ADHD Diagnosis
Adults are more difficult to diagnose than children. A good diagnosis starts with a thorough interview conducted by an expert in ADHD.
Bring any medical or academic records with you to your appointment. You may also bring questionnaires and rating scales to provide information about your symptoms.
Symptoms
A thorough ADHD diagnosis requires physical examination and a discussion with a medical professional. The evaluator will ask questions about the person's family and childhood, and might use checklists to record the person's symptoms. The evaluator may also review the person's academic and work records, and may wish to talk with teachers or others 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. Those criteria are that the person suffers from multiple symptoms for at least 6 months, and that the symptoms occur in more than one place -- such as at home, school or at work. The evaluator will also look for other ailments that can cause similar symptoms, for example anxiety, depression, or a thyroid condition.
In adults the evaluator will evaluate how severe the symptoms are and how they impact work or social life. The evaluator might also ask the person how they feel about their symptoms and whether they affect their daily activities.
Many people with ADHD struggle to remember if their issues began in childhood or later. For that reason, a specialist will usually interview someone who knows the person well, such as a spouse or sibling for an adult; a parent or teacher for children. The evaluator might use checklists to assess adults, as well as a list with the behaviors that children exhibit.
Unlike in the past, the current guidelines for diagnosing ADHD indicate that an adult shouldn't be diagnosed with ADHD unless symptoms were present before age 12. This change is intended to stop people who experienced ADHD as children from being misdiagnosed as having other disorders like depression or anxiety.
Medical History
If you suspect your child or yourself has ADHD the first step should be to consult an expert who can perform an exhaustive assessment. Ask your personal physician or a local mental health care specialist for recommendations, or look in the phone book for "psychiatry" or "psychology." adhd assessments uk can also reach out to an adult support group with ADHD, as many of them will have worked with local experts who could provide referrals.
A healthcare professional will review a person's medical history and family history during the ADHD diagnostic assessment. They will inquire about the impact of the symptoms on functioning in different settings such as at work, at home or in relationships. It is crucial to determine the severity of the symptoms, as the APA's guidelines for ADHD stipulate that the symptoms must cause significant impairment to be classified as ADHD.
The healthcare professional will generally interview the person, but they might also request to speak to the person's siblings, parents and friends who are familiar with him. Some professionals will have people complete questionnaires or ratings scales, such as ADHD symptoms checklists as well as standardized behavior ratings. Teachers and other caregivers can be useful sources of information.
It is important to assess how the individual's symptoms affect with functioning in different settings, as the APA's diagnostic guidelines stipulate that symptoms must manifest frequently and impair performance. This is important due to the fact that other conditions like mood disorders and learning disabilities, may be similar to ADHD (Austerman 2015). A medical examination can be performed to determine if there are any other possible reasons for the symptoms. These include thyroid problems and hearing or vision issues, or medication such as stimulants and sedatives.
Family History
In some cases there is a family history of ADHD is a major factor in getting the diagnosis. It is highly inherited and a review of the patient's and relatives' histories can aid in determining if there's any familial pattern.
It is important for providers to get a complete picture of the symptoms a patient is experiencing, for example, whether they happen at work, school or in social situations. A doctor should also be able to determine the degree to which symptoms affect the patient's daily activities. This is a better measure than simply counting symptoms or looking at the level of intelligence of the patient.
For teens and children, a doctor may interview the child or teen and his or her parents. In many cases, a psychiatrist or pediatrician is an expert in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. A mental health specialist who has extensive experience in ADHD is required to conduct a detailed interview for adults.
A thorough evaluation includes a physical exam, which can help rule out certain conditions that can cause symptoms similar to ADHD. A complete medical history is also gathered. This could include medical and school records, as well as a psychologist or school counselor's psychological assessment. The school records of the past can be useful for adults to determine if the symptoms started in childhood.
In the case of diagnosing adults with psychiatric disorders, it is particularly important to examine how the symptoms affect the daily activities. A thorough psychiatric exam may also be necessary, involving rating scales and questionnaires by the patient and his or her caregivers, a medical interview, and a referral for medical examination. Adults can also undergo a psychometric or neuropsychological assessment to determine the relationship between their symptoms and learning disorders.
Interviews
A healthcare professional will speak with you or your child regarding their problems at home, school and in the community. The provider will ask about your or child's medical and family background, and will look over any documents you might have, like old school report cards. This information will allow the doctor to determine whether 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, and include both the school and at home. The rating must be performed by people who are familiar with your or your child's behavior like teachers and religious leaders, scout and Scout leaders, coaches and parents.
To be diagnosed with ADHD children and adults must exhibit a symptomatic behavior that is debilitating and hinders everyday functioning in multiple settings, such as at school, at work or playing. Symptoms should start in the early years of childhood, usually before the age of 12. They can't be caused by a mental health issue.
The sensitivity and accuracy of ADHD assessments can be enhanced by using neuropsychological and psychometric tests that test IQ and cognitive performance. However, they should only be utilized as part of an assessment strategy that includes a clinician interview as well as rating scales. These assessments may include the use of a standardized questionnaire, such as the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults (DIVA), or a computerized adaptive testing approach that measures response speed short-term memory, executive functions. In the near future, digital technology, such as virtual reality and head sensors that monitor head movements for continuous performance tests, can help improve the validity of ecological tests by permitting people to immerse themselves into their natural environment instead of sitting in a clinic.
Tests
Your GP or a mental health specialist may recommend you to an expert if he or she suspects ADHD. A complete evaluation should include an extensive interview, details from other sources, such as your spouse or significant others, and standardized behavior rating scales for ADHD. The evaluator will order tests in accordance with the clinical impression and will screen for any conditions that may be causing your symptoms. These could include depression as well as learning disabilities or a medical condition.
A thorough ADHD evaluation is required by the evaluator to determine if your symptoms are significantly affecting your life and performance. The impairment can occur in a variety of settings, for example, at home, at work, in school, or with your social relationships. The evaluator will ask you how your symptoms affected you in every situation. This will enable the evaluator make an assessment and formulate treatment recommendations.
A comprehensive assessment will comprise the rating of symptoms and standard performance tests for ADHD. These tests are founded on research that compares the behavior of people suffering from ADHD and those who do not. These instruments enhance the limitations of a standard clinical interview because they focus more on specific behaviors than the overall functioning of an individual. These tests can also help evaluators identify when an individual is being disingenuous or is trying to cheat on the test, a problem that has been recognized for many years in the field of neuropsychological testing.
A thorough ADHD assessment includes an examination of the brain or other neuroimaging techniques in addition to the normal test and symptom-rating scales. However, adhd assessments uk are not often used in a clinic setting due to the expense and expose the patient to radiation.