ADHD Diagnosis
Finding out if you have ADHD in adults can be more difficult than diagnosing children. An accurate diagnosis begins with a thorough interview conducted by an expert in ADHD.
Bring any medical or academic records to your appointment. You may bring questionnaires and rating scales that provide details about your symptoms.
Signs and symptoms
A thorough ADHD diagnosis requires physical examination and a conversation with a doctor. The evaluator will inquire about the person's family and childhood, and might use checklists to record the symptoms of the individual. The evaluator may also review the person's work and school records, and may also want to talk with teachers or other individuals who interact with them.
The evaluator will use the official lists of symptoms for inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity to determine whether the person meets diagnostic criteria. These criteria include that the person has several symptoms for at least six months, and that the symptoms occur in more than one setting -- such as at home, at school or at work. The evaluator could also check for other conditions that may cause similar symptoms, such as 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 individual feels about their symptoms and how much they affect their daily life.
Many people with ADHD struggle to remember if their problems began in the beginning or later. For that reason, the specialist will usually interview someone who knows the person well for example, a spouse or sibling for an adult or an educator or parent for a child. The evaluator might use checklists for adults, and for children, a list of behaviors to be on the lookout for.
Contrary to the past, the current diagnostic guidelines stipulate that an adult cannot be diagnosed with ADHD in the event that symptoms appeared before age 12. This change is designed to stop people who experienced ADHD as children from being misdiagnosed as having other disorders like depression or anxiety.
Medical Histories
If you suspect that you or your child is suffering from ADHD, the first step is to locate an expert who can conduct a thorough assessment. Ask your doctor or a mental health professional in your area for recommendations or look in the phone book for "psychiatry" and "psychology." You can also reach out to an adult ADHD support group, as they may have worked with local specialists who could provide recommendations.
uk adhd assessment will look over a person's medical history and background information regarding the family during the ADHD diagnostic evaluation. They will inquire about how the symptoms interfere with functioning in various environments, like at home, at work, or in relationships. It is crucial to determine the severity of the symptoms because the APA's guidelines for diagnosing ADHD note that the symptoms have to cause significant impairment in order to be diagnosed.
The healthcare professional will typically interview the person, but they may also talk to siblings, parents and friends who are familiar with him. Some professionals ask people to complete questionnaires or scales. They may also ask for ADHD checklists for symptoms and ratings of behavior. Teachers and other caregivers are often valuable sources of information as well.
It is crucial to determine how the individual's symptoms affect in a variety of situations, since the APA's diagnostic guidelines note that symptoms must manifest frequently and affect performance. This is important, as other conditions such as mood disorders or learning disabilities may be similar as ADHD (Austerman 2015). In addition, a medical exam may be performed to identify other possible causes for the symptoms, like thyroid problems, vision and hearing issues, or the use of certain drugs such as stimulants or sedatives.
Family History
In some cases, a family history of ADHD is a major element in determining if you have the diagnosis. It is a highly heritable condition, and a thorough review of the patient's and relatives history can help determine the presence of a genetic pattern.
It is important that providers have a complete understanding of the symptoms of their patients, which includes whether or not they occur at work, in school or in social situations. A doctor must also determine the extent of how a patient's symptoms affect their daily functioning. This is a better measure than simply counting symptoms or examining the IQ of patients.
For children and teens doctors may conduct an interview with the teen or child and their parents. In many instances, a pediatrician or psychiatrist is trained to evaluate and treatment of ADHD. A mental health professional who has extensive experience in ADHD is required to conduct an in-depth interview for adults.
A comprehensive evaluation usually includes a physical examination, that can rule out certain medical conditions that could cause similar symptoms as ADHD. A complete medical history is also taken. For children, this can include previous medical and school records as well as an evaluation of the psychological state by school counselors or psychologists. For adults documents from school can be helpful in determining whether symptoms began in childhood.
In the case of diagnosing adults, it's important to take into consideration how symptoms impact daily life. A thorough psychiatric examination may be required, which may include rating scales and questions by caregivers and patients and caregivers, as well as a clinical interview and referral to a medical examination. In addition, psychometric or neuropsychological assessment is sometimes used for adults to determine how the symptoms are linked to learning disorders and other cognitive impairments.
Interviews
A professional will talk to you or your child about problems at home, school, and in the community. The provider will inquire about your or child's medical and family background, and will look over any records you have, like old school report cards. This information will help the doctor decide 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 the course of six months, and cover both home and school. The evaluations must be conducted by those who are familiar with your or your child's behaviors like teachers, religious and scout leaders, coaches and parents.
Children and adults diagnosed with ADHD have symptoms that are debilitating, and interfere with daily functioning at school, work or playing. Symptoms should start in childhood, usually before the age of 12. They cannot be caused by any other mental health disorder.
Psychometric and neuropsychological tests that test IQ, brain function and cognitive functioning can increase the accuracy and precision of ADHD evaluations. However, they should be used as part of an assessment process that includes a clinical interview and rating scales. These assessments could include the administration of a standard test, such as the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults or a computerized test approach which measures executive functions, short-term memory, and response speed. In the near future, digital technology like virtual reality and head motion sensors for continuous performance tests can help improve the validity of ecological tests by allowing people to be immersed into their surroundings instead of being in a clinic.
Tests
Your physician or a mental health professional may recommend you to a specialist if he or suspects ADHD. A complete evaluation will include a thorough interview, information from other sources such as your spouse or significant others, as well as standardized behavior ratings scales for ADHD. Based on the clinical findings the evaluator could also request tests to check for other conditions that could have an impact on 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 life and functioning. The impairment could occur in a variety of settings, like at home, at work, in school, or with your social relationships. The evaluator will inquire what your symptoms affected you in each circumstance. This will help the evaluator identify the cause and make treatment recommendations.
A complete assessment will include the symptoms ratings and standardized performance tests for ADHD. These tests are based on research comparing the behavior of people 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 a person's overall functioning. These tests can also help evaluators identify when an individual is lying or trying to cheat on the test this issue has been recognized for many years in the field of neuropsychological testing.
A thorough ADHD evaluation may include the brain scan or other neuroimaging procedures in addition to the standard test and symptom rating scales. However these tests aren't often used in a clinic setting because they are expensive and expose the patient to radiation.