ADHD Diagnosis
Finding out if you have ADHD in adults can be trickier than diagnosing children. An interview with a clinical ADHD expert is the first step in obtaining a good diagnosis.
Bring assessment for adhd or academic records with you to your appointment. It is also beneficial to bring rating scales and interviews which can provide details about your symptoms.
Symptoms
A thorough ADHD diagnosis involves a physical exam and an interview with a doctor. The examiner will ask questions about the person's family and childhood, and may employ checklists to note the symptoms of the individual. The evaluator will also go over documents from the workplace and school, and may wish to speak with teachers or others who interact 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 include that the individual must have experienced multiple symptoms for at least six months, and that they occur in a variety of settings, such as at school and at home. The examiner will also be looking for other conditions that can cause similar symptoms, for example depression, anxiety or a thyroid condition.
In adults, the evaluator will assess how severe the symptoms are and how they impact the way that they work or interact with others. The evaluator will also inquire about what the person's feelings are about their symptoms and how much they impact daily life.
Many people with ADHD are unable to recall when their problems began. Because of this, an expert will typically interview someone who knows the person well like siblings or spouses for an adult or an educator or parent for the child. The assessor may utilize checklists for adults and for children the list of behaviours to look out for.
Contrary to the past, the current diagnostic guidelines state that an adult can't be diagnosed with ADHD unless symptoms were present before age 12. This change is designed to prevent people with ADHD who were diagnosed as children being wrongly diagnosed as having other disorders, like anxiety and depression.
Medical History
If you suspect your child or yourself may have ADHD, your first step is to speak with an expert who can perform a thorough assessment. Contact your doctor or a local mental health care specialist for recommendations, or search the phone book under "psychiatry" or "psychology." You can also contact a support group for adults with ADHD, as many of them have worked with local experts who are able to provide referrals.
A healthcare professional will look over the medical history of a patient and family history during the ADHD diagnostic evaluation. They will inquire about whether the symptoms affect functioning in various settings, such as at home, at work, or in relationships. It is essential to determine the severity of the symptoms, as the APA's guidelines on ADHD stipulate that the symptoms must cause significant impairment in order to be considered a diagnosis.
The healthcare professional will typically interview the person, but they may also ask to speak to the person's parents, siblings and friends who are familiar with him. Some professionals ask people to complete questionnaires or scales. These include ADHD symptoms checklists and rating of behavior. Teachers and other caregivers can be valuable sources of information, too.
The APA's Diagnostic Guidelines stipulate that symptoms should be frequent and impact performance. This is vital, as other conditions like mood disorders or learning disabilities could appear similar as ADHD (Austerman 2015). A medical exam may also be done to determine if there are other possible causes of the symptoms. This could be thyroid issues as well as hearing or vision issues, or prescription medications such as stimulants and sedatives.
Family History
In certain instances, a history of ADHD in the family could be a significant factor in determining the diagnosis. It is highly heritable, and a thorough review of the patient's and relatives' histories can aid in determining if there is any family-related pattern.
It is crucial that healthcare professionals get a complete picture about the symptoms of their patients, including whether or not they occur in work, school or in social settings. A doctor should also be able to determine the degree to which symptoms interfere with the person's everyday functioning. This is more important than simply counting symptoms or assessing the IQ of the patient.
A doctor can interview a child or teen, as well as their parents. In many instances psychiatrists or pediatricians is a specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. A mental health professional with a vast knowledge of ADHD is required to conduct a detailed interview for adults.
A thorough evaluation includes a physical examination, which helps to rule out certain conditions that can cause symptoms similar 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 the psychological state by a school counselor or psychologist. For adults, old school records can be helpful in determining if symptoms started in the early years of life.
In the case of diagnosing adults with psychiatric disorders, it is particularly important to determine if the symptoms impact the daily activities. A thorough psychiatric examination may also be necessary with regard to rating scales and questionnaires by the patient and caregivers, a psychotherapy interview and referral for a medical exam. Adults can also undergo a neuropsychological or psychometric assessment to determine the connection between their symptoms and learning disorders.
Interviews
A provider will interview you or your child about their problems at home, school, and in the community. The provider will ask about your or child's medical and family history, and will review any records that you may bring with you, such as old school report cards. This information will enable the provider to decide if you or your child needs to undergo a test 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 the course of six months, which includes both home and school. The ratings should be provided by people who know your child and yourself well, such as coaches, teachers as well as religious leaders, scouts, and parents.
Adults and children who are diagnosed with ADHD must exhibit symptoms that are debilitating, and can hinder their daily functioning whether at work, school or playing. The signs should be evident in early childhood, typically before the age of 12. They can't be caused by a mental health problem.
The sensitivity and precision of ADHD evaluations can be improved by using neuropsychological and psychometric tests that measure IQ and cognitive function. They should be utilized alongside a clinician's interview and rating scales as part of a comprehensive assessment plan. These tests could include the administration of a standard questionnaire like the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults (DIVA), or a computerized adaptive testing approach that can measure response speed short-term memory, executive functions. 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 natural environment instead of sitting in a clinic.
Tests
Your GP or mental health care professional could recommend you to an expert if he or suspects ADHD. A complete evaluation will include an extensive interview, data from other sources like your spouse or significant others, as well as the standardized scales of behavior ratings for ADHD. The evaluator will conduct tests according to the clinical impression and will screen for conditions that could affect your symptoms. These could include depression or learning disabilities, or a medical condition.
A thorough ADHD evaluation is required by the examiner to determine if your symptoms are significantly impairing your life and performance. The impairment could occur in many different settings, for example, at home at work, at school, or with your social relationships. The examiner should inquire about how your symptoms have impacted you in each setting. This will assist the evaluator identify the cause and make treatment recommendations.
In addition to the symptom rating A complete assessment typically includes one or more standardized performance test for ADHD. These instruments for testing are based on research comparing the behavior of those with ADHD with those without. These instruments improve on the limitations of a traditional clinical interview since they focus more on specific behavior rather than an individual's overall performance. These tests can also aid in identifying when an individual is lying or trying to cheat on the test, a problem that has been recognized for many years in the field of neuropsychological testing.
In addition to the standard test and the symptom-rating scales, a thorough ADHD assessment should include brain scans and other imaging procedures for neurological disorders. These tests are not used in clinical settings because they are expensive and expose patients to ionizing radioactivity.