ADHD Diagnosis
Finding out if you have 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.
You should bring any medical or academic records to your appointment. It is also beneficial to bring ratings scales and interviews which can provide details regarding your symptoms.
Symptoms
A doctor will conduct a physical exam and interview you to determine if ADHD is present. The examiner may ask questions about the person's childhood and family history and utilize checklists to document symptoms. The evaluator may also review the person's school and work records, and may also want to speak 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. The criteria is that the person suffers from multiple symptoms for at least six months and that the symptoms are present in more than one place -- for example, at home, at work or school. The examiner will also look for other conditions that can cause similar symptoms, like depression, anxiety or a thyroid problem.
In adults the evaluator will evaluate how severe the symptoms are and how they affect the way that they work or interact with others. The evaluator will also ask what the person's feelings are about the symptoms and how much they interfere with daily functioning.
Many people with ADHD cannot remember the time when their issues began. A specialist may interview someone who is familiar with the person, like their spouse, sibling or parent for an adult, or a teacher or parent for the child. The evaluator might use checklists to assess adults, as well as a list with the behaviors that children exhibit.
Contrary to previous diagnostic guidelines the adult can't be diagnosed with ADHD until symptoms begin to manifest before the age of 12. This change is meant to avoid people suffering from ADHD who were diagnosed as children from being mistakenly diagnosed with other disorders, for example, anxiety and depression.
Medical History
If you suspect your child or yourself suffer from ADHD The first step is to speak with an expert who will perform an exhaustive evaluation. Contact your doctor or an area mental health professional for recommendations, or look in the phone book under "psychiatry" or "psychology." You can also reach out to a support group for adults with ADHD since many of them will have worked with local experts who are able to offer referrals.
During the ADHD diagnostic evaluation, a medical specialist will examine the patient's medical and family history. They will ask about the impact of the symptoms on functioning in different settings, like at work, at home or in relationships. It is essential to determine the severity of the symptoms because the APA's diagnostic guidelines for ADHD stipulate that the symptoms must cause significant impairment to be diagnosed.
The healthcare professional will interview the patient, but may request information from his or her parents siblings, friends, and parents who know him. Some healthcare professionals require patients to fill out questionnaires or scales. These may include ADHD symptoms checklists and rating of behavior. Teachers and other caregivers can be important sources of information.
The APA's Diagnostic Guidelines say that symptoms should be frequent and impact performance. This is crucial due to the fact that other conditions, such as mood disorders and learning disabilities, can present similarly to ADHD (Austerman, 2015). Additionally assessment for adhd by a doctor could be conducted to determine other possible causes for the symptoms, like thyroid issues, vision or hearing issues, or the use of certain drugs like stimulants or sedatives.
Family History
In certain cases there is a history of ADHD within the family may be a major factor in determining the diagnosis. It is highly heritable, and a thorough review of the patient's and relatives' histories can aid in determining if there's any familial pattern.
It is essential that doctors have a complete understanding of the symptoms of their patients, including whether or not they happen in work, school or in social settings. A healthcare professional must also consider the extent of how a patient's symptoms affect their daily functioning. This is a more accurate method than simply examining the number of symptoms or examining a patient's IQ.
A doctor can interview a child or teen, as well as his or her parents. In many cases, a pediatrician or psychiatrist specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. A mental health specialist who has extensive experience in ADHD is required to conduct a thorough interview for adults.
A comprehensive evaluation usually includes a physical examination, that can rule out certain medical conditions that could cause similar symptoms to ADHD. A complete medical history is also gathered. For children, this may include prior medical and school records and an evaluation of psychological health by school counselors or psychologists. For adults documents from school are often helpful in determining if symptoms started in the early years of life.
If you are diagnosing an adult with psychiatric disorders, it is particularly important to determine if the symptoms interfere with everyday functioning. A thorough psychiatric evaluation may be required, including ratings scales and questions from caregivers and patients, as well as a clinical interview and referral for medical exam. In addition assessment of neuropsychological or psychometric factors is often used for adults to determine if the symptoms are linked to learning disorders and other cognitive impairments.
assessments for adhd will speak with you or your child about problems at home, school and in the community. The doctor will also inquire about your or your child's past medical, family and personal history and will review any documents you may bring with you like old report cards from school. This information will help the doctor to determine whether you or your child should to take 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 usually taken over the course of six months which includes both home and school. The ratings must be done by people who are familiar with your or your child's behaviors like teachers, religious and scout leaders, coaches and parents.
Children and adults diagnosed with ADHD have symptoms that are debilitating, and affect their daily activities at work, school or playing. The signs should be evident in the early years of childhood, usually before 12 years of age. They are not caused by any other mental health issue.
Psychometric and neuropsychological tests that measure IQ, cognitive functioning and brain function can increase the accuracy and sensitivity of ADHD evaluations. They should be utilized in conjunction with a clinician's interview and rating scales as part of a comprehensive assessment plan. These tests could include the use of a standardized questionnaire, such as the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults (DIVA), or an adaptive test that is computerized that can measure the speed of response, short-term memory and executive functions. In the near future digital technology, such as virtual reality for continuous performance tests and head movement sensors 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 a clinical office.
Tests
Your GP or mental health professional may recommend you to specialists if he/she suspects ADHD. A thorough evaluation should consist of a comprehensive interview, information from independent sources like your spouse or significant other, and standardized behavior rating scales for ADHD. The evaluator will recommend tests based on the clinical impression to check for conditions that could be affecting your symptoms. These include depression or learning disabilities, or a medical illness.
To conduct an exhaustive ADHD assessment, the evaluator must determine if the symptoms have a significant impact on your life and functioning. The problem can manifest in a variety of settings for example, at home at work, at school, or even in your social interactions. The evaluator should ask what the impact of your condition has been on your life in each of these settings. This will enable the evaluator to make an assessment, and then formulate treatment suggestions.
In addition to the symptom ratings A comprehensive assessment usually includes one or more standardized performance test for ADHD. These tests are based on research and compare the behavior of those with ADHD to those without it. They enhance the effectiveness of a clinical interview by focusing on specific behavior rather than the general performance. These measures can help assessors identify when a person is lying or attempting to cheat a test. This problem has been recognized in the field for a long time.
A thorough ADHD evaluation will include a brain scan or other neuroimaging tests in addition to the normal test and symptom-rating scales. However these tests aren't commonly used in a clinical setting due to the cost and expose patients to ionizing radiation.