Age Specific Considerations in Patient Care Related

Review Age Specific Considerations in Patient Care related questions and content

Joey is a 5-year-old who is causing his parents a lot of concern. His mother reports that he bounces off the walls all the time and cant focus on any one thing for very long. He is impulsive and has recently ran right out into the street in front of the familys home. His teacher has told his parents that he has done similar things at school. The nurse understands that:

  • A. Joey shows all the signs of having ADHD and should probably be placed on Ritalin as soon as possible
  • B. Joey is just an active, healthy child who needs to be disciplined more effectively
  • C. Joey could be autistic, and additional testing will have to be done to confirm the diagnosis
  • D. Joey shows signs of having ADHD, but is too young for that diagnosis to be made definitively now
Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Definitive diagnosis of ADHD should not be made before age 7 because developmentally the child has a shorter attention span.