ADHD Diagnosis

Diagnosing 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 must bring any medical or academic documents to your appointment. It is also beneficial to bring rating scales and interviews that can provide information regarding your symptoms.

Signs and symptoms

A thorough ADHD diagnosis requires physical examination and a conversation with a medical professional. The examiner will ask questions about the person's life and childhood, and may use checklists to record the person's symptoms. The evaluator may also look over documents from the workplace and school, and may wish to speak with teachers or others who interact with 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 is that the person has several symptoms for at least 6 months, and that the symptoms occur in more than one location like at home, school or at work. The evaluator could also check for other conditions which can cause similar symptoms, like anxiety or depression.

Adults will be evaluated to determine the severity of their symptoms and their impact on work or social life. The evaluator will also inquire about how the person feels about the symptoms and how they affect their daily life.

Many people who suffer from ADHD are unable to remember whether their issues began in the beginning or later. This is why the specialist will usually interview someone who knows the person well, such as siblings or spouses for an adult, or an educator or parent for children. The assessor may use checklists for adults, and for children there is a list of behavior to look out for.

Contrary to the previous guidelines for diagnosing, an adult cannot be diagnosed with ADHD until symptoms begin to manifest before the age of 12. This change is meant to stop people who experienced ADHD as children from being misdiagnosed with other disorders such as depression or anxiety.

Medical Histories

If you suspect your child or yourself suffer from ADHD, your first step should be to speak with an expert who will perform an extensive assessment. Consult your physician or a local mental health care specialist for suggestions, or consult the phone book under "psychiatry" or "psychology." You can also join a support group for adults with ADHD because they've worked with local experts who can offer referrals.

A healthcare professional will review the person's medical history as well as background information regarding the family during the ADHD diagnostic assessment. They will inquire about how the symptoms affect functioning in different settings, like at work, home or in relationships. It is crucial to determine the severity of the symptoms as the APA's guidelines on ADHD stipulate that the symptoms must cause significant impairment in order to be classified as ADHD.

The healthcare professional will interview the patient, but may request details from the patient's parents or siblings as well as friends who are familiar with him. Some healthcare professionals will ask people to complete questionnaires or ratings scales, which include ADHD symptom checklists and standardized behavior ratings. Teachers and other caregivers can also be useful sources of information.

It is crucial to determine the extent to which the individual's symptoms interfere in various environments, as the APA's diagnostic guidelines state that symptoms must manifest frequently and impair performance. This is important because other disorders like mood disorders and learning disabilities, may present similar to ADHD (Austerman 2015). In addition, a medical exam may be conducted to determine other possible causes of the symptoms, including thyroid problems, vision and hearing issues, or the use of certain medications such as stimulants or sedatives.

Family History

In certain cases there is a family history of ADHD is a key element in determining if you have the diagnosis. It is a highly heritable condition, and a thorough examination of the patient's and his or her family members history can help determine if there is a familial pattern.


It is essential that doctors get a complete picture about the symptoms of their patients, including whether or not they are present at work, in school or in social settings. A doctor must also determine the degree to which the patient's symptoms hinder their everyday functioning. This is a more accurate measure than simply counting symptoms or assessing the intelligence of a patient.

For teenagers and children doctors may conduct an interview with the child or teen and his or her parents. In many cases, a pediatrician psychiatrist specializes in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD. A mental health professional with extensive experience in ADHD is required to conduct a thorough interview for adults.

A thorough assessment includes a physical exam, which helps to rule out certain conditions that may cause symptoms similar to ADHD. A complete medical record is also a must. This can include school and medical records, as well as a psychologist or school counselor's psychological evaluation. For adults, old school records are often helpful in determining the cause of symptoms that began in the early years of life.

In the case of diagnosing adults, it is especially important to look at how the symptoms impact daily functioning. A thorough psychiatric evaluation could be required that includes the use of questionnaires and rating scales by the patient and his or her caregivers, a clinical interview, and a referral for a medical exam. Adults may also undergo a psychometric or neuropsychological assessment to determine the relationship between their symptoms and learning disorders.

Interviews

A professional will ask you or your child questions about their issues at home, school and in the community. The provider will also ask about the child's or yours's medical and personal history, as well as family and personal histories and will look over any records that you might bring along like old school report cards. This information will help the doctor determine if you or your child is eligible to 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 six-month time period which includes both at school and home. The ratings should be provided by people who know your child or you well, such as teachers, coaches and Scouts, religious leaders and parents.

Children and adults who are diagnosed with ADHD are likely to exhibit symptoms that are debilitating, and interfere with daily functioning whether at work, school, or play. The symptoms should manifest in the early years of childhood, usually before 12 years of age. They cannot be caused by any other mental health issue.

Psychometric and neuropsychological tests to measure IQ, cognitive functioning and brain function can enhance the sensitivity and specificity of ADHD evaluations. They should be utilized alongside a clinician's interview and rating scales as part of a comprehensive assessment strategy. These assessments can involve the administration of a standard test like the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults, or a computerized testing method that tests executive functions, short-term memory, and response speed. In the near future, technology that is digital, such as virtual reality and head movement sensors for continuous performance tests could help improve the ecological validity by permitting people to immerse themselves into their surroundings instead of sitting in a clinic.

Tests

If your GP or mental healthcare professional suspects ADHD they may recommend you to an ADHD specialist. A thorough assessment will consist of an in-depth interview, information from other sources such as your spouse or significant others, and standardized behavior ratings scales for ADHD. Based on the clinical impression the evaluator could also request tests to check for other conditions that could influence your symptoms, such as depression, learning disabilities or a medical illness.

To conduct an accurate ADHD assessment, the evaluator must determine whether your symptoms affect your life and performance. what is an adhd assessment can happen in a variety settings such as your home, work or school, as well as social interactions. The evaluator needs to know what the impact of your condition has been on you in each situation. This will allow the evaluator to determine a diagnosis and formulate treatment recommendations.

In addition to the symptom rating, a complete assessment will typically include one or more standardized performance test for ADHD. These instruments for testing are based on research and compare the behavior of people with ADHD with those without. These instruments can help overcome the limitations of a standard clinical interview because they focus more on specific behaviors than the overall functioning of an individual. These measures can assist assessors identify when a person is lying or trying to cheat a test. This problem has been recognized in the field for years.

In addition to the standardized test and the symptom rating scales and symptom rating scales, a thorough ADHD assessment should include brain scans and other imaging techniques for the brain. However, these tests are not commonly used in a clinical setting because they are expensive and expose patients to ionizing radiation.