ADHD Diagnosis
Diagnosing ADHD in adults can be trickier than diagnosing children. A good diagnosis starts with a consultation with an expert in ADHD.
You should bring any medical or academic records to your appointment. It's also helpful to bring rating scales and interviews that can provide information regarding your symptoms.
Signs and symptoms
A doctor will conduct a physical exam and interview you to determine whether ADHD is present. The evaluator will inquire about the person's life and childhood, and may use checklists to document the symptoms of the individual. The evaluator may also review the person's academic and work records, and may also want to talk with teachers or other people 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. Those criteria are that the patient has a variety of symptoms for at least 6 months, and that the symptoms are present in more than one location like at home, at work or school. The evaluator will also look for other conditions that can cause similar symptoms, such as anxiety, depression or a thyroid problem.
In adults the evaluator will determine how severe the symptoms are and how they impact the way that they work or interact with others. The evaluator will also inquire about how the individual feels about the symptoms and how much they affect their daily life.
Many people suffering from ADHD are unable to recall when their problems began. This is why an expert will typically interview someone who knows the person well, such as siblings or spouses for an adult or a parent or teacher for a child. The evaluator may use checklists to evaluate adults as well as a list of the behaviors that children exhibit.
In adhd online assessment uk to the past, current diagnostic guidelines state that an adult can't be diagnosed with ADHD in the event that symptoms appeared before age 12. This change is meant to prevent people who had ADHD as children from being misdiagnosed with other disorders like depression or anxiety.
Medical Histories
If you suspect that your child or yourself has ADHD, your first step should be to seek out an expert who will conduct an extensive evaluation. Ask your doctor or a mental health professional in your area for recommendations, or search the phone book for "psychiatry" and "psychology." You can also join a support group for adults with ADHD because they've worked with local experts who can provide referrals.
A healthcare professional will go over the person's medical history as well as family background during the ADHD diagnostic evaluation. They will inquire about whether the symptoms affect functioning in various situations, including at home, at work or with relationships. It is important to assess the severity of the symptoms because the APA's diagnostic guidelines for ADHD note that the symptoms have to cause significant impairment for the diagnosis to be made.
The healthcare professional will generally interview the patient, but they might also request to speak to the person's parents, siblings and friends who are familiar with him. Some professionals will have people complete questionnaires or fill out rating scales, which include ADHD symptoms checklists and standardized behavior ratings. Teachers and other caregivers can also be valuable sources of information.
The APA's Diagnostic Guidelines stipulate that symptoms should be frequent and impact performance. This is essential because other disorders like mood disorders and learning disabilities can present similarly to ADHD (Austerman, 2015). In addition medical exams can be performed to identify other possible causes for the symptoms, such as thyroid issues, vision or hearing problems or the use of certain medications like stimulants or sedatives.
Family History
In some instances there is a family history of ADHD is a major factor in getting the diagnosis. It is highly genetically inherited, and a review of the patient and their relatives' histories can aid in determining if there is any pattern of inheritance in the family.
It is important that providers have a complete picture of the symptoms of their patients, including whether or not they are present in work, school or in social settings. A doctor must also determine the degree of how a patient's symptoms interfere with everyday functioning. This is a more accurate method than simply examining symptom counts or examining the patient's IQ.
A doctor may interview the child or teen as well as their parents. In many instances, a pediatrician or psychiatrist specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. For adults, a detailed interview is required by a mental health specialist who has extensive experience with ADHD and has the time to evaluate each patient's presentation.
A comprehensive evaluation usually includes a physical exam, which can rule out specific health conditions that may cause similar symptoms to ADHD. A complete medical history is also gathered. This can include medical and school records, as in addition to a psychologist's or school counselor's psychological evaluation. For adults documents from school are often helpful in determining the cause of symptoms that began in childhood.
If you are diagnosing an adult, it is especially important to look at how the symptoms interfere with everyday functioning. A thorough psychiatric exam could be required, which may include rating scales and questions by the caregiver and patient and caregivers, as well as an interview with a clinician and referral for a medical examination. Adults can also undergo a neuropsychological or psychometric assessment to determine the relationship between their symptoms and learning disorders.
Interviews
A provider will interview you or your child about issues at home, in school and in the community. The provider will also ask about your or your child's previous medical, family and personal history and will look over any records you may bring with you like old school reports. This information will help the provider to decide if you or your child is required 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 typically conducted over the course of six months, and include both home and school. The rating must be performed by those who are familiar with your or your child's behaviors like teachers, religious and scout leaders, coaches and parents.
To be diagnosed with ADHD children and adults must have symptomatic behavior that is a source of distress and hinders everyday functioning in a variety of settings, such as at school, at work or playing. Symptoms should start in early childhood, typically before the age of 12. They can't be caused by another mental health condition.
The sensitivity and precision of ADHD assessments can be enhanced through the use of psychometric and neuropsychological tests that assess IQ and cognitive performance. However, they should be utilized as part of an assessment strategy that includes a clinician 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 memories, and response speed. In the future digital technology, such as virtual reality and head sensors that monitor head movements for continuous performance tests can help improve the validity of ecological tests by permitting people to immerse themselves in their natural surroundings instead of sitting in a clinic office.
Tests
Your physician or mental health care professional could recommend you to specialists if he/she suspects ADHD. A thorough evaluation will consist of a thorough interview, information from other sources such as your spouse or significant others, as well as standardized behavior ratings scales for ADHD. Depending on the clinical impression the evaluator might also request tests to check for other conditions that could have an impact on your symptoms, including depression, learning disabilities or a medical condition.
To conduct an exhaustive ADHD assessment, the evaluator must determine whether your symptoms significantly impact your daily life and function. It can happen in a variety of settings such as your home, work or school, and social relationships. The evaluator will inquire how your condition affected you in each circumstance. This will help the evaluator identify the cause and make treatment recommendations.
A comprehensive assessment will comprise in addition to symptom ratings and standard performance tests for ADHD. These instruments for testing are based on research that compares the behavior of those with ADHD with those without. These instruments improve on the limitations of a standard clinical interview because they focus more on specific behavior rather than the overall functioning of an individual. These measures can assist evaluaters determine if a person is lying or attempting to cheat on a test. This issue has been recognized in the field for years.
A thorough ADHD evaluation may include the brain scan or other neuroimaging techniques in addition to the typical test and symptom rating scales. These tests are not used in clinical settings due to the fact that they cost a lot of money and expose patients to ionizing radioactivity.