ADHD Diagnosis
Diagnosing ADHD in adults can be trickier than diagnosing ADHD in children. A consultation with an ADHD expert is the first step in obtaining an accurate diagnosis.
Bring any medical or academic records to your appointment. It's also beneficial to bring rating scales and interview transcripts that provide information about your health issues.
Signs and symptoms
A thorough ADHD diagnosis requires a physical exam and a discussion with a doctor. The evaluator will inquire about the person's family history and childhood, and may employ checklists to document the symptoms of the individual. The evaluator will also go through the person's academic and work records, and may wish to talk with teachers or other people who are close to 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 for at least six months, and that the symptoms occur in more than one place -- such as at home, at school or at work. The evaluator will also look for other ailments that may cause similar symptoms, like anxiety, depression, or a thyroid problem.
In adults, the evaluator will assess how severe the symptoms are and how they affect work or social life. The evaluator may also ask the person what their feelings are about their symptoms and if they affect their daily life.
Many people with ADHD cannot remember when their problems began. A specialist may interview anyone who is familiar with the person, like their spouse, sibling or parent for an adult, or a teacher or parent for the child. The evaluator might employ checklists for adults, and for children there is a list of behavior to watch for.
In contrast to the past, the current diagnostic guidelines stipulate that an adult cannot be diagnosed with ADHD when symptoms were evident before the age of 12. This change is designed to stop people who experienced ADHD as children from being misdiagnosed with other disorders such as depression or anxiety.
Medical Histories
If you suspect that your child or yourself may have ADHD The first step should be to consult an expert who can perform an extensive assessment. Consult click through the following article or an area mental health professional for recommendations, or search the phone book under "psychiatry" or "psychology." You can also reach out to a support group for adults with ADHD, as many of them have worked with local experts who are able to offer referrals.
During the ADHD diagnostic evaluation, a medical professional will look over the patient's medical and family history. They will ask about the effects of the symptoms on functioning in different settings, like at work, at home or in relationships. It is important to determine the severity of the symptoms since the APA's guidelines for ADHD stipulate that the symptoms have to cause significant impairment to be considered a diagnosis.
The healthcare professional will typically interview the patient, however, they might also request to talk to parents, siblings, and other family members who are familiar with him. Some professionals will have people complete questionnaires or fill out 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 how the individual's symptoms affect in various settings, as the APA's diagnostic guidelines stipulate that the symptoms must occur frequently and impair performance. This is essential because other conditions, such as mood disorders and learning disabilities, may present similar to ADHD (Austerman, 2015). A medical exam can also be done to determine if there are other possible causes for the symptoms. These include thyroid problems as well as hearing or vision issues, or medications such as stimulants and sedatives.
Family History
In some cases the presence of ADHD within the family may be a major factor in making the diagnosis. It is highly inherited and a review of the patient's and relatives' histories will aid in determining if there's any pattern of inheritance in the family.
It is important for providers to be able to see the full picture of the symptoms a patient is experiencing, including whether they occur at work, school, or in social situations. A physician should also consider the extent of how symptoms impact a person's daily functioning. This is a better measure than merely counting symptoms or assessing the intelligence of a patient.
A doctor can interview teens or children, and also their parents. In many cases psychiatrists or pediatricians specializes in the diagnosis 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 evaluate each patient's situation.
A comprehensive evaluation usually includes a physical exam which can rule out specific medical conditions that could cause similar symptoms to ADHD. A complete medical history is also taken. For children, this could include medical and school records as well as a psychological evaluation by school counselors or psychologists. For adults, old school records are often helpful in determining whether symptoms began in childhood.
If you are diagnosing an adult with psychiatric disorders, it is particularly important to look at how the symptoms impact everyday functioning. A thorough psychiatric examination could be required that includes rating scales and questionnaires by the patient and his or her caregivers, a psychotherapy interview and referral for medical examination. In addition assessment of neuropsychological or psychometric factors can be used in adult cases to determine if the symptoms are related to learning disorders and other cognitive impairments.
Interviews
A provider will interview you or your child about their problems at home, school, and in the community. The provider will ask about your child's medical, family, and personal history, and will also review any documents you might have, like old school report cards. This information will enable the provider to decide if you or your child is required to undergo 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 cover both at school and home. The ratings should be provided by those who know your child and yourself well, including teachers, coaches, religious leaders, scouts and parents.
To be diagnosed with ADHD adults and children must exhibit a symptomatic behavior that is debilitating and hinders everyday functioning in a variety of settings, such as at school, work or play. Symptoms should start in childhood, usually before the age of 12. They can't be caused by another mental health problem.
Psychometric and neuropsychological tests that test IQ, brain function and cognitive functioning can enhance the sensitivity and specificity of ADHD assessments. However, they should only be used as part of an assessment process that includes a clinician interview as well as rating scales. These assessments could include 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, could help improve the ecological validity by giving people the opportunity to immerse into their surroundings instead of sitting in a clinic office.
Tests
If your GP or mental health professional suspects ADHD the doctor may recommend you to an ADHD specialist. A thorough assessment will consist of an extensive interview, data from other sources such as your spouse or significant others and standardized behavior ratings scales for ADHD. The evaluator will recommend tests in accordance with the clinical impression to screen for conditions that could affect your symptoms. These could include depression as well as learning disabilities or a medical condition.
A thorough ADHD evaluation is required by the examiner to determine if your symptoms are significantly affecting your life and performance. The impairment could occur in a variety of settings for example, at home, at work, in school, or in your social interactions. The evaluator will ask you how your symptoms affected you in every situation. This will allow the evaluator to establish a diagnosis, and develop treatment recommendations.
A comprehensive assessment will comprise in addition to symptom ratings and standardized tests for performance for ADHD. These tests are built on research that examines the behavior of those with ADHD and those who don't. They can improve the limitations of a clinical interview by focusing on specific behaviors instead of assessing a person's general performance. These measures can help evaluators identify when the person is not being honest or is trying to cheat on the test, a problem that has been recognized for many years in the field of neuropsychological testing.
In addition to the standardized test and the symptom-rating scales and symptom rating scales, a thorough ADHD evaluation should include brain scans or other imaging procedures for neurological disorders. These tests are not used in clinical settings because they cost a lot of money and expose patients to ionizing radioactivity.