ADHD Diagnosis
Adults are more difficult to diagnose than children. A clinical interview with an ADHD expert is the first step towards an accurate diagnosis.
Bring any medical or academic records with you to your appointment. It's also beneficial to bring rating scales and interviews which can provide details regarding your symptoms.
Symptoms
A thorough ADHD diagnosis requires physical examination and an interview with a physician. The evaluator might ask questions about the person's family history and childhood and utilize checklists to note symptoms. The evaluator may also look over documents from the workplace and school, and may wish to speak with teachers or others who are close to 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 are that the person has experienced multiple symptoms for at least six months and that they occur in a variety of settings for example, at school or at home. The evaluator will also look for other conditions that could trigger similar symptoms, such as anxiety, depression or a thyroid problem.
Adults will be assessed to determine the severity of their symptoms and the impact they have on social or work life. The evaluation will also inquire how the person feels about their symptoms and how they affect their daily life.
Many people suffering from ADHD are unable to remember the exact date they began experiencing problems. A specialist will often 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 examiner might use checklists to assess adults and a list of the behaviors that children exhibit.
Unlike in the past, the current guidelines for diagnosing ADHD state that an adult can't be diagnosed with ADHD unless symptoms were present before age 12. This change is designed to prevent people who had ADHD as children from being misdiagnosed with other disorders like depression or anxiety.
Medical History
If you suspect your child or yourself has ADHD The first step is to seek out an expert who will conduct an extensive assessment. Contact your doctor or an experienced local mental health expert for recommendations, or look in the phone book for "psychiatry" or "psychology." You can also join an adult ADHD support group, as many will have worked with local specialists who could provide recommendations.
A healthcare professional will go over the medical history of a patient and family background during the ADHD diagnostic assessment. They will ask what the symptoms hinder functioning in different situations, including at home, at work, or in relationships. It is essential to determine how severe the symptoms are because the APA's diagnostic guidelines for ADHD note that the symptoms must cause significant impairment to be diagnosed.
The healthcare professional will usually interview the patient, but they may also speak to the person's parents, siblings and friends who know him well. Some professionals will have people fill out questionnaires or rating scales, which include ADHD symptoms checklists as well as standardized behavior ratings. Teachers and other caregivers can be valuable sources of information.
It is essential to evaluate the extent to which the individual's symptoms interfere with functioning in different situations, since the APA's diagnostic guidelines stipulate that symptoms must manifest frequently and impair performance. This is essential because other conditions like mood disorders and learning disabilities, can present similarly to ADHD (Austerman, 2015). In addition, a medical exam may be conducted to determine other possible causes of the symptoms, like thyroid problems, vision and hearing issues, or the use of certain drugs, such as stimulants or sedatives.
Family History
In some cases there are instances where the family history of ADHD is a crucial element in determining if you have an diagnosis. It is a hereditary condition, and a careful study of the patient's as well as his or her family members history can help determine the presence of a genetic pattern.
It is crucial for healthcare professionals to have a complete understanding of a patient's symptoms, 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 hinder their everyday functioning. This is a more accurate measure than simply counting symptoms or examining the intelligence of the patient.
For add adhd assessment and children, a doctor can interview the child or teen as well as his or her parents. In a majority of cases, a pediatrician or psychiatrist specializes in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD. For adults, a detailed interview is required by a mental health specialist who has a wealth of experience in ADHD and is able to examine each patient's presentation.
A comprehensive evaluation usually includes a physical exam which can rule out certain medical conditions that could cause similar symptoms as ADHD. A complete medical history is also taken. This could include school and medical records as along with a psychologist's or school counselor's psychological assessment. For adults, old school records are often helpful in determining if symptoms started in childhood.
When diagnosing adults in particular, it is crucial to look at how the symptoms interfere with the daily activities. A thorough psychiatric exam may be required, which includes ratings scales and questions from the patient and caregivers, as well as an interview with a clinician and referral for a medical examination. Additionally, psychometric or neuropsychological assessment is sometimes used for adults to determine how the symptoms are linked to learning disorders and other cognitive impairments.
Interviews
A healthcare professional will ask you or your child about their problems at home, school and in the community. The provider will ask about your or child's medical personal, family, and medical background, and will look over any records you bring, such as old school report cards. This information will assist the doctor to decide if you or your child should take a test for diagnosing 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 period of six months which includes both home and school. The ratings should be provided by those who know your child or yourself well, including teachers, coaches, Scouts, religious leaders and parents.
Adults and children who are diagnosed with ADHD have symptoms that are debilitating, and affect their daily activities whether at school, work or playing. The symptoms must manifest in childhood, typically before age 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 sensitivity and specificity of ADHD evaluations. However, they should only be utilized as part of an assessment strategy that includes a clinician interview and rating scales. 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 responses speed, short-term memory and executive functions. In the near future, technology that is digital like virtual reality and head motion sensors for continuous performance tests, could help improve the ecological validity by permitting people to immerse themselves in their natural surroundings instead of sitting in a clinic.
Tests
Your GP or mental health care professional may refer you to an expert if he or they suspect ADHD. A complete evaluation will include a thorough interview, information from other sources, such as your spouse or significant others, and the standardized scales of behavior ratings for ADHD. The evaluator will order tests based on the clinical impression to check for any conditions that might be causing your symptoms. These include depression as well as learning disabilities or a medical condition.
In order to conduct a thorough ADHD assessment, the evaluator must determine if the symptoms have a significant impact on your life and performance. The impairment can occur in many different settings, like at home, at work, in school, or with your social connections. The evaluator will inquire how your condition affected you in each situation. This will enable the evaluator to make an assessment, and then formulate treatment recommendations.
In addition to the symptom ratings A complete assessment typically includes one or more standardized performance test for ADHD. These tests are based on research comparing the behavior of people with ADHD with those without. 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 aid in identifying when the person is not being honest or is trying to cheat on the test, a problem that has been recognized for a number of years in the field of neuropsychological testing.
In addition to the standard test and symptom rating scales and symptom rating scales, a thorough ADHD assessment should include brain scans or other imaging techniques for the brain. However these tests aren't often used in a clinic setting because they are expensive and expose patients to ionizing radiation.