ADHD Diagnosis
Finding out if you have ADHD in adults can be more difficult than diagnosing ADHD in children. A good diagnosis starts with a clinical interview by an expert in ADHD.
It is recommended to bring any medical or academic documents to your appointment. You may bring questionnaires and rating scales to provide details on your symptoms.
Symptoms
A doctor will conduct a physical examination and interview you to determine if ADHD is present. The evaluator might ask questions about a person's childhood and their family history and utilize checklists to record symptoms. The evaluator can also look over the person's school and work records, and may wish to talk with teachers or other people who spend time with them.
The evaluator will use the official lists of symptoms for inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity to determine whether the person meets diagnostic criteria. The criteria include that the individual must have experienced multiple symptoms for at least six months and occur in multiple settings, like at school and at home. The evaluator may also check for other conditions which can cause similar symptoms such as anxiety or depression.
Adults will be evaluated to determine the severity of their symptoms and the impact they have on their work or social lives. what is an adhd assessment can also ask the person how they feel about their symptoms and whether or not they impact their daily life.
Many people suffering from ADHD are unable to recall when their problems began. Because of this, a specialist will usually interview someone who knows the person well for example, a spouse or sibling for an adult or an educator or parent for a child. The examiner can use checklists to examine adults, as well as a list with the behaviors that children exhibit.
Contrary to previous diagnostic guidelines the adult can't be diagnosed with ADHD until symptoms begin to manifest prior to the age of 12. This change is intended to stop people who experienced ADHD as children from being misdiagnosed as having other disorders like depression or anxiety.
Medical Histories
If you suspect that your child or yourself may have ADHD The first step should be to consult an expert who will perform an extensive assessment. Contact your doctor or an area mental health specialist for recommendations, or search the phone book for "psychiatry" or "psychology." You can also join an adult support group with ADHD, as many of them have worked with local experts who can provide recommendations.
A healthcare professional will review a person's medical history and family background during the ADHD diagnostic evaluation. They will inquire as to how the symptoms interfere with functioning in various situations, including at home, at work, or with relationships. It is important to determine the severity of the symptoms since the APA's guidelines for ADHD stipulate that the symptoms must cause significant impairment in order to be classified as ADHD.
The healthcare professional will interview the patient, but they may also seek information from his or her parents siblings, friends, and parents who know him. Some professionals ask people to complete questionnaires or scales. These may include ADHD symptom checklists and ratings of behavior. Teachers and other caregivers can be valuable sources of information.
It is important to assess the extent to which the individual's symptoms interfere in a variety of environments, as the APA's diagnostic guidelines note that symptoms have to occur often and cause impairment to performance. This is important, as other conditions, such as mood disorders or learning disabilities can appear similar as ADHD (Austerman 2015). In addition, a medical exam may be conducted to determine other causes that could be causing the symptoms, such as thyroid problems, vision and hearing issues, or the use of certain drugs, such as stimulants or sedatives.
Family History
In some instances there are instances where an ancestor's history of ADHD is a major factor in getting the diagnosis. It is highly heritable, and a thorough review of the patient's and relatives' histories will aid in determining if there is any family-related pattern.
It is crucial that healthcare professionals get a complete picture about the symptoms of their patients, which includes whether or not they occur at work, in school or in social settings. A physician should also consider the degree to which symptoms affect the person's everyday functioning. This is a more accurate measure than simply counting symptoms or examining the intelligence of patients.
For teens and children, a doctor can interview the child or teen as well as his or her parents. In many instances, a psychiatrist or pediatrician specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. A mental health professional with a vast knowledge of ADHD is required to conduct a detailed interview for adults.
how do i get an adhd assessment includes a physical examination which can help rule out certain conditions that can cause symptoms similar to ADHD. A complete medical history is also gathered. For children, this can include prior medical and school records and an evaluation of the psychological state by a school counselor or psychologist. Old school records can be useful for adults to determine if symptoms began in the early years of childhood.
When diagnosing adults in particular, it is crucial to look at how the symptoms impact daily functioning. A thorough psychiatric examination could be required with regard to the use of questionnaires and rating scales by the patient and caregivers, a medical interview, and a referral for a medical exam. Adults may also undergo a neuropsychological or psychometric assessment to determine the relationship between their symptoms and learning disorders.
Interviews
A provider will interview you or your child about issues at home, at school and in the community. The provider will ask about your or child's medical personal, family, and medical history, and will also review any records you bring with you, such as old school report cards. This information will enable the doctor to determine whether you or your child is required to undergo a test for ADHD.
Your provider will use rating scales to identify if you or your child meets criteria for ADHD, including six established symptoms in the two main categories of the disorder -- inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. The ratings are typically conducted over a period of six months, which includes both at home and school. The ratings must be done by people who are familiar with your or your child's behaviors, such as teachers, religious and Scout leaders, coaches, and parents.
Children and adults diagnosed with ADHD must exhibit symptoms that are debilitating, and can hinder their daily functioning whether at work, school, or play. Symptoms must begin in the early years of childhood, usually before age 12. They can't be caused by a mental health issue.
The sensitivity and specificity in ADHD evaluations can be improved through the use of psychometric and neuropsychological tests that assess IQ and cognitive function. However, they should only be utilized as part of an assessment strategy that includes a clinician interview as well as rating scales. These assessments may include the use of a standardized questionnaire like the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults (DIVA) or an adaptive test that is computerized that measures response speed, short-term memory and executive functions. In the near future digital technology, such as virtual reality for continuous performance tests and sensors for head movement could help to improve ecological validity of these ADHD assessment tools by allowing the person being evaluated to be immersed in their surroundings rather than in the clinical office.
Tests
Your GP or a mental health specialist may recommend you to specialists if he/she she suspects ADHD. A thorough evaluation will consist of a thorough interview, information from other sources like your spouse or significant others, and standardized behavior ratings scales for ADHD. The evaluator will order tests in accordance with the clinical impression to screen for any conditions that might be affecting your symptoms. These include depression or learning disabilities, or a medical illness.
To conduct an exhaustive ADHD evaluation, the assessor must determine whether your symptoms have a significant impact on your life and functioning. The impairment can occur in many different settings, for example, at home at work, at school, or in your social interactions. The evaluator will ask you how your symptoms affected you in every situation. This will assist the evaluator identify the cause and make treatment recommendations.
A comprehensive assessment will comprise the rating of symptoms and standardized performance tests for ADHD. These tests are built on research that compares the behavior of those with ADHD and those who do not. These instruments can help overcome the limitations of a standard clinical interview by focusing more on specific behaviors than an individual's overall performance. These measures can aid in identifying when the person is not being honest or is trying to cheat the test this issue has been recognized for a number of years in the field of neuropsychological testing.
In addition to the standard test and the symptom-rating scales as well as the symptom rating scales, an extensive ADHD assessment should include brain scans and other imaging techniques for the brain. However, these tests are not often used in a clinic setting because they are expensive and expose the patient to radiation.