ADHD Diagnosis
Finding out if you have 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 with you to your appointment. It's also beneficial to bring rating scales and interviews which can provide details regarding your symptoms.
Symptoms
A doctor will conduct a physical examination and interview you to determine if ADHD is present. The evaluator will inquire about the person's life and childhood, and might use checklists to record the person's symptoms. The evaluator may also review the person's school and work records, and may wish to speak with teachers or others 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 that last for at least 6 months and that the symptoms occur in more than one location -- such as at home, at school or at work. The evaluator may also look for other ailments that may cause similar symptoms, like depression, anxiety or a thyroid problem.
In adults the evaluator will evaluate how severe the symptoms are and how they affect work or social life. adhd assessments uk may also inquire about how they feel about their symptoms and if they impact their daily functioning.
Many people who have ADHD have trouble remembering whether their issues began in the early years or later. For that reason, the specialist will usually interview someone who knows the person well like a spouse or sibling for an adult or a parent or teacher for the child. The evaluator may use checklists to evaluate adults and a list of child-related behaviors.
Contrary to the past, the current guidelines for diagnosing ADHD stipulate that an adult cannot be diagnosed with ADHD unless symptoms were present prior to the age of 12. This change is designed to prevent people with ADHD who were diagnosed as children from being wrongly diagnosed as having other disorders, such as depression and anxiety.
Medical History
If you suspect that your child or yourself has ADHD the first step should be to speak with an expert who can perform an extensive evaluation. Consult your doctor or mental health specialist in your area for recommendations, or look in the phone book for "psychiatry" and "psychology." You can also join an adult support group with ADHD because many of them will have worked with local experts who could offer referrals.
A healthcare professional will go over the medical history of a patient and family history during the ADHD diagnostic assessment. They will inquire as to whether the symptoms affect functioning in different situations, including at home, at work or in relationships. It is important to determine the severity of the symptoms as the APA's guidelines for ADHD stipulate that the symptoms require significant impairment to be diagnosed.
The healthcare professional will talk to the patient, but they may also seek details from the patient's parents siblings, friends, and parents who know him. Some healthcare professionals require patients to fill out questionnaires or scales. These may include ADHD symptoms checklists and behavior ratings. Teachers and other caregivers can be important sources of information.
It is important to assess the extent to which the individual's symptoms interfere in various situations, since the APA's diagnostic guidelines note that symptoms have to occur often and cause impairment to performance. This is important because other disorders, such as mood disorders and learning disabilities may present similar to ADHD (Austerman, 2015). Additionally an exam by a doctor could be performed to identify other possible causes for the symptoms, like thyroid issues, vision or hearing problems or the use of certain drugs, such as stimulants or sedatives.
Family History
In certain cases, a history of ADHD within the family may be a major factor making a diagnosis. It is highly heritable, and a look at the patient's and their relatives' histories can help determine if there is any family-related pattern.
It is important for providers to get a complete picture of the symptoms a patient is experiencing, including whether they occur at work, school or in social settings. A provider should also determine the degree to which symptoms affect a person's daily functioning. This is a better measure than simply counting symptoms or looking at the level of intelligence of a patient.
A doctor may interview the child or teen and also his or her parents. In many cases, a psychiatrist or pediatrician specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. A mental health specialist with a vast knowledge of ADHD is required to conduct a detailed interview for adults.
A comprehensive evaluation includes a physical examination, which can help rule out certain conditions that can cause symptoms similar to ADHD. A complete medical record is also taken. For children, this may include prior medical and school records as well as an evaluation of the psychological state by school counselors or psychologists. For adults the old school records can be helpful in determining the cause of symptoms that began in the early years of childhood.
If you are diagnosing an adult in particular, it is crucial to look at how the symptoms impact daily functioning. A thorough psychiatric exam is also possible with regard to the use of questionnaires and rating scales by the patient and his or her caregivers, a psychotherapy interview, and a referral for a medical exam. Additionally psychometric or neuropsychological assessments is often used for adults in order to see how the symptoms are related to learning disorders and other cognitive impairments.
Interviews
A professional will talk to you or your child regarding their issues at home, at school and in the community. The provider will also inquire about the child's or yours's medical, family and personal history and will review any documents you may bring with you including old school reports. This information will help the doctor determine if you or your child is eligible to take a test to diagnose 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 conducted over a period of six months which includes both school and home. The rating must be performed by people who are familiar with your or your child's behaviors, such as teachers and religious leaders, scout and scout leaders, coaches and parents.
Children and adults diagnosed with ADHD have symptoms that are debilitating and interfere with daily functioning, whether at school, work or playing. The signs must be evident in the early years of the early years, typically before the age of 12. They can't be caused by another mental health condition.
The sensitivity and accuracy of ADHD evaluations can be improved by using neuropsychological and psychometric tests that test IQ and cognitive functioning. However, they should be utilized as part of an assessment strategy that includes a clinician interview as well as rating scales. These assessments may include the administration of a standard questionnaire, such as the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults (DIVA), or an adaptive test that is computerized that can measure response speed, short-term memory and executive functions. In the near future the use of digital technology like virtual reality for continuous performance tests as well as sensors for head movement may aid in improving the ecological validity of these ADHD assessment tools by giving the person being assessed to be in their environment rather than in a clinical office.
Tests
If your GP or mental healthcare professional suspects ADHD, he or she might recommend you to an ADHD specialist. A thorough evaluation will consist of an in-depth interview, information from other sources like your spouse or significant others and the standardized scales of behavior ratings for ADHD. Based on the clinical findings the evaluator might conduct tests to test for other conditions that may influence your symptoms, such as depression, learning disabilities, or a medical condition.
To conduct an exhaustive ADHD assessment, the evaluator must determine whether your symptoms significantly impact your life and performance. Impairment can be in a variety settings such as your work, home or school, and social relationships. The evaluator will ask you how your symptoms affected you in each circumstance. This will allow the evaluator make an assessment, and then formulate treatment recommendations.
A comprehensive assessment will comprise, in addition to symptoms ratings and standard performance tests for ADHD. These testing instruments are based on research comparing the behavior of people with ADHD with those without. These instruments enhance the limitations of a standard clinical interview because they focus more on specific behaviors rather than an individual's overall functioning. These measures can help assessors identify when a person is lying or attempting to cheat a test. This issue has been recognized in the field for a long time.
In addition to the standard test and symptom rating scales as well as the symptom rating scales, an extensive ADHD evaluation should include brain scans and other neurological imaging procedures. These tests aren't used in clinical settings because they are costly and expose patients to ionizing radioactivity.