One thing I will say - ADHD shouldn't really be *added* to other mental health diagnoses. One of the essential features of ADHD (as defined by the DSM-IV is "The disturbance does not occur exclusively during the course of a Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Schizophrenia, or other Psychotic Disorders and is not better accounted for by another mental disorder." It's often given as a secondary (or tertiary, etc) diagnosis, though, to help people understand what's going on with the child. It's very likely your child doesn't actually have ADHD, but exhibits ADHD symptoms as a result of the other issues going on.
Yes! So how often, when diagnosed, does ADHD actually exist, or is it merely an expression of another underlying issue? This is where you open the "is it real?" can of worms. I think it is, just over-diagnosed.
My advice, for any parent dealing with an ADHD diagnosis, it to acknowledge it for sure, but put it off to the side (take it with a grain of salt) and keep digging.
