ADHD Diagnosis
The process of diagnosing ADHD in adults can be trickier than diagnosing ADHD in children. A consultation with an ADHD expert is the first step in obtaining a good diagnosis.
Bring any medical or academic records to your appointment. You can bring questionnaires and rating scales that give details about your symptoms.
Symptoms
A doctor will conduct a physical examination and interview you to determine whether ADHD is present. The evaluator will inquire about the person's family and childhood, and might use checklists to record the symptoms of the individual. The evaluator can also look over the person's school and work records, and may also want to speak with teachers or other people who spend time with them.
The evaluator will use the official lists of symptoms for inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity to determine whether the person meets diagnostic criteria. The criteria are that the person must have experienced multiple symptoms for at least six months, and that they occur in a variety of settings such as at school or at home. The evaluator may also be looking for other conditions that may cause similar symptoms, such as depression, anxiety or a thyroid issue.
Adults will be assessed to determine the severity of their symptoms and the impact they have on their work or social lives. The evaluator can also inquire about what their feelings are about their symptoms and whether or not they interfere with their daily life.
Many people with ADHD are unable to remember the exact date they began experiencing problems. For that reason, an expert will typically interview someone who knows the person well like siblings or spouses for an adult or an educator or parent for the child. The assessor may use checklists for adults, and for children there is a list of behavior to be on the lookout for.
Contrary to the past, the current diagnostic guidelines stipulate that an adult cannot be diagnosed with ADHD in the event that symptoms appeared before the age of 12. This change is designed to stop people who experienced ADHD as children from being misdiagnosed with other disorders such as depression or anxiety.
Medical History
If you suspect that your child or yourself has ADHD, your first step should be to seek out an expert who will perform an extensive evaluation. Talk to your doctor or 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, since many will have worked with local specialists who are able to provide recommendations.
A healthcare professional will go over the medical history of a patient and family background during the ADHD diagnostic evaluation. They will ask about the impact of the symptoms on functioning in different settings, like at work, home, or in relationships. It is essential to determine the severity of the symptoms because the APA's guidelines for diagnosing ADHD state that the symptoms have to cause significant impairment for the diagnosis to be made.
The healthcare professional will typically interview the person, but they might also request to talk to his or her siblings, parents and friends who are familiar with him. Some healthcare professionals require patients to complete questionnaires or scales. These include ADHD symptom checklists and rating of behavior. Teachers and other caregivers can also be useful sources of information.
The APA's Diagnostic Guidelines stipulate that symptoms should be frequent and affect 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 other possible causes of the symptoms. These include thyroid problems as well as hearing or vision issues, or prescription medications like stimulants and sedatives.
Family History
In certain cases the presence of ADHD in the family can be a major factor in the determination of the diagnosis. It is highly genetically inherited, and a thorough review of the patient and their relatives' histories can aid in determining if there is any pattern of inheritance in the family.
It is important that providers have a complete understanding of the symptoms of their patients, including whether or not they occur at work, in school or in social settings. A physician should also consider the degree to which symptoms interfere with a person's daily functioning. This is a better measure than simply calculating symptoms or assessing the intelligence of a patient.
For teens and children doctors may conduct an interview with the teen or child and his or her parents. In many instances, a pediatrician or psychiatrist is specialized in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD. For adults, a thorough interview is required by a mental health specialist who has a wealth of experience in ADHD and has the time to examine each patient's situation.
A comprehensive evaluation includes a physical examination, which can help determine certain conditions that can cause symptoms similar to ADHD. A complete medical history is also taken. For children, this may include prior medical and school records and an evaluation of the psychological state by a school counselor or psychologist. For adults, old school records are often helpful in determining whether symptoms began in the early years of childhood.
When diagnosing adults, it is crucial to look at how the symptoms affect daily functioning. A thorough psychiatric examination may be required, which may include ratings scales and questions from caregivers and patients, as well as an interview with a clinician and referral for a medical examination. In addition psychometric or neuropsychological assessments is sometimes used for adults to determine how the symptoms are linked to learning disorders and other cognitive impairments.
Interviews
A provider will ask you or your child questions regarding their issues at home, school and in the community. The provider will ask about your or child's medical, family, and personal background, and will look over any documents you might have, like old school report cards. This information will help the provider decide whether you or your child should take a test to diagnose 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, and include both home and school. The ratings should be provided by people who know your child or you well, such as coaches, teachers, religious leaders, scouts, and parents.
Children and adults who are diagnosed with ADHD have symptoms that are debilitating, and can hinder their daily functioning whether at school, work, or play. The symptoms should manifest in the early years of the early years of childhood, usually before the age of 12. They aren't caused by a mental health condition.
Psychometric and neuropsychological tests that measure IQ, brain function, and cognitive functioning can enhance the accuracy and precision of ADHD assessments. However, they should be used as part of an assessment strategy that includes a clinical interview and rating scales. These assessments could include the administration a standardized test like the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults or a computerized testing method that measures executive functions, short-term memories, and response speed. In the future digital technology like 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 into their natural environment instead of sitting in a clinic office.
Tests
Your doctor or mental health care professional could refer you to a specialist if he or suspects ADHD. A thorough assessment should include an extensive interview, data from independent sources such as your spouse or significant other and standardized behavior rating scales for ADHD. Based on the clinical impression the evaluator might also request tests to check for any other conditions that could have an impact on your symptoms, like depression, learning disabilities or a medical condition.
A thorough ADHD assessment requires the examiner to determine if your symptoms are significantly impairing your life and performance. The impairment can occur in many different settings, for example, at home at work, at school, or with your social relationships. get assessed for adhd needs to know what the impact of your condition has been on your life in each of these settings. This will enable the evaluator to establish a diagnosis, and develop treatment recommendations.
A complete assessment will include the symptom ratings and standardized performance tests for ADHD. These tests are based on research that compares the behavior of people suffering from ADHD to those without it. These instruments can help overcome the limitations of a traditional clinical interview because they focus more on specific behavior rather than an individual's overall performance. These tests can help evaluaters determine if a person is lying or attempting to cheat on a test. This problem has been recognized in the field for many years.
In addition to the standard test and the symptom-rating scales, a thorough ADHD evaluation should include brain scans and other imaging techniques for the brain. However, these tests are not commonly used in a clinical setting because they are expensive and expose the patient to ionizing radiation.