ADHD Case Study Essay

Superior Essays
This student encountered a case involving an 11-year-old Hispanic female, who was brought into services by her mother for school performance issues. According to the girl’s mother, the client is smart but struggles with staying focused on school work in both her school and home environments. The following paper provides a client map of this client’s case, which includes her diagnosis and treatment options. Also, this student presents an analysis of several diagnoses considered during the assessment process to demonstrate the intricacies associated with differentiating diagnostic criteria between various mental disorders.
Diagnosis
Initially, this student assigned the client a diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD. According to the American Psychiatric Association, ADHD is “a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning and development” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p. 59). In the case description, it discusses that the client cannot focus, in other words, she has a pattern of inattention, and that pattern has persisted for about six months, which is another criterion for ADHD. When asked to complete a pinwheel including details such as “I like, I want, I hate, I love”, the client became distraught and could not finish the activity, which met the
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Involvement in a support group might alleviate some of the stress that the mother experiences while trying to help her daughter. From the case description provided, there was no mention of the client’s father or any other family members; so, it can be assumed that the client’s mother is a single parent. During the interview described in the case study, the client mentioned various hobbies of interest. It might be beneficial for the client to become more involved in these hobbies, especially if they included group

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