ADHD Diagnosis
Finding out if you have ADHD in adults can be more difficult than diagnosing children. A reliable diagnosis begins with a consultation with an expert in ADHD.
It is recommended to bring any medical or academic documents to your appointment. You may bring questionnaires and rating scales that provide details on your symptoms.
Symptoms
A doctor will conduct a physical exam and interview you to determine if ADHD is present. The evaluator might inquire about a person's family history and childhood and utilize checklists to record symptoms. The evaluator will also review the records of work and school and may want to talk with teachers or others who are close to 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 include that the person must have experienced multiple symptoms for at least six months and occur in multiple settings, like at school and at home. The examiner will also look for other conditions that may cause similar symptoms, like depression, anxiety or a thyroid problem.
In adults, the evaluator will assess how severe the symptoms are and how they affect social or work life. The evaluator will also inquire about what the person's feelings are about their symptoms and how they affect their daily life.
Many people with ADHD have trouble remembering whether their problems began in the beginning or later. For that reason, a specialist will usually interview someone who knows the person well, such as a spouse or sibling for an adult; a parent or teacher for the child. The evaluator may use checklists to evaluate adults as well as a list of child-related behaviors.
Contrary to the previous guidelines for diagnosing, an adult cannot be diagnosed with ADHD until symptoms are present before the age of 12. This change is designed to prevent people with ADHD who were diagnosed as kids from being misdiagnosed as having other disorders, such as anxiety and depression.
Medical History
If you suspect that your child or yourself may have ADHD, your first step is to seek out an expert who will perform an exhaustive assessment. Ask your doctor or a mental health specialist in your area for recommendations or search the phone book for "psychiatry" and "psychology." You can also reach out to an adult support group with ADHD, as many of them will have worked with local experts who could provide referrals.
During the ADHD diagnostic evaluation, a medical professional will review the person's medical and family history. They will ask whether the symptoms affect functioning in different environments, like at home, at work or in relationships. It is important to assess the severity of the symptoms, as the APA's diagnostic guidelines for ADHD note that the symptoms have to cause significant impairment in order to be diagnosed.
The healthcare professional will talk to the patient, but they may request information from parents, siblings, and friends who are familiar with him. Some healthcare professionals will ask people to fill out questionnaires or rating scales, such as ADHD symptoms checklists as well as standardized behavior ratings. Teachers and other caregivers can be useful sources of information.
The APA's Diagnostic Guidelines stipulate that symptoms should be frequent and affect performance. This is vital, as other conditions such as mood disorders or learning disabilities can be similar as ADHD (Austerman 2015). Additionally an exam by a doctor could be conducted to determine other possible causes of the symptoms, including thyroid issues, vision or hearing issues, 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 significant factor in the determination of the diagnosis. It is a highly inheritable condition, and a thorough review of the patient's and relatives history can help determine the presence of a genetic pattern.
It is essential for health professionals to be able to see the full picture of a patient's symptoms, for example, whether they happen at school, work or in social settings. visit here must also assess the extent to which a person's symptoms affect their daily functioning. This is a more reliable measure than simply looking at symptom counts or examining the patient's intelligence.
For teenagers and children, a doctor can interview the child or teen and his or her parents. In many cases, a pediatrician or psychiatrist specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. A mental health professional who has extensive experience in ADHD is required to conduct a thorough interview for adults.
A comprehensive evaluation usually includes a physical exam, that can rule out certain health conditions that can cause similar symptoms to ADHD. A complete medical history is also taken. For children, this can include prior medical and school records as well as an evaluation of psychological health by a school counselor or psychologist. For adults, old school records are often useful in establishing whether symptoms began in childhood.
In the case of diagnosing adults, it's crucial to look at how the symptoms affect your daily life. A thorough psychiatric evaluation could be required, which includes ratings scales and questions from the patient and caregivers in addition to a clinical interview and referral for medical exam. Additionally assessment of neuropsychological or psychometric factors can be used in adult cases to determine if the symptoms relate to learning disorders and other cognitive impairments.
Interviews
A professional will ask you or your child questions regarding their concerns at school, home and in the community. The provider will inquire about your child's medical and family history, and will review any records you have, like old school report cards. This information will enable the doctor to determine if you or your child is required to undergo 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 taken over a period of six months, and cover both home and school. The ratings must be done by those who are familiar with your your child's behaviors like teachers and religious leaders, scout and Scout leaders, coaches and parents.
Adults and children who are diagnosed with ADHD must exhibit symptoms that are debilitating, and affect their daily activities whether at work, school, or play. The symptoms must manifest in childhood, typically before age 12. They are not caused by any other mental health issue.
The sensitivity and precision of ADHD assessments can be enhanced by using neuropsychological and psychometric tests that assess IQ and cognitive function. They should be utilized in conjunction with a clinician's interview and rating scales as part of a comprehensive assessment plan. These assessments can involve the administration of a standardized test, such as the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults or a computerized testing approach which measures executive functions, short-term memories and reaction speed. In the near future, digital technology such as virtual reality for continuous performance tests and sensors for head movement could help to improve ecological validity of these ADHD assessment tools by allowing the person being evaluated to be immersed in their natural environment instead of sitting in an office for clinical evaluation.
Tests
Your doctor or a mental health professional may recommend you to a specialist if he or they suspect ADHD. A thorough evaluation should consist of a comprehensive interview, information from independent sources such as your spouse or significant other, and standardized behavior rating scales for ADHD. Based on the clinical impression the evaluator could also order tests to screen for any other conditions that could have an impact on your symptoms, like depression, learning disabilities, or a medical illness.
In order to conduct an accurate ADHD evaluation, the assessor must determine if the symptoms affect your daily life and function. Impairment can be in a variety of settings that include your work, home or school, as well as social interactions. The examiner will inquire about how your condition affected you in each circumstance. This will assist the evaluator make a diagnosis and develop treatment recommendations.
In addition to the symptom rating 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 those with ADHD to those without it. They improve upon the limitations of a clinical interview by focusing on specific behaviours rather than a person's overall performance. These measures can help assessors determine if the person is not being honest or is trying to cheat the test this issue has been identified for many years in the field of neuropsychological testing.
In addition to the standardized test and the 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 aren't often used in a clinic setting due to the expense and expose the patient to ionizing radiation.