Generally, the question of whether or not a child has ADD/ADHD will be raised based on observations of parents and teachers.

Pediatricians are usually called upon to make the initial evaluation of a child by evaluating that child's behavior relative to the child's peer group.

If the pediatrician can find no physical reasons for the symptoms than the child is usually referred to a psychologist or psychiatrist who will then attempt to make a diagnosis using the criteria of the Fourth Edition of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) as well as interviews with parents and/or teachers.

The key symptoms to look for in ADD/ADHD are:

distractablity, hypercativity/impulivity, poor impule control

Not all people with ADD/ADHD share the same exact symptoms. There are actually three subtypes of the diorder according to the DSM-IV.