ADHD Diagnosis
The process of diagnosing ADHD in adults can be trickier than diagnosing children. An interview with a clinical ADHD expert is the first step in obtaining a good diagnosis.
Bring any medical or academic records with you to your appointment. You can also bring questionnaires and rating scales that give details about your symptoms.
Signs and symptoms
A thorough ADHD diagnosis involves physical examination and a discussion with a physician. The evaluator will ask questions about the person's life and childhood, and might use checklists to note the person's symptoms. The evaluator may also look over documents from the workplace and school, and may want to talk with teachers or others 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. These criteria include that the person has several symptoms for at least 6 months and that the symptoms are present in more than one place -- such as at home and at work or school. The evaluator will also be looking for other conditions that could trigger similar symptoms, for example anxiety, depression or a thyroid condition.
Adults will be evaluated to determine the severity of their symptoms and their impact on social or work life. The evaluation will also inquire what the person's feelings are about their symptoms and how much they affect their daily life.
Many people suffering from ADHD are unable to remember when their problems began. This is why an expert will typically interview someone who knows the person well, such as a spouse or sibling for an adult or a parent or teacher for a child. The evaluation expert might use checklists to assess adults, as well as a list with child-related behaviors.
In contrast to the past, current diagnostic guidelines stipulate that an adult cannot be diagnosed with ADHD when symptoms were evident prior to the age of 12. This change is meant to stop people who experienced ADHD as children from being misdiagnosed with other disorders, such as anxiety or depression.
Medical Histories
If you suspect that your child or yourself suffer from ADHD the first step should be to speak with an expert who will conduct an extensive evaluation. Contact your doctor or an experienced local mental health expert for recommendations, or look in the phone book under "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.
A healthcare professional will go over a person's medical history and background information regarding the family during the ADHD diagnostic assessment. They will inquire about the impact of the symptoms on functioning in different environments such as at home, work or in relationships. It is essential to determine the severity of the symptoms in light of the APA's guidelines for diagnosing ADHD stipulate that the symptoms must cause significant impairment in order to be diagnosed.
The healthcare professional will typically interview the patient, but they might also request to speak to the person's siblings, parents and friends who know him well. Some professionals will have people complete questionnaires or fill out rating scales, such as ADHD symptoms checklists and standardized behavior ratings. Teachers and other caregivers can be useful sources of information as well.
The APA's Diagnostic Guidelines stipulate that symptoms must be frequent and affect performance. This is essential because other disorders, such as mood disorders and learning disabilities can present similarly to ADHD (Austerman 2015). Additionally, a medical exam may be performed to identify other possible causes for the symptoms, including thyroid issues, vision or hearing issues, or the use of certain medications such as stimulants or sedatives.
Family History
In certain cases there is an ancestor's history of ADHD is a crucial element in determining if you have a diagnosis. It is highly genetically inherited, and a look at the patient's and their relatives' histories will aid in determining if there's any familial pattern.
It is essential for health professionals to be able to see the full picture of the patient's symptoms regardless of whether they occur at school, work or in social settings. A doctor should also be able to determine the extent to which symptoms interfere with a person's daily functioning. This is a more reliable test than simply looking at the number of symptoms or looking at the patient's IQ.
A doctor can interview the child or teen as well as his or her parents. In many instances psychiatrists or pediatricians specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. A mental health professional who has extensive experience in ADHD is required to conduct a detailed interview for adults.
A thorough assessment includes a physical examination, which can help rule out certain conditions that could cause symptoms similar to ADHD. A complete medical record is also required. For children, this could include previous medical and school records, as well as a psychological evaluation by school counselors or psychologists. For adults, old school records can be helpful in determining if symptoms started in the early years of childhood.
When diagnosing adults it is important to consider how symptoms affect your daily life. A thorough psychiatric examination may be required, which may include rating scales and questions by the caregiver and patient, as well as a consultation with a doctor and referral for a medical exam. Adults may also undergo a psychometric or neuropsychological assessment to determine the connection between their symptoms and learning disorders.
Interviews
A healthcare professional will ask you or your child questions regarding their issues at home, school and in the community. The provider will inquire about your or child's medical, family, and personal history, and will also review any records you bring with you, such as old school report cards. This information will enable the provider to decide 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. These ratings are typically taken over a period of six months, which includes both school and home. The rating must be performed by people who are familiar with your or your child's behaviors like teachers as well as religious and scout leaders, coaches and parents.
Children and adults who are diagnosed with ADHD must exhibit symptoms that are debilitating and interfere with daily functioning whether at school, work or playing. Symptoms must begin in childhood, typically before age 12. They aren't caused by a mental health issue.
Psychometric and neuropsychological tests that measure IQ, brain function, and cognitive functioning can increase the sensitivity and specificity of ADHD assessments. They should be utilized in conjunction with a clinician's interview and rating scales as part of a comprehensive assessment plan. These assessments could involve the use of a standardized questionnaire like the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults (DIVA) or a computerized adaptive testing approach that can measure response speed, short-term memory and executive functions. In the near future, digital technology like virtual reality and head motion sensors for continuous performance tests, can help improve the validity of ecological tests by permitting people to immerse themselves into their natural environment instead of sitting in a clinic.
Tests
Your physician or mental health professional may recommend you to an expert if he or suspects ADHD. A thorough assessment 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. The evaluator will order tests according to the clinical impression and will screen for conditions that could be affecting your symptoms. These could include depression or learning disabilities, or a medical condition.
A thorough ADHD assessment requires the examiner to determine if your symptoms are significantly affecting your life and performance. Impairment can be in a variety of environments, including your home, work or school, and social relationships. The examiner should inquire about what your symptoms have affected you in each situation. how much does an adhd assessment cost will assist the evaluator identify the cause and make treatment recommendations.
A comprehensive assessment will comprise the symptoms ratings and standardized performance tests for ADHD. These tests are based on research which compares the behavior of people with ADHD and those who don't. They can improve the limitations of an interview with a clinician by focusing on specific behavior instead of assessing a person's general performance. These measures can also help assessors determine if the person is not being honest or attempting to cheat the test this issue has been identified for many years in the field of neuropsychological testing.
A thorough ADHD evaluation may include the brain scan or other neuroimaging tests in addition to the standard test and symptom rating scales. However these tests aren't often used in a clinic setting because they are expensive and expose the patient to ionizing radiation.