ADHD Diagnosis
Finding out if you have ADHD in adults can be more difficult than diagnosing children. A consultation with an ADHD expert is the first step towards getting a reliable diagnosis.
Bring any medical or academic records with you to your appointment. It's also beneficial to bring ratings scales and interviews that can provide information regarding your symptoms.
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 documents from the workplace and school, and may also want to speak with teachers or other individuals who spend time 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 person has had several symptoms for atleast six months and occur in multiple settings, such as at school and at home. The evaluator may also check for other conditions which can cause similar symptoms such as anxiety or depression.
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 how they feel about their symptoms and whether they affect their daily activities.
Many people suffering from ADHD are unable to remember the time when their issues began. For that reason, an expert will typically interview someone who is familiar with the person like siblings or spouses for an adult or an educator or parent for a child. The examiner may use checklists to evaluate adults, as well as a list with the behaviors that children exhibit.
Contrary to the past, the current guidelines for diagnosing ADHD stipulate that an adult cannot be diagnosed with ADHD when symptoms were evident before the age of 12. This change is meant to avoid people suffering from ADHD who were diagnosed as kids from being misdiagnosed as having other disorders, like anxiety and depression.
Medical Histories
If you suspect that your child or yourself suffer from ADHD the first step is to seek out an expert who can perform an extensive evaluation. Ask your doctor or a mental health expert in your area for recommendations, or look in the phone book for "psychiatry" and "psychology." You can also reach out to an adult support group with ADHD since many of them have worked with local experts who can provide referrals.
A healthcare professional will review the medical history of a patient and family history during the ADHD diagnostic evaluation. They will ask about how the symptoms affect the person's performance in various settings, like at home, work or in relationships. It is important to determine the severity of the symptoms as the APA's guidelines on ADHD stipulate that the symptoms must cause significant impairment in order to be diagnosed.
The healthcare professional will typically interview the person, but they might also request to speak to the person's parents, siblings, and other family members who know him well. Some healthcare professionals will ask people to complete questionnaires or ratings scales, including ADHD symptoms checklists and standardized behavior ratings. Teachers and other caregivers can be valuable sources of information as well.
It is important to assess how the person's symptoms interfere in various environments, as the APA's diagnostic guidelines stipulate that symptoms must manifest frequently and affect performance. This is important, as other conditions like mood disorders or learning disabilities may appear similar as ADHD (Austerman 2015). A medical exam may also be performed to determine if there are any other possible causes of the symptoms. get assessed for adhd include thyroid problems and hearing or vision issues, or medications like stimulants and sedatives.
Family History
In certain instances there is a history of ADHD in the family could be a significant factor in making a diagnosis. It is a hereditary condition, and a careful study of the patient's as well as relatives' histories can help establish whether there is a family pattern.
It is crucial that healthcare professionals have a complete picture of the symptoms of their patients, including whether or not they are present in work, school or in social situations. A doctor should also be able to determine the degree of how symptoms impact the person's everyday functioning. This is a more accurate test than simply looking at the number of symptoms or examining a patient's IQ.
A doctor can interview teens or children, and also the parents. In many cases, a psychiatrist or pediatrician is a specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. For adults, a detailed interview is required by a mental health professional who has a wealth of experience in ADHD and is able to examine the individual's symptoms.
A comprehensive evaluation includes a physical exam, which helps to rule out certain conditions that may cause symptoms similar to ADHD. A complete medical history is also a must. For children, this can include medical and school records as well as an evaluation of psychological health by a school counselor or psychologist. School records from the past can be helpful to adults to determine if the symptoms started in childhood.
In the case of diagnosing adults, it's important to consider how symptoms affect daily functioning. A thorough psychiatric exam could be required, involving the use of questionnaires and rating scales by the patient and their caregivers, a psychotherapy interview and referral for a medical exam. Adults can 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 concerns at home, at school and in the community. The provider will inquire about your child's medical personal, family, and medical background, and will look over any records that you may bring, such as old school report cards. This information will help the doctor to determine if you or your child should 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. These ratings are typically taken over a six-month period, which includes both at school and home. The ratings should be provided by people who know your child or yourself well, including coaches, teachers and Scouts, religious leaders and parents.
Children and adults diagnosed with ADHD are likely to exhibit symptoms that are debilitating and affect their daily activities at work, school or playing. The signs must be evident in the early years of the early years, typically before the age of 12. They aren't caused by a mental health issue.
Psychometric and neuropsychological tests to measure IQ, cognitive functioning and brain function can enhance the accuracy and sensitivity of ADHD evaluations. However, they should only be utilized as part of an assessment plan that includes a clinician interview and rating scales. These assessments can involve the administration of a standardized test, such as the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults or a computerized testing approach which measures executive functions, short-term memory and speed of response. In the near future, digital technology such as virtual reality for continuous performance tests as well as sensors for head movement may help to improve ecological validity of these ADHD assessment tools by giving the person being assessed to be immersed in their natural environment rather than sitting in an office for clinical evaluation.
Tests
If your GP or mental healthcare professional suspects ADHD they may refer you to an ADHD specialist. A thorough evaluation will consist of an in-depth 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 conduct tests according to the clinical impression and will screen for any conditions that may affect your symptoms. These could include depression or learning disabilities, or a medical condition.
In order to conduct an exhaustive ADHD evaluation, the evaluator must determine whether your symptoms significantly impact your daily life and function. It can happen in a variety settings, including your workplace, home or school, as well as social interactions. The evaluator should ask how your symptoms have impacted your life in each of these settings. This will allow the evaluator make an assessment, and then formulate treatment recommendations.
In addition to the symptom rating A comprehensive assessment usually includes one or more standardized performance test for ADHD. These instruments for testing are based on research and compare the behavior of people with ADHD to those who do not. They improve upon the limitations of a clinical interview by focusing on specific behavior rather than the overall performance. These measures can assist evaluaters determine if a person is lying or attempting to cheat a test. This problem has been recognized by experts in the field for many years.
A thorough ADHD assessment may include an examination of the brain or other neuroimaging tests in addition to the standard test and symptom rating scales. However, these tests are not often used in a clinic setting because they are expensive and expose the patient to ionizing radiation.