ADHD Diagnosis
Diagnosing ADHD in adults can be more difficult than diagnosing ADHD in children. A reliable diagnosis begins with a clinical interview by an expert in ADHD.
Bring any medical or academic records with you to your appointment. It's also helpful to bring rating scales and interviews that provide information about your health issues.
Signs and symptoms
A doctor will conduct a physical exam and interview you to determine if ADHD is present. The examiner may inquire about a person's childhood and family history and use checklists to document symptoms. The evaluator will also go over the records of work and school and may want to talk with teachers or other individuals who are close to the person.
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 are present in more than one setting -- such as at home, school or at work. The evaluator may also check for other conditions that may cause similar symptoms such as depression or anxiety.
In adults the evaluator will evaluate how severe the symptoms are and how they affect work or social life. The evaluator might also inquire about what their feelings are about their symptoms and whether or not they impact their daily life.
Many people with ADHD cannot remember the time when their issues began. A specialist will typically interview people who are familiar with the person, like their spouse, sibling, or parent for an adult or a teacher or parent for the child. The evaluator might utilize checklists for adults and for children the list of behaviours to be on the lookout for.
In contrast to the past, current diagnostic guidelines stipulate that an adult cannot be diagnosed with ADHD when symptoms were evident before age 12. This change is intended to protect people who suffered from ADHD as children from being misdiagnosed as having other disorders, such as depression or anxiety.
Medical Histories
If you suspect that your or your child is suffering from ADHD the first step is to locate an expert who can conduct an exhaustive examination. Ask your doctor or a mental health specialist in your area for recommendations or look in the phone book for "psychiatry" and "psychology." You can also reach out to an adult ADHD support group, as many will have worked with local specialists who could offer referrals.
During the ADHD diagnostic evaluation, a medical professional will look over the patient's medical and family history. They will ask about how the symptoms affect the person's performance in various settings such as at work, home or in relationships. It is important to assess the severity of the symptoms, as the APA's guidelines for diagnosing ADHD note that the symptoms must result in significant impairment in order to be diagnosed.
The healthcare professional will usually interview the patient, but they might also request to talk to siblings, parents and friends who are familiar with him. how to get assessed for adhd require patients to complete questionnaires or scales. These may include ADHD symptoms checklists and ratings of behavior. Teachers and other caregivers can also be valuable sources of information.
It is crucial to determine the extent to which the individual's symptoms interfere with functioning in different environments, as the APA's diagnostic guidelines note that symptoms must manifest often and cause impairment to performance. This is crucial, since other conditions such as mood disorders or learning disabilities can appear similar to ADHD (Austerman 2015). A medical exam can also be conducted to determine if there are any other possible causes of the symptoms. These include thyroid problems and hearing or vision issues, or medications such as stimulants and sedatives.
Family History
In some cases there is the family history of ADHD is a key factor in getting a diagnosis. It is highly genetically inherited, and a look at the patient's and their relatives' histories will aid in determining if there is any familial pattern.
It is crucial that healthcare professionals have a complete picture of the symptoms of their patients, which includes whether or not they occur in school, at work, or social situations. A provider should also determine the degree to which symptoms affect the patient's daily activities. This is a more reliable method than simply examining symptom counts or examining a patient's IQ.
For teens and children, a doctor can interview the teen or child and his or her parents. In many instances, a psychiatrist or pediatrician specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. For adults, a thorough interview is required by a mental health specialist who has extensive experience with ADHD and takes the time to carefully evaluate each patient's presentation.
A comprehensive evaluation includes a physical examination, which can help determine certain conditions that could cause symptoms similar to ADHD. A complete medical history is also a must. This may include medical and school documents as in addition to a psychologist's or school counselor's psychological assessment. For adults documents from school are often useful in establishing whether symptoms began in the early years of life.
In the case of diagnosing adults, it's crucial to look at how the symptoms affect daily functioning. A thorough psychiatric examination may be required, which includes rating scales and questions by the caregiver and patient in addition to a clinical interview and referral for medical examination. Adults may also undergo a psychometric or neuropsychological assessment to determine the relationship between their symptoms and learning disorders.
Interviews
A provider will ask you or your child questions regarding their issues at school, home and in the community. The provider will inquire about your child's medical personal, family, and medical history, and will review any records that you may bring with you, such as old school report cards. This information will allow the doctor to determine if you or your child needs 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 six-month time period and include both the school and at home. The evaluations must be conducted by people who are familiar with your or your child's behaviors, such as teachers as well as religious and Scout leaders, coaches and parents.
Children and adults who are diagnosed with ADHD are likely to exhibit symptoms that are debilitating, and interfere with daily functioning whether at school, work or playing. The symptoms must manifest in the early years of childhood, usually before age 12. They cannot be caused by any other mental health condition.
The sensitivity and accuracy of ADHD evaluations can be improved by using neuropsychological and psychometric tests that test 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 can include the administration a standardized test like the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults or a computerized test approach which measures executive functions, short-term memories, and response speed. In the near future digital technology, such as virtual reality for continuous performance tests and sensors for head movement may aid in improving the ecological validity of these ADHD assessment tools by allowing the person being evaluated to be immersed in their natural environment rather than in a clinical office.
Tests
Your GP or a mental health specialist may refer you to a specialist if he or she suspects ADHD. A thorough assessment will consist of an in-depth interview, information from other sources such as your spouse or significant others, as well as standardized behavior ratings scales for ADHD. The evaluator will conduct tests in accordance with the clinical impression to screen for any conditions that may be causing your symptoms. These include depression, learning disabilities, or a medical illness.
In order to conduct an exhaustive ADHD assessment, the evaluator must determine if the symptoms affect your life and functioning. It can happen in a variety of environments such as your home, work or school, and social relationships. The evaluator should ask how your symptoms have impacted you in each situation. This will allow the evaluator make an assessment, and then formulate treatment suggestions.
A comprehensive assessment will comprise, in addition to symptoms ratings and standardized tests for performance for ADHD. These tests are built on research that examines the behavior of those with ADHD and those who do not. These instruments enhance the limitations of a traditional clinical interview by focusing more on specific behaviors rather than the overall functioning of an individual. These tests can also aid in identifying when an individual is being disingenuous or trying to cheat the test which has been recognized for a number of years in the field of neuropsychological testing.
A thorough ADHD assessment will include a brain scan or other neuroimaging procedures in addition to the normal test and symptom-rating scales. However these tests aren't routinely used in a clinical setting due to the expense and expose the patient to ionizing radiation.