Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: review of ADHD in learning disability: the Diagnostic Criteria for Psychiatric Disorders for Use with Adults with Learning Disabilities/Mental Retardation[DC-LD] criteria for diagnosis.
Use DC-LD questions to catch hidden ADHD in adults with learning disabilities.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Najdowski et al. (2003) looked at how doctors spot ADHD in adults with learning disabilities.
They wrote a plain-language guide that uses the new DC-LD checklist.
The team read earlier papers and saw that ADHD is often missed in this group.
What they found
The review says standard ADHD questions fail when people also have intellectual disability.
DC-LD adds simple behavior examples that families and staff can see every day.
Using the new list should catch more cases and cut false alarms.
How this fits with other research
Clarke (2003) backs the same DC-LD tool for all psychiatric labels, not just ADHD.
O'Brien (2003) adds that DC-LD also gives a name to severe problem behavior, so adults can reach special services.
Dewsbury (2003) warns the psychosis part of DC-LD is wider than ICD-10 and needs more testing.
de Kuijper et al. (2014) jumps ahead to treatment: once ADHD is found, atomoxetine may help, but watch for irritability.
Why it matters
If you assess adults with ID, swap in the DC-LD ADHD items before you write "rule-out."
The checklist turns vague reports like "always on the go" into concrete counts you can trust.
More accurate diagnosis means better meds, better plans, and less guesswork for your client.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD)]is believed to be common among people with learning disabilities. Classification systems in current use have presented diagnostic difficulties in this area, when used for people with learning disability (particularly adults). METHODS: A literature search using electronic databases was undertaken, and journals were hand-searched for articles relevant to the diagnosis of mental disorders in adults with intellectual disabilities. RESULTS: There is preliminary evidence that ADHD is more common in this population than among the non-learning-disabled population, and indeed that rates of hyperactivity increase with increasing severity of learning disability. There are also associations between ADHD and certain causal syndromes of learning disability. CONCLUSION: While available evidence suggests that ADHD may be common among children and adults with learning disabilities, research has been hindered by deficits in currently used diagnostic classification systems. With the recent development of criteria for the diagnosis of ADHD in learning-disabled adults, and the publication of these in Diagnostic Criteria for Learning Disabilities/Mental Retardation[DC-LD] there is scope for an increase in the level of interest in the study of ADHD among adults with learning disabilities.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2003 · doi:10.1046/j.1365-2788.47.s1.30.x