ADHD Diagnosis
Finding out if you have ADHD in adults can be trickier than diagnosing children. A clinical interview with an ADHD expert is the first step towards a good diagnosis.
It is recommended to bring any medical or academic records to your appointment. It is also beneficial to bring ratings scales and interviews that can provide information regarding your symptoms.
Symptoms
A thorough ADHD diagnosis involves physical examination and an interview with a physician. The examiner will ask questions about the person's family and childhood, and may employ checklists to document the symptoms of the individual. The evaluator will also go through the person's academic and work records, and may wish to speak 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. The criteria include that the person must have experienced multiple symptoms for at least six months and that they occur in a variety of settings for example, at school and at home. The evaluator may also check for other conditions that may cause similar symptoms, such as anxiety or depression.
In adults the evaluator will determine how severe the symptoms are and how they impact social or work life. The evaluator might also inquire about what their feelings are about their symptoms and whether they interfere with their daily functioning.
Many people suffering from ADHD cannot remember the exact date they began experiencing problems. This is why an expert will typically interview someone who knows the person well for example, a spouse or sibling for an adult; parents or teachers for the child. The assessor may employ checklists for adults, and for children there is a list of behavior to watch for.
In contrast to the past, current diagnostic guidelines state that an adult can't be diagnosed with ADHD unless symptoms were present before the age of 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 may have ADHD the first step should be to speak with an expert who can perform an exhaustive assessment. Ask your doctor or a mental health expert 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 many of them have worked with local specialists who are able to provide referrals.
A healthcare professional will review a person's medical history and background information regarding the family during the ADHD diagnostic assessment. They will inquire about how the symptoms affect functioning in different environments such as at work, at home or in relationships. It is important to assess how severe the symptoms are, as the APA's diagnostic guidelines for ADHD note that the symptoms must result in significant impairment in order to be diagnosed.
The healthcare professional will speak with the patient, but they may also seek information from his or her parents siblings, friends, and parents who are familiar with him. Some healthcare professionals may ask patients to fill out questionnaires or rating scales, which include ADHD symptoms checklists as well as standardized behavior ratings. Teachers and other caregivers can also be valuable sources of information.
It is essential to evaluate the extent to which the individual's symptoms interfere in various environments, as the APA's diagnostic guidelines stipulate that symptoms have to occur frequently and impair performance. This is vital, as other conditions, such as mood disorders or learning disabilities could appear similar as ADHD (Austerman 2015). A medical exam can also be done to determine if there are other possible causes for the symptoms. These include thyroid problems as well as hearing or vision issues, or prescription medications such as stimulants and sedatives.
Family History
In certain cases there is the family history of ADHD is a key aspect in obtaining a diagnosis. It is a hereditary condition, and a thorough examination of the patient's and his or her family members history can help determine if there is a familial pattern.
It is essential that doctors get a complete picture about the symptoms of their patients, which includes whether or not they occur in school, at work, or social situations. A doctor must also determine the degree of how a patient's symptoms hinder their everyday functioning. This is a more accurate measure than simply looking at the number of symptoms or looking at the patient's IQ.
For teens and children, a doctor may interview the teen or child and his or her parents. In most instances, a pediatrician or psychiatrist specializes in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD. A mental health specialist with extensive experience in ADHD is required to conduct an in-depth interview for adults.
A comprehensive evaluation usually includes a physical exam, which can rule out certain medical conditions that could cause similar symptoms to ADHD. A complete medical history is also a must. For children, this can include medical and school records and an evaluation of the psychological state by school counselors or psychologists. For adults documents from school are often useful in establishing the cause of symptoms that began in the early years of childhood.
When diagnosing adults with psychiatric disorders, it is particularly important to look at how the symptoms affect the daily activities. A thorough psychiatric examination could be required, including scoring scales and questions asked by the caregiver and patient in addition to an interview with a clinician and referral to medical examination. Adults may also undergo a neuropsychological or psychometric test to determine the connection between their symptoms and learning disorders.
Interviews
A healthcare professional will speak with you or your child about their issues at home, in school and in the community. The provider will also ask about your or your child's previous medical and personal history, as well as family and personal histories and will review any documents you bring along including old report cards from school. This information will help the doctor decide whether you or your child is eligible to undergo a test to determine 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 a period of six months, and cover both at home and in school. The ratings must be done by people who are familiar with your your child's behavior like teachers and religious leaders, scout and Scout leaders, coaches, and parents.
To be diagnosed with ADHD, children and adults must exhibit a symptomatic behavior that is a source of distress and hinders everyday functioning in multiple settings, such as at school, at work or playing. The signs must be evident in the early years of childhood, typically before age 12. They aren't caused by a mental health issue.
Psychometric and neuropsychological tests that measure IQ, brain function and cognitive functioning can improve the accuracy and precision of ADHD evaluations. They should be used in conjunction with a clinician's interview and rating scales as part of a comprehensive assessment strategy. These assessments can involve the administration of a standard 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 near future, digital technology such as virtual reality for continuous performance tests and head movement sensors may enhance the ecological reliability of these ADHD assessment tools by permitting the person being evaluated to be immersed in their environment rather than sitting in the clinical office.
Tests
Your doctor or a mental health professional could refer you to an expert if he or suspects ADHD. A thorough evaluation should consist of a comprehensive interview, information from independent sources like your spouse or significant other, and standardized behavior rating scales for ADHD. The evaluator will recommend tests based on the clinical impression to check for any conditions that might affect your symptoms. These include depression as well as learning disabilities or a medical condition.
In order to conduct a thorough ADHD evaluation, the evaluator must determine whether your symptoms have a significant impact on your life and performance. The impairment can occur in a variety settings such as your work, home or school, as well as social interactions. The evaluator needs to know how your symptoms have impacted you in each situation. This will allow the evaluator to identify the cause and make treatment recommendations.
In adhd assessment uk online to the symptom rating The comprehensive assessment usually includes one or more standardized performance test for ADHD. These tests are based on research that examines the behavior of people suffering from ADHD and those without. These instruments improve on the limitations of a standard clinical interview by focusing more on specific behaviors than the overall functioning of an individual. These measures can help assessors determine if an individual is lying or attempting to cheat the test this issue has been recognized for a number of years in the field of neuropsychological testing.
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 or other imaging techniques for the brain. These tests are not used in clinical settings since they are costly and expose patients to ionizing radioactivity.