ADHD Evaluations and Diagnoses

Getting a diagnosis is the first step towards understanding and managing symptoms. Find a licensed mental health specialist or physician (psychiatrist or neurologist, family doctor) who is specialized in ADHD diagnosis and evaluation.

The specialist will conduct a structured interview to examine your past. They may want to see old report cards and talk to parents, relatives or even friends about childhood behaviors.

Signs and symptoms

Children and adults who have symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often have trouble with paying close attention, listening attentively and following directions--things that come naturally to others. I Am Psychiatry can also cause problems with relationships and learning at school, home and work. Speak to your GP when you or your child displays these symptoms. They're not able to definitively diagnose ADHD but they can discuss your concerns with you and recommend specialist services, if needed.

A GP can determine if you suffer from ADHD symptoms by asking questions, reviewing medical documents and your health history, and then performing an examination. It is also possible to mention the background of ADHD in your family to help with the diagnosis. The GP will then recommend you to a psychologist or psychiatrist to conduct a psychiatric examination. The evaluation may include a description and scales of your symptoms that are completed by you and your caregivers and physical examination, laboratory tests, and a psychiatric examination.

Psychiatrists and psychology can diagnose ADHD among adolescents and children using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition of the American Psychiatric Association. They look for inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity behaviors that last for at least six months and determine if these symptoms impact your daily life, at home, at work, and in school.

Adults can be diagnosed with ADHD in the same way, but their symptoms are more likely to manifest differently as they grow older. They can have a predominantly inattentive presentation of the disorder, a predominantly hyperactive/impulsive presentation or a combination of both.

If your adult symptoms are in line with the guidelines for diagnosis, you could be treated with medication. Psychostimulants, which affect neurotransmitters in the brain, are commonly prescribed to treat ADHD in adults. These drugs improve focus and concentration, while improving alertness and energy. They can be prescribed in extended-release form to reduce side effects. Adults with inattentive ADHD might be treated with antidepressants. These drugs, like Wellbutrin (bupropion) and Effexor (venlafaxine) can affect the brain's neurotransmitters and improve focus and mood.

Diagnosis

A diagnosis of ADHD can help you gain control of your symptoms that could affect your professional and personal lives. A psychiatric assessment is performed by a licensed mental health professional or physician (psychiatrist or neurologist, family doctor, or any other kind of medical specialist). A person who is diagnosed with a symptom-based diagnosis like ADHD, must meet specific guidelines laid out in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition, to receive treatment for ADHD.

During an ADHD assessment, your healthcare provider will ask questions regarding your child's behavior in the home, school and social settings. Your child's medical history as well as family history and development will be studied. Then, they will evaluate your child's behavior to that of other children their age. They may use standardized ratings scales to determine the frequency of certain behavioral issues, such as the inability to focus, forgetting about things, or interrupting other people.

There are three presentations of ADHD - predominately inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive and combined. To be diagnosed with ADHD, your child must meet six of the nine symptoms that fall under either the inattentive or the hyperactive-impulsive categories. They must be present in more than one setting that affect your child's behavior and cause problems and be present for at least six months.

If your child does not meet all of the criteria needed to be diagnosed of inattentive ADHD, your healthcare provider will assign them an unspecified ADHD. They might also decide that your child does not have a hyperactive-impulsive presentation of the condition and not give them an official ADHD diagnosis.

A thorough psychiatric examination could include neuropsychological and psycho-psychological tests, as well as computer-based cognitive tests. Your healthcare provider will also check your child's blood pressure and conduct an examination of the body to determine if there are any medical conditions that could be a cause of ADHD symptoms like thyroid disorders or head injuries (Austerman 2015). They may also ask for an extensive history of the issue from parents and teachers and perform a thorough interview with your child as well as family members. They'll also be looking into whether there is an ancestry of ADHD in the family, as it is highly inheritable.

Treatment

If someone has been diagnosed with ADHD the person may need medication and/or therapy for behavioral issues. Behavioral therapy may include individual and family counseling as also group therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). To begin treatment, you need to locate a specialist who is skilled in ADHD diagnosis and is covered by insurance. You can start by contacting your insurance provider or a local support group like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) or CHADD to find a professional who specialize in ADHD in your region. Some doctors make use of computer programs, such as continuous tests of performance, to test for impulsivity and attention issues. Others utilize brain scans, like single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to search for signs of abnormalities. However, experts agree that the most significant element of an evaluation is a patient-patient interview.

During the interview, the clinician will discuss the symptoms that led up to the appointment. The doctor will also request details from someone who knows the patient very well like a spouse, sibling or parent. The clinician will also talk to nannies, teachers, coaches and other adults who spend a lot of time with the patient. This is a very thorough process and can take an hour or more. The doctor will then write an assessment report and discuss the results of the assessment with the patient.

It is crucial to remember that the diagnosis of ADHD is based on how the symptoms impact the life of a person. This means that the symptoms have to be causing significant impairment in two main settings, such as at work and at home. In order for ADHD to be considered a diagnosis the condition must have been present at minimum six months.

During the interview, a clinician will go over the patient's medical and psychiatric history, and determine if the person meets the diagnostic criteria established by the American Psychiatric Association in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition Text Revision (DSM-5). A valid diagnosis of ADHD requires at minimum three of the following five symptoms that include difficulty paying attention to specifics, making erroneous mistakes and having difficulty focusing on other tasks or activities, and difficulty listening to someone's voice when they speak.

Prevention

People who have inattentional ADHD are often not diagnosed. They're not as disruptive as those with hyperactive or impulsive types of ADHD and can be easily ignored. The issues they face can have severe consequences. They might not do well in school, experience conflicts with their classmates or struggle to keep jobs. These people also need to be treated.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is the official name of the condition. The term ADD can be occasionally used but it's not the most common. The newer name recognizes that children can have symptoms of inattention.

There are some differences in the manner in which the disorder is manifested by boys and girls. Girls and children assigned female at birth (AFAB) tend to show more inattentive symptoms, which are less noticeable, than the hyperactive/impulsive symptoms. This makes them more likely to not be diagnosed, and less likely to seek treatment.


An accurate diagnosis requires a thorough assessment by a medical professional. This includes a medical history review as well as a clinical interview, and a physical exam. It also involves reviewing the reports of teachers or parents, or other adults who know the patient well and also standard rating scales that are completed by family members and teachers. These are helpful in determining if the symptoms are present to a degree that they affect the way you function.

It is essential to conduct a thorough assessment to determine if the symptoms are due to another psychiatric or medical issue, such as anxiety or depression. In some instances, treating other disorders can help to alleviate or eliminate ADHD symptoms.

Those diagnosed with the disorder need be aware of potential adverse effects and treatments. They should also keep in touch with their doctor or nurse to make sure that the medications are working exactly as they should.

The most popular treatment for inattentive ADHD is stimulant medications which can help improve concentration and reduce impulsive behavior. Adults and children with inattentive ADHD can benefit from other treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy or parent training. People who are prescribed ADHD medications are advised to have regular check-ups with their health care providers since some patients may require adjustments in dosage or other treatment options.