ADHD Diagnosis
Adults are more difficult to identify than children. A reliable diagnosis begins with a thorough interview conducted by an expert in ADHD.
Bring any medical or academic records with you to your appointment. You may bring questionnaires and rating scales to provide details about your symptoms.
Signs and symptoms
A thorough ADHD diagnosis is based on physical examination and a discussion with a physician. The evaluator may ask questions about a person's childhood and family history and use checklists to document symptoms. The evaluator can also look over the person's work and school documents, and may want 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. Those criteria are that the person has several symptoms for at least six months, and that the symptoms manifest in more than one place -- such as at home, at work or school. The evaluator may also be looking for other conditions that could trigger similar symptoms, like depression, anxiety or a thyroid condition.
In adults the evaluator will evaluate how severe the symptoms are and how they affect the way that they work or interact with others. The evaluator may also ask the person what their feelings are about their symptoms and if they interfere with their daily life.
Many people who suffer from ADHD struggle to remember if their issues began in the beginning or later. A specialist will often interview someone who is familiar with the person, like their spouse, sibling or parent for an adult or a teacher parent of children. The evaluation expert can use checklists to examine adults and a list of the behaviors that children exhibit.
Contrary to the previous guidelines for diagnosing An adult cannot be diagnosed with ADHD until symptoms are present prior to the age of 12. This change is meant to prevent people who had ADHD as children from being misdiagnosed with other disorders like anxiety or depression.
Medical Histories
If you suspect that your child or yourself has ADHD the first step is to seek out an expert who will conduct an exhaustive evaluation. Contact your doctor or a local mental health care expert for recommendations, or look in the phone book under "psychiatry" or "psychology." You can also join an adult support group with ADHD since they've worked with local experts who are able to offer referrals.
A healthcare professional will look over the medical history of a patient and background information regarding the family during the ADHD diagnostic evaluation. They will inquire about what the symptoms hinder functioning in various environments, like at home, at work, or in relationships. It is essential to determine the severity of the symptoms since the APA's guidelines for ADHD stipulate that the symptoms must cause significant impairment to be classified as ADHD.
The healthcare professional will typically interview the patient, however, they may also ask to talk to parents, siblings and friends who know him well. Some healthcare professionals require patients to fill out questionnaires or scales. These may include ADHD checklists for symptoms and ratings of behavior. Teachers and other caregivers can be valuable sources of information, too.
It is essential to evaluate how the person's symptoms interfere with functioning in different environments, as the APA's diagnostic guidelines state that symptoms have to occur frequently and affect performance. This is important because other conditions, such as mood disorders and learning disabilities may present similar to ADHD (Austerman, 2015). A medical examination can be conducted to determine if there are any other possible causes for the symptoms. These could include thyroid issues as well as hearing or vision issues, or medications such as stimulants and sedatives.
Family History
In certain cases, the family history of ADHD is a major factor in getting an diagnosis. It is highly genetically inherited, and a thorough review of the patient's and their relatives' histories can aid in determining if there's any familial pattern.
It is essential for health professionals to have a complete understanding of a patient's symptoms, including whether they occur at work, school, or in social situations. A physician should also consider the degree to which symptoms affect the person's everyday functioning. This is a more reliable test than simply looking at the number of symptoms or examining a patient's IQ.
A doctor can interview the child or teen and also the parents. In many instances psychiatrists or pediatricians is a specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. A mental health specialist with a vast knowledge of ADHD is required to conduct a thorough interview for adults.
A thorough assessment includes a physical examination, which helps to rule out certain conditions that could cause symptoms similar to ADHD. A complete medical history is also gathered. This could include school and medical records as along with a psychologist's or school counselor's psychological assessment. For adults the old school records can be helpful in determining whether symptoms began in the early years of life.
If you are diagnosing an adult in particular, it is crucial to determine if the symptoms interfere with everyday functioning. A thorough psychiatric exam could be required, which includes ratings scales and questions from caregivers and patients, as well as a consultation with a doctor and referral to a medical examination. Additionally, how much is an adhd assessment or neuropsychological assessment is sometimes used for adults in order to see how the symptoms are related to learning disorders and other cognitive impairments.
Interviews
A professional will ask you or your child about their problems at home, school and in the community. The provider will also ask about your or your child's past medical or personal history, including family and friends and will look over any records you may bring with you like old school reports. This information will enable the provider to decide if you or your child needs 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 usually taken over a six-month time period which includes both at the school and at home. The ratings should be given by people who know your child and yourself well, including coaches, teachers and Scouts, religious leaders and parents.
To be diagnosed with ADHD children and adults must have symptomatic behavior that is debilitating and hinders everyday functioning in multiple settings, such as at school, at work, or at play. The symptoms must manifest in the early years, typically before the age of 12. They cannot be caused by any other mental health issue.
The sensitivity and precision of ADHD evaluations can be improved through the use of psychometric and neuropsychological tests that assess IQ and cognitive functioning. However, they should be used as part of an assessment plan that includes a clinical interview and rating scales. These assessments could include the administration of a standardized test, such as the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults or a computerized testing method that measures executive functions, short-term memory and reaction speed. In the future the use of digital technology like virtual reality for continuous performance tests as well as sensors for head movement could help to improve ecological validity of these ADHD assessment tools by permitting the person being evaluated to be in their environment instead of sitting in the clinical office.
Tests
If your GP or mental healthcare professional suspects ADHD they might recommend you to an ADHD specialist. A thorough evaluation should consist of an extensive interview, details from other sources, such as your spouse or significant others, and standardized behavior rating scales for ADHD. Based on the clinical impression, the evaluator may also request tests to check for other conditions that could affect your symptoms, including depression, learning disabilities, or a medical condition.
A thorough ADHD evaluation requires the evaluator to determine whether your symptoms are seriously affecting your functioning and life. The impairment could occur in a variety of settings, such as at home at work, at school, or with your social interactions. The evaluator needs to know what the impact of your condition has been on you in each setting. This will enable the evaluator make an assessment, and then formulate treatment suggestions.
In addition to the symptom ratings A complete assessment will typically include one or more performance tests that are standard for ADHD. These tests are based on research that compares the behavior of people suffering from ADHD and those who do not. They can improve the limitations of the clinical interview by focusing on specific behaviours instead of assessing a person's general performance. These measures can help evaluators identify when the person is not being honest or trying to cheat on the test, a problem that has been recognized for many years in the field of neuropsychological testing.
A thorough ADHD evaluation includes a brain scan or other neuroimaging tests in addition to the normal test and symptom-rating scales. However, these tests are not routinely used in a clinical setting because they are expensive and expose the patient to ionizing radiation.