ADHD Diagnosis
The process of diagnosing ADHD in adults can be more difficult than diagnosing ADHD in children. An accurate diagnosis begins with a thorough interview conducted by an expert in ADHD.
It is recommended to bring any medical or academic records to your appointment. It's also helpful to bring rating scales and interviews which can provide details regarding your symptoms.
Symptoms
A doctor will conduct a physical exam and interview you to determine whether ADHD is present. The evaluator may inquire about a person's childhood and their family history and use checklists to record symptoms. The evaluator may also review the person's work and school records, and may also want to speak with teachers or other people who interact with them.
The evaluator will use the official lists of symptoms for inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity to determine whether the person meets diagnostic criteria. Those criteria are that the person has several symptoms for at least 6 months and that the symptoms occur in more than one location -- for example, at home, work or school. The evaluator may also check for other conditions which can cause similar symptoms such as depression or anxiety.
Adults will be assessed to determine the severity of symptoms and their impact on work or social life. The evaluator will also inquire about what the person's feelings are about his or her symptoms and how much they interfere with daily functioning.
Many people suffering from ADHD are unable to remember the time when their issues began. Because of this, the specialist will usually interview someone who knows the person well, such as siblings or spouses for an adult; parents or teachers for children. The evaluator might use checklists for adults, and for children the list of behaviours to look out for.
Contrary to the previous guidelines for diagnosing the adult can't be diagnosed with ADHD until symptoms begin to manifest before the age of 12. cheapest adhd assessment is intended to stop people suffering from ADHD who were diagnosed as children from being mistakenly diagnosed with other disorders, such as anxiety and depression.
Medical History
If you suspect that you or your child suffers from ADHD the first step is to find an expert who can perform an extensive examination. Consult your physician or an area mental health expert for suggestions, or consult the phone book for "psychiatry" or "psychology." You can also join an adult ADHD support group, since they may have worked with local specialists who could provide referrals.
During the ADHD diagnostic evaluation, a medical professional will review the person's medical and family history. They will inquire about the effects of the symptoms on the person's performance in various settings such as at work, at home, or in relationships. It is important to assess how severe the symptoms are because the APA's guidelines for diagnosing ADHD note that the symptoms have to cause significant impairment for the diagnosis to be made.
The healthcare professional will speak with the patient, but may also seek information from his or her parents, siblings, and friends who know him. Some healthcare professionals require patients to fill out questionnaires or scales. These may include ADHD symptom checklists and behavior ratings. Teachers and other caregivers are often helpful sources of information as well.
It is essential to evaluate the extent to which the individual's symptoms interfere with functioning in different situations, since the APA's diagnostic guidelines note that symptoms have to occur frequently and impair performance. This is important due to the fact that other conditions, such as mood disorders and learning disabilities may be similar to ADHD (Austerman 2015). A medical exam may also be performed to determine if there are any other possible causes of the symptoms. These could include thyroid issues and hearing or vision issues, or medications such as stimulants and sedatives.
Family History
In certain cases, a history of ADHD in the family could be a significant factor in determining the diagnosis. It is a highly inheritable condition, and a thorough examination of the patient's and his or her relatives' histories can help establish if there is a familial pattern.
It is crucial that healthcare professionals have a complete understanding of the symptoms of their patients, which includes whether or not they are present in school, at work or in social settings. A healthcare professional must also consider the extent of how a patient's symptoms interfere with everyday functioning. This is a more accurate measure than simply looking at the number of symptoms or examining the patient's intelligence.
A doctor may interview a child or teen, and also his or her parents. In many cases psychiatrists or pediatricians specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. A mental health specialist who has extensive experience in ADHD is required to conduct an in-depth interview for adults.
A thorough evaluation includes a physical examination which helps to rule out certain conditions that may cause symptoms similar to ADHD. A complete medical history is also taken. For children, this could include previous medical and school records and an evaluation of the psychological state by a school counselor or psychologist. For adults the old school records are often useful in establishing the cause of symptoms that began in the early years of childhood.
In the case of diagnosing adults, it's important to take into consideration how symptoms affect daily functioning. A thorough psychiatric evaluation is also possible with regard to rating scales and questionnaires by the patient and caregivers, a medical interview, and a referral for a medical exam. Adults can also undergo a psychometric or neuropsychological test to determine the connection between their symptoms and learning disorders.
Interviews
A provider will ask you or your child questions regarding their concerns at school, home and in the community. The doctor will also inquire about the child's or yours's medical or personal history, including family and friends and will look over any records that you might bring along including old report cards from school. This information will enable the doctor to determine if you or your child needs to take 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. The ratings are typically conducted over a six-month period, and include both school and home. The ratings should be provided by people who know your child and yourself well, including coaches, teachers, religious leaders, scouts and parents.
To be diagnosed with ADHD children and adults must exhibit a symptomatic behavior that is debilitating and hinders everyday functioning in a variety of environments, including school, at work or playing. Symptoms should start in the early years of childhood, usually before the age of 12. They are not caused by any other mental health disorder.
The sensitivity and accuracy of ADHD assessments can be enhanced by using neuropsychological and psychometric tests that test IQ and cognitive performance. They should be utilized in conjunction with a clinician's assessment and rating scales as part of a comprehensive assessment plan. These assessments could include the administration of a standard test like the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults or a computerized test approach which measures executive functions, short-term memory, and response speed. In the near future, digital technology such as virtual reality for continuous performance tests and sensors for head movement could aid in improving the ecological validity of these ADHD assessment tools by allowing the person being evaluated to be in their surroundings instead of sitting in the clinical office.
Tests
Your physician or a mental health professional may refer you to a specialist if he or she suspects ADHD. A thorough assessment will consist of an extensive interview, data from other sources like your spouse or significant others and the standardized scales of behavior ratings for ADHD. The evaluator will order tests based on the clinical impression to check for any conditions that may be causing your symptoms. These include depression or learning disabilities, or a medical condition.
A thorough ADHD assessment requires the examiner to determine if your symptoms are significantly impairing your functioning and life. The impairment can occur in a variety of settings for example, at home at work, at school, or even in your social relationships. The evaluator should ask how your symptoms have impacted your life in each of these settings. This will help the evaluator make a diagnosis and develop treatment recommendations.
In addition to the symptom rating, a comprehensive assessment usually includes one or more tests that are standardized for ADHD. These tests are built on research that compares the behavior of people with ADHD and those who don't. These instruments enhance the limitations of a standard clinical interview because they focus more on specific behaviors than the overall functioning of an individual. These measures can also aid in identifying when an individual is lying or attempting to cheat on the test which has been recognized for a number of years in the field of neuropsychological testing.
In addition to the standard test and symptom rating scales as well as the symptom rating scales, an extensive ADHD evaluation should include brain scans or other neurological imaging procedures. However, these tests are not commonly used in a clinical setting because they are expensive and expose patients to ionizing radiation.