Although health professionals often state that ADD/ADHD is a brain-based biological disorder caused by a brain chemical imbalance, there is simply no reliable test to prove this -- no physical or chemical abnormality validates ADHD as a medical disease.

Since there can be no diagnosis without a disease, what is there?

There is a description of behaviors -- symptoms -- that health professionals use as a checklist in deciding whether your child has an attentional disorder.

However, symptoms do not necessarily mean there is a disease. To determine disease, there must be an objective test (such as blood text, X-rays, CAT scans, etc.).

There is no independent valid objective test for ADD/ADHD. Instead health professionals rely on:

a list of behaviors (primarily, inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, academic underachievement,or behavior problems),
diagnostic interviews,
anecdotal information from family and school staff.

ADD/ADHD behaviors are found in the The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision that forms the accepted guidelines for what are considered to be 'mental illnesses', or as they are more recently referred to, 'mental disorders'. This reference text is the "bible" of the mental health industry. ADD was added to the DSM-IV in 1980 and ADHD in 1987. Read the American Academy of Pediatrics' guidelines for diagnosing ADHD.

NEXT: Possible Causes of ADD/ADHD Behavior

Possible Causes of ADD / ADHD Behavior

Medication Concerns - ADD/ ADHD & School

Special Education - Learning Disabilities

Boundaries with Teens: When To Say Yes, How To Say No

by John Townsend

The Way of the Wild Heart: A Map for the Masculine Journey

by John Eldredge

Teenagers with ADD and ADHD: A Guide for Parents and Professionals

by Chris A. Zeigler Dendy

Help and Support

Ablechild.org: Parents for Label and Drug Free Education ~ Grassroots organization made up of parents and professionals outraged over the pervasive and ever-growing drugging of our children.

ADD Forums ~ International online ADD/ADHD support, information, and resources community.

ADDA ~ Attention Deficit Disorder Association ~ Information and resources on treatment, research, and issues of relationships, parenting, and post-secondary education.

Attention Deficit Disorder in Europe ~ Links to European ADD/ADHD sites.

CH.A.D.D. Online ~ Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder ~ The nation's largest ADD organization with local chapters. ALSO READ The Hidden Relationship Between CHADD & The Drug Company.

Feingold Association of America ~ An organization of families and professionals dedicated to helping children and adults apply proven dietary techniques for better behavior, learning and health.

One A.D.D. Place - The Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD & LD) Community ~ Virtual neighborhood with information and resources
relating to ADD, ADHD and Learning Disorders (LD).

The WINS Foundation ~ Promotes biomedical and nutritional approaches that help children and adults suffering from moderate to severe learning disorders, including ADD, ADHD, PDD, and autism.