ADHD Diagnosis
The process of diagnosing ADHD in adults can be trickier than diagnosing ADHD in children. A clinical interview 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 regarding your symptoms.
Symptoms
A doctor will conduct a physical examination and interview you to determine if ADHD is present. The evaluator will ask questions about the person's life and childhood, and may employ checklists to document the symptoms of the individual. The evaluator will also go over the records of work and school and may want to talk with teachers or other individuals who spend time 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 are that the person has experienced multiple symptoms for at least six months, and that they occur in a variety of settings like at school and at home. The examiner will also look for other conditions that could trigger similar symptoms, for example anxiety, depression or a thyroid issue.
Adults will be evaluated to determine the severity of symptoms and their impact on their work or social lives. The evaluator will also inquire about what the person's feelings are about the symptoms and how much they affect their daily life.
Many people suffering from ADHD are unable to recall the time when their issues began. For that reason, the specialist will usually interview someone who is familiar with the person like an adult sibling or spouse for an adult, or an educator or parent for a child. The evaluation expert can use checklists to examine adults, as well as a list with the behaviors that children exhibit.
Contrary to previous diagnostic guidelines the adult can't be diagnosed with ADHD until the symptoms have been identified prior to the age of 12. This change is designed to stop people suffering from ADHD who were diagnosed as kids from being wrongly diagnosed as having other disorders, such as depression and anxiety.
Medical Histories
If you suspect that your or your child is suffering from ADHD the first step is to locate an expert who can provide a thorough examination. Talk to your doctor or mental health specialist in your area for recommendations, or look up the phone book by "psychiatry" and "psychology." You can also contact an adult ADHD support group, as many will have worked with local specialists who can offer referrals.
During the ADHD diagnostic evaluation, a healthcare specialist will examine the patient's medical and family history. They will inquire about whether the symptoms affect functioning in different environments, like at home, at work or in relationships. It is important to determine the severity of the symptoms since the APA's guidelines for ADHD state that symptoms require significant impairment to be classified as ADHD.
The healthcare professional will typically interview the patient, however, they may also talk to his or her parents, siblings and friends who are familiar with him. Some healthcare professionals will ask patients to complete questionnaires or scales. They may also ask for ADHD checklists for symptoms and ratings of behavior. Teachers and other caregivers can be important sources of information.
The APA's Diagnostic Guidelines stipulate that symptoms must be frequent and affect performance. This is vital, as other conditions like mood disorders or learning disabilities could present in a similar way as ADHD (Austerman 2015). A medical examination can be performed to determine if there are any other possible reasons for the symptoms. This could be thyroid issues and hearing or vision issues, or prescription medications such as stimulants and sedatives.
Family History
In certain instances, a history of ADHD within the family may be a significant factor in making a diagnosis. It is highly genetically inherited, and a thorough review of the patient's and relatives' histories will aid in determining if there is any pattern of inheritance in the family.
It is important that providers have a complete understanding of the symptoms of their patients, including whether or not they are present in school, at work or in social situations. A provider should also determine the extent to which symptoms affect the person's everyday functioning. This is a more accurate measure than merely counting symptoms or looking at the IQ of the patient.
A doctor can interview teens or children, and also their parents. In many cases, a pediatrician psychiatrist is trained to evaluate 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 typically includes a physical examination, that can rule out certain health conditions that can cause similar symptoms to ADHD. A complete medical history is also taken. This may include school and medical documents as well as a psychologist or school counselor's psychological evaluation. For adults the old school records are often useful in establishing if symptoms started in the early years of life.
When diagnosing adults it is important to consider how symptoms affect your daily life. A thorough psychiatric examination might be required, including scoring scales and questions asked by caregivers and patients in addition to a consultation with a doctor and referral for a medical examination. In addition psychometric or neuropsychological assessments can be used in adult cases to determine how the symptoms relate to learning disorders and other cognitive impairments.
Interviews
A healthcare professional will ask you or your child questions regarding their concerns at home, at school and in the community. The provider will also inquire about your or your child's previous medical and personal history, as well as family and personal histories and will review any records you bring along like old school report cards. This information will enable the doctor to determine 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. psychiatrist adhd assessment are typically taken over the course of six months and include both school and home. The rating must be performed by those who are familiar with your or your child's behavior, such as teachers, religious and Scout leaders, coaches, and parents.
Adults and children who are diagnosed with ADHD have symptoms that are debilitating and affect their daily activities, whether at school, work, or play. The signs should be evident in the early years of childhood, usually before the age of 12. They are not caused by any other mental health issue.
Psychometric and neuropsychological tests that measure IQ, brain function and cognitive functioning can enhance the sensitivity and specificity of ADHD assessments. However, they should only be utilized as part of an assessment process that includes a clinical interview and rating scales. These assessments can include the administration a standardized test, such as the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults or a computerized test method that measures executive functions, short-term memory and speed of response. In the future the use of digital technology like virtual reality for continuous performance tests as well as sensors for head movement could aid in improving the ecological validity of these ADHD assessment tools by giving the person being assessed to be immersed in their natural environment rather than in the clinical office.
Tests
Your doctor or mental health specialist may refer you to an expert if he or they suspect ADHD. A thorough assessment should include an extensive interview, data from independent sources such as your spouse or significant other and standardized behavior rating scales for ADHD. Based on the clinical impression the evaluator might also order tests to screen for other conditions that could affect your symptoms, such as depression, learning disabilities or a medical illness.
A thorough ADHD evaluation requires the evaluator to determine if your symptoms are significantly impairing your life and performance. The impairment could occur in a variety of settings, such as at home at work, at school, or with your social relationships. The evaluator needs to know how your symptoms have impacted you in each setting. This will allow the evaluator to determine a diagnosis and formulate treatment recommendations.
In addition to the symptom rating A complete assessment typically includes one or more standardized performance test for ADHD. These testing instruments are based on research comparing the behavior of those with ADHD to those who do not. They can improve the limitations of an interview with a clinician by focusing on specific behaviors rather than the overall performance. These tests can also help evaluators identify when an individual is being disingenuous or attempting to cheat the test, a problem that has been recognized for a number of years in the field of neuropsychological testing.
In addition to the standardized test and symptom rating scales as well as the symptom rating scales, an extensive ADHD assessment should include brain scans and other imaging procedures for neurological disorders. However, these tests are not often used in a clinic setting because they are expensive and expose the patient to ionizing radiation.