ADHD Diagnosis
Finding out if you have ADHD in adults can be trickier than diagnosing children. A clinical interview with an ADHD expert is the first step to a good diagnosis.
It is recommended to bring any medical or academic documents to your appointment. It's also helpful to bring rating scales and interview transcripts that provide information about your symptoms.
Signs and symptoms
A thorough ADHD diagnosis requires physical examination and a discussion with a doctor. The evaluator might inquire about a person's childhood and family history and utilize checklists to document symptoms. adhd assessment price may also look over the records of work and school and may wish to speak with teachers or other individuals who interact with the person.
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 been suffering from multiple symptoms for at least six months and that they occur in a variety of settings, such as at school and at home. The evaluator may also check for other conditions that could cause similar symptoms, such as depression or anxiety.
In adults, the evaluator will assess how severe the symptoms are and how they affect work or social life. The evaluator may also inquire about what their feelings are about their symptoms and whether or not they affect their daily activities.
Many people with ADHD are unable to remember whether their issues began in childhood or later. A specialist will often interview anyone who is familiar with the individual, for example, their spouse, sibling or parent for an adult or a teacher or parent for the child. The examiner can use checklists to examine adults as well as a list of child-related behaviors.
Contrary to the past, current diagnostic guidelines state that an adult can't be diagnosed with ADHD when symptoms were evident prior to the age of 12. This change is meant to prevent people with ADHD who were diagnosed as children being wrongly diagnosed as having other disorders, like anxiety and depression.
Medical History
If you suspect your child or yourself has ADHD The first step should be to consult an expert who can perform an exhaustive assessment. Ask your personal physician or an area mental health professional for recommendations, or look in the phone book for "psychiatry" or "psychology." You can also reach out to an adult ADHD support group, since many will have worked with local specialists who can provide referrals.
During the ADHD diagnostic assessment, a healthcare professional will look over the patient's medical and family history. They will inquire about the effects of the symptoms on functioning in different environments, like at home, work or in relationships. It is crucial 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 talk to the patient, but may also seek details from the patient's parents or siblings as well as friends who are familiar with him. Some healthcare professionals require patients to complete questionnaires or scales. They may also ask for ADHD symptom checklists and rating of behavior. Teachers and other caregivers can also be valuable sources of information.
It is crucial to determine how the person's symptoms interfere with functioning in different settings, as the APA's diagnostic guidelines state that symptoms must manifest often and cause impairment to performance. This is important because other conditions like mood disorders and learning disabilities, may present similar to ADHD (Austerman, 2015). Additionally medical exams can be performed to identify other possible causes for the symptoms, such as thyroid problems, vision and hearing problems or the use of certain medications like stimulants or sedatives.
Family History
In some cases, a history of ADHD in the family could be a major factor in the determination of the diagnosis. It is a hereditary condition, and a careful review of the patient's and relatives' histories can help establish the presence of a genetic pattern.
It is important that providers have a complete understanding of the symptoms of their patients, including whether or not they occur at work, in school, or social situations. A doctor must also determine the degree to which the patient's symptoms affect their daily functioning. This is a more accurate test than simply looking at symptom counts or examining the patient's IQ.
For teenagers and children, a doctor may interview the child or teen and his or her parents. In many instances, a pediatrician or psychiatrist is specialized in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD. For adults, a detailed interview is required by a mental health professional who has extensive experience with ADHD and has the time to evaluate each patient's presentation.
A thorough evaluation typically includes a physical exam which can rule out specific health conditions that can cause similar symptoms as ADHD. A complete medical history is also gathered. For children, this could include prior medical and school records, as well as a psychological evaluation by a school counselor or psychologist. School records from the past can be helpful for adults to determine if the symptoms began in childhood.
In the case of diagnosing adults with psychiatric disorders, it is particularly important to examine how the symptoms impact everyday functioning. A thorough psychiatric examination could be required with regard to rating scales and questionnaires by the patient and caregivers, a medical interview and a referral to medical examination. In addition, psychometric or neuropsychological assessment is often used for adults to determine how the symptoms are linked to learning disorders and other cognitive impairments.
Interviews
A professional will talk to you or your child about problems at home, school, and in the community. The doctor will also inquire about your or your child's past medical and personal history, as well as family and personal histories and will review any records that you might bring along, such as old school report cards. This information will allow the doctor to determine whether you or your child needs to undergo tests 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. These ratings are typically conducted over the course of six months, which includes both home and school. The ratings should be provided by people who know your child or you well, including coaches, teachers and religious leaders, scouts and parents.
Adults and children who are diagnosed with ADHD must exhibit symptoms that are debilitating and affect their daily activities, whether at school, work, or play. Symptoms must begin in the early years of childhood, usually before age 12. They aren't caused by a mental health problem.
The sensitivity and accuracy of ADHD assessments can be enhanced by using psychometric and neuropsychological tests that assess IQ and cognitive functioning. However, they should only be utilized as part of an assessment process that includes a clinician interview as well as rating scales. These assessments can involve the administration a standardized test, such as the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults or a computerized test method that measures executive functions, short-term memory and reaction speed. In the future digital technology, such as virtual reality and head sensors that monitor head movements for continuous performance tests, could help improve the ecological validity by giving people the opportunity to immerse into their natural environment instead of sitting in a clinic office.
Tests
Your doctor or a mental health specialist may recommend you to a specialist if he or suspects ADHD. A thorough evaluation will consist of a thorough interview, information from other sources, such as your spouse or significant others, as well as the standardized scales of behavior ratings for ADHD. Based on the clinical impression the evaluator might also order tests to screen for other conditions that could have an impact on your symptoms, such as depression, learning disabilities or a medical condition.
A thorough ADHD evaluation is required by the evaluator to determine if your symptoms are significantly impairing your functioning and life. It can happen in a variety of environments that include your workplace, home or school, as well as social interactions. The examiner should inquire about what your symptoms have affected your life in each of these settings. This will enable the evaluator make a diagnosis, and develop treatment suggestions.
A comprehensive assessment will comprise, in addition to rating of symptoms and standardized performance tests for ADHD. These instruments for testing are based on research and compare the behavior of those with ADHD to those without it. These instruments improve on the limitations of a standard clinical interview by focusing more on specific behaviors rather than an individual's overall performance. These tests can help evaluators detect when an individual is lying or trying to cheat a test. This issue has been recognized in the field for a long time.
In addition to the standard test and the symptom-rating scales, a thorough ADHD assessment should include brain scans and other imaging procedures for neurological disorders. These tests are not used in clinical settings because they are expensive and expose patients to radioactive ionization.