing, Willingham said.

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Stigma affects people with mental health disorders including ADHD, which makes seeking care more difficult for many families, but the risk of developing mental health issues later in life declines with early treatment of ADHD, she said, noting that presentation of symptoms may be different among children of color.

"So it's extremely important to take into consideration any cultural challenges that may have arisen," she said. "Some children may have grown up in poverty or perhaps they've been experiencing a lot of trauma. There are many things that can look like attention deficit disorder. So you really have to act as a detective and try to determine exactly what is the likely cause for the symptoms that you're seeing."