Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, has become almost a cliché of public mental health debate in the last decade. To summarize public commentary, this developmental disorder is either tearing up our schools or does not exist. It is either undiagnosed due to lack of teacher and clinician awareness, or it is overdiagnosed to give schools an excuse to drug unruly students. We either need to know more about it, or stop hearing about it altogether.

Though the controversy over ADHD continues, there is certainly a good body of evidence that shows that the disorder itself is no myth. Brain scans conclusively show less dopamine transporter activity in the brains of ADHD patients than the brains of the unaffected. Currently, this neurological discrepancy can be smoothed over with a combination of mental health counseling, corrective drugs, and vigilance.

Because psychological medicine is capable of helping properly diagnosed ADHD patients, it seems that the most important kernel of the controversy is whether we are overdiagnosing or underdiagnosing. Even though there are neurological markers, most doctors diagnose without an expensive and uncomfortable PET scan of the brain, so they must go on behavioral markers alone.

In many cases, it’s straightforward; a child who exhibits an impaired ability to focus and to control impulses is considered a candidate. If these symptoms are affecting multiple areas of her life, such as her classwork, her social life, her behavior on the playground, or her behavior at home, usually a doctor recommends treatment for ADHD.

However, these symptoms can potentially be caused by other situations: reaction to a family crisis, an underlying medical problem, childhood depression or anxiety, or even hearing and vision impairment.

If your child is experiencing symptoms of ADHD, don’t avoid a mental health consultation just to avoid burdening the child with the label. Your child can get care that will help her succeed, or your mental health provider may uncover another issue that has been causing her disruptive behavior.