ADHD Diagnosis
Adults are more difficult to identify than children. An interview with a clinical ADHD expert is the first step towards a good 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 about your health issues.
Symptoms
A doctor will conduct a physical exam and interview you to determine whether ADHD is present. The evaluator may inquire about a person's childhood and family history and utilize checklists to document symptoms. The evaluator can also look over the person's work and school records, and may also want to speak with teachers or other individuals 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 is that the person has several symptoms that last for at least 6 months, and that the symptoms manifest in more than one location -- such as at home, at school or at work. The examiner will also look for other conditions that could trigger similar symptoms, for example anxiety, depression, or a thyroid condition.
Adults will be evaluated to determine the severity of their symptoms and the impact they have on their work or social lives. The evaluator can also ask the person how they feel about their symptoms and whether they impact their daily activities.
Many people with ADHD struggle to remember if their problems began in the beginning or later. This is why a specialist will usually interview someone who knows the person well like an adult sibling or spouse for an adult; parents or teachers for a child. The examiner can use checklists to examine adults and a list of behaviors for children.
Contrary to previous diagnostic guidelines the adult can't be diagnosed with ADHD until the symptoms have been identified prior to the age of 12. This change is intended to stop people suffering from ADHD who were diagnosed as children from being mistakenly diagnosed with other disorders, such as anxiety and depression.
Medical Histories
If you suspect your child or yourself has ADHD, your first step should be to seek out an expert who can perform an exhaustive assessment. Consult your physician or an experienced local mental health specialist for recommendations, or search the phone book for "psychiatry" or "psychology." You can also contact an adult ADHD support group, since many of them have worked with local specialists who can provide referrals.
A healthcare professional will look over the medical history of a patient and background information regarding the family during the ADHD diagnostic assessment. They will ask about the effects 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 in light of the APA's diagnostic guidelines for ADHD note that the symptoms must cause significant impairment for the diagnosis to be made.
The healthcare professional will talk to the patient, but they may also seek details from the patient's parents siblings, friends, and parents who know him. Some professionals ask people to fill out questionnaires or scales. adhd online assessment may also ask for ADHD symptoms checklists and ratings of behavior. Teachers and other caregivers can be important sources of information.
The APA's Diagnostic Guidelines state that symptoms must be frequent and impact performance. This is crucial, since other conditions like mood disorders or learning disabilities could present in a similar way as ADHD (Austerman 2015). In addition medical exams can be performed to check for other possible causes of the symptoms, including thyroid problems, vision and hearing problems or the use of certain drugs such as stimulants or sedatives.
Family History
In certain cases, a family history of ADHD is a key factor in getting a diagnosis. It is a highly inheritable condition, and a careful examination of the patient's and relatives' histories can help establish the presence of a genetic pattern.
It is crucial that healthcare professionals have a complete picture of the symptoms of their patients, such as whether or not they happen in school, at work or in social settings. A physician should also consider the extent to which symptoms affect a person's daily functioning. This is a more accurate test than simply looking at the number of symptoms or looking at a patient's IQ.
For children and teens, a doctor may interview the child or teen and his or her parents. In most instances, a pediatrician or psychiatrist is trained to evaluate 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 has the time to carefully evaluate each patient's presentation.
A comprehensive evaluation includes a physical examination, which can help rule out certain conditions that can cause symptoms similar to ADHD. A complete medical history is also gathered. For children, this can include prior medical and school records as well as an evaluation of the psychological state by a school counselor or psychologist. For adults documents from school are often helpful in determining if symptoms started in childhood.
When diagnosing adults, it is important to consider how symptoms impact daily life. A thorough psychiatric evaluation might be required, which includes scoring scales and questions asked by the caregiver and patient, as well as an interview with a clinician and referral to a medical exam. Adults can also undergo a psychometric or neuropsychological test to determine the connection between their symptoms and learning disorders.
Interviews
A professional will talk to you or your child about issues at home, in school and in the community. The provider will inquire about your or child's medical and family background, and will look over any records that you may have, like old school report cards. This information will allow the doctor to determine whether you or your child needs to undergo 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 period of six months, and cover both at home and school. The rating must be performed by people who are familiar with your or your child's behaviors like teachers and religious leaders, scout and Scout leaders, coaches and parents.
To be diagnosed with ADHD, children and adults must have symptomatic behavior that is debilitating and hinders everyday functioning in a variety of environments, including school, at work, or at play. The symptoms must manifest in the early years of childhood, usually before age 12. They are not caused by any other mental health condition.
Psychometric and neuropsychological tests to measure IQ, brain function and cognitive functioning can improve the accuracy and precision of ADHD assessments. They should be utilized in conjunction with a clinician's interview and rating scales as part of a comprehensive assessment plan. These assessments can involve the administration of a standardized test like the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults or a computerized test method that tests executive functions, short-term memories and speed of response. In the near future, technology that is digital like virtual reality and head movement sensors for continuous performance tests, may help improve ecological validity by giving people the opportunity to immerse in their natural surroundings instead of sitting in a clinic.
Tests
If your physician or mental healthcare professional suspects ADHD they might recommend you to an ADHD specialist. A thorough assessment should include an extensive interview, data from other sources, such as your spouse or significant other and standardized behavior rating scales for ADHD. The evaluator will recommend tests according to the clinical impression to screen for any conditions that might be affecting your symptoms. These include depression as well as learning disabilities or a medical condition.
A thorough ADHD evaluation requires the evaluator to determine if your symptoms are significantly impairing your life and performance. The problem can manifest in many different settings, such as at home at work, at school, or even in your social connections. The evaluator will inquire how your condition affected you in every situation. This will allow the evaluator to establish an assessment and formulate treatment suggestions.
A comprehensive test will include, in addition to symptom ratings and standard performance tests for ADHD. These tests are based on research comparing the behavior of those with ADHD with those without. They enhance the effectiveness of the clinical interview by focusing on specific behavior instead of assessing a person's overall functioning. These measures can assist assessors identify when a person is lying or trying to cheat a test. This problem has been recognized by experts in the field for years.
A thorough ADHD assessment may include the brain scan or other neuroimaging techniques in addition to the standard test and symptom rating scales. However these tests aren't often used in a clinic setting due to the cost and expose patients to ionizing radiation.