DO SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS DIAGNOSE ADHD?
School psychologists observe behaviors and collect data from parents and teachers that may suggest ADHD symptomotology. School psychologists DO NOT diagnose ADHD. Portsmouth Public Schools requires a medical diagnosis of ADHD in order to consider classification. You may wish to contact your family physician to obtain additional information regarding ADHD diagnosis . Back to top WHAT DO SCORES IN THE PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL REPORT MEAN? Most of the instruments used by school psychologists are norm-referenced. That means that an individuals’ performance is compared to that of his or her peers. Scores on norm-referenced tests indicate the student’s ranking relative to a national group of same-age peers. Typical scores used with norm-referenced tests include: Standard Scores – Standard scores indicate how far above or below the average an individual score falls. Standard scores can be used to compare individuals from different grades or age groups because all scores are converted to the same num
