ADHD Diagnosis
Finding out if you have ADHD in adults can be trickier than diagnosing children. A consultation with an ADHD expert is the first step in obtaining getting a reliable diagnosis.
Bring any medical or academic records to your appointment. You can also bring questionnaires or rating scales that provide details on your symptoms.
Signs and symptoms
A doctor will conduct a physical examination and interview you to determine if ADHD is present. The examiner will ask questions about the person's family and childhood, and may use checklists to note the symptoms of the individual. The evaluator can also look over the person's work and school documents, and may want to talk with teachers or other individuals 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 suffers from multiple symptoms for at least six months and that the symptoms are present in more than one setting -- such as at home and at school or at work. The evaluator can also look for other conditions that may cause similar symptoms, such as anxiety or depression.
In adults the evaluator will determine how severe the symptoms are and how they impact the way that they work or interact with others. The evaluator may also ask the person what their feelings are about their symptoms and whether or not they interfere with their daily activities.
Many people who suffer from ADHD struggle to remember if their problems started in the early years or later. A specialist may interview anyone who is familiar with the person, like their spouse, sibling or parent for an adult or a teacher parent of a child. The evaluator might employ checklists for adults, and for children there is a list of behavior to watch for.
Contrary to previous diagnostic guidelines An adult cannot be diagnosed with ADHD until the symptoms have been identified before the age of 12. This change is intended to prevent people who had ADHD as children from being misdiagnosed with other disorders, such as depression or anxiety.
Medical History
If you suspect your child or yourself may have ADHD, your first step should be to seek out an expert who can perform a thorough evaluation. Consult your doctor or mental health expert in your area for recommendations, or look in the phone book for "psychiatry" and "psychology." You can also contact a support group for adults with ADHD since many of them will have worked with local experts who could provide recommendations.
A healthcare professional will go over a person's medical history and family background during the ADHD diagnostic assessment. They will inquire about whether the symptoms affect functioning in various settings, such as at home, at work or in relationships. It is essential to determine the severity of the symptoms, as the APA's guidelines for ADHD state that symptoms must cause significant impairment to be classified as ADHD.
The healthcare professional will speak with the patient, but may also ask for details from the patient's parents siblings, friends, and parents who are familiar with him. Some professionals will have people fill out questionnaires or rating scales, which include ADHD symptoms checklists and standardized behavior ratings. Teachers and other caregivers can be valuable sources of information, too.
It is crucial to determine how the person's symptoms interfere in a variety of environments, as the APA's diagnostic guidelines stipulate that the symptoms must occur frequently and impair performance. This is vital, as other conditions like mood disorders or learning disabilities may present in a similar way as ADHD (Austerman 2015). Additionally medical exams can be conducted to determine other possible causes of the symptoms, such as thyroid issues, vision or hearing issues or the use of certain medications like stimulants or sedatives.
Family History
In certain cases there is a history of ADHD within the family may be a major factor in making a diagnosis. It is a highly heritable condition, and a careful review of the patient's and his or her family members histories can help determine whether there is a family pattern.
It is essential for health professionals to have a complete understanding of the symptoms a patient is experiencing, for example, whether they happen at work, school or in social situations. A provider must also assess the degree to which a person's symptoms affect their daily functioning. This is a more reliable measure than simply looking at the number of symptoms or examining a patient's IQ.
For teens and children doctors may conduct an interview with the child or teen and their parents. In many cases, a pediatrician or psychiatrist specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. A mental health professional with extensive experience in ADHD is required to conduct an in-depth interview for adults.
A thorough evaluation typically includes a physical exam which can rule out specific health conditions that may cause similar symptoms as ADHD. A complete medical record is also required. This could include school and medical records as in addition to a psychologist's or school counselor's psychological evaluation. Old school records can be helpful to adults to determine whether symptoms started in the early years of childhood.
When diagnosing adults with psychiatric disorders, it is particularly important to look at how the symptoms interfere with everyday functioning. A thorough psychiatric examination is also possible with regard to the use of questionnaires and rating scales by the patient and their caregivers, a psychotherapy interview and referral for a medical exam. Additionally psychometric or neuropsychological assessments is often used for adults in order to see how the symptoms relate to learning disorders and other cognitive impairments.
Interviews
A healthcare professional will speak with you or your child regarding their issues at home, in school, and in the community. The provider will inquire about your or child's medical personal, family, and medical history, and will also 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 should to take an assessment 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 usually taken over a six-month time period which includes both at school and home. The ratings must be done by people who are familiar with your or your child's behavior, such as teachers, religious and Scout leaders, coaches, and parents.
To be diagnosed with ADHD children and adults must exhibit behavior that is a source of distress and hinders everyday functioning in multiple settings, such as at school, at work or playing. The signs must be evident in the early years of childhood, typically before age 12. They can't be caused by a mental health condition.
Psychometric and neuropsychological tests that test IQ, brain function and cognitive functioning can improve the accuracy and precision of ADHD assessments. They should be used alongside a clinician's assessment and rating scales as part of a comprehensive assessment strategy. These assessments could include the administration of a standardized test like the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults or a computerized testing approach which measures executive functions, short-term memories and speed of response. In the near future, digital technology, such as virtual reality and head sensors that monitor head movements for continuous performance tests, may help improve ecological validity by giving people the opportunity to immerse in their natural surroundings instead of being in a clinic.
Tests
If your doctor or mental healthcare professional suspects ADHD the doctor might recommend you to an ADHD specialist. A thorough evaluation should consist of a comprehensive interview, information from other sources, such as your spouse or significant other and standardized behavior rating scales for ADHD. The evaluator will conduct tests based on the clinical impression and will screen for any conditions that may affect your symptoms. These include depression as well as learning disabilities or a medical condition.
A thorough ADHD evaluation is required by the evaluator to determine whether your symptoms are seriously affecting your life and performance. adhd diagnostic assessment can manifest in a variety of settings, for example, at home at work, at school, or in your social connections. The evaluator will inquire how your condition affected you in each circumstance. This will allow the evaluator make an assessment, and then formulate treatment recommendations.
In addition to the symptom ratings The complete assessment typically includes one or more performance tests that are standard for ADHD. These instruments for testing are based on research that compares the behavior of people with ADHD to those without it. These instruments can help overcome the limitations of a traditional clinical interview by focusing more on specific behavior rather than an individual's overall performance. These measures can help evaluators identify when an individual is lying or is trying to cheat on the test this issue has been recognized for a number of years in the field of neuropsychological testing.
In addition to the standardized test and the symptom rating scales as well as the symptom rating scales, an extensive ADHD evaluation should include brain scans and other imaging procedures for neurological disorders. These tests aren't used in clinical settings because they cost a lot of money and expose patients to radioactivity ionizing.