Assessment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity and Disruptive Behavior Disorders

Abstract

The current chapter guides clinicians in the assessment of externalizing disorders that are some of the most common reasons that children and adolescents are referred for clinical evaluations: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), and Conduct Disorder (CD). The chapter provides a selected review of research findings that are particularly important for guiding these clinical evaluations. It then provides practical recommendations for how these evaluations should be designed and conducted, as well as how information should be interpreted that lead to appropriate diagnosis and treatment recommendations. Case examples are provided that help to illustrate these recommendations.