ADHD Diagnosis
Adults are more difficult to identify than children. A reliable diagnosis begins with a consultation with an expert in ADHD.
Bring any medical or academic records to your appointment. It is also beneficial to bring rating scales and interviews that provide information about your health issues.
Signs and symptoms
A doctor will conduct a physical examination and interview you to determine if ADHD is present. The evaluator will ask questions about the person's family history and childhood, and might use checklists to note the person's symptoms. The evaluator will also go through the person's academic and work 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. 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, for example, at school and at home. The examiner will also be looking for other conditions that could trigger similar symptoms, like anxiety, depression, or a thyroid issue.
In adults the evaluator will evaluate how severe the symptoms are and how they impact work or social life. The evaluator will also inquire about how the individual feels about his or her symptoms and how much they affect their daily life.
Many people with ADHD are unable to remember the exact date they began experiencing problems. Because of this, an expert will typically interview someone who is familiar with the person for example, siblings or spouses for an adult, or an educator or parent for the child. The examiner might use checklists to assess adults and a list of behaviors for children.
Contrary to previous diagnostic guidelines the adult can't be diagnosed with ADHD until symptoms are present before the age of twelve. This change is meant to protect people who suffered from ADHD as children from being misdiagnosed as having other disorders like depression or anxiety.
Medical Histories
If you suspect that your child or yourself has ADHD The first step should be to seek out an expert who will conduct a thorough assessment. 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 reach out to a support group for adults with ADHD since they've worked with local experts who can provide recommendations.
During the ADHD diagnostic evaluation, a healthcare professional will look over the patient's medical and family history. They will inquire about how the symptoms affect the person's performance in various settings, like at work, at home, or in relationships. It is crucial to determine the severity of the symptoms because the APA's guidelines for diagnosing ADHD stipulate that the symptoms have to cause significant impairment in order to be diagnosed.
The healthcare professional will interview the patient, but may also seek information from parents siblings, friends, and parents who are familiar with him. Some healthcare professionals will ask patients to complete questionnaires or scales. These may include ADHD symptom checklists and behavior ratings. Teachers and other caregivers can be valuable sources of information, too.
The APA's Diagnostic Guidelines stipulate that symptoms must be frequent and interfere with performance. This is vital, as other conditions such as mood disorders or learning disabilities can appear similar to ADHD (Austerman 2015). A medical exam can also be performed to determine if there are other possible causes of the symptoms. These include thyroid problems, vision or hearing issues, or medication such as stimulants and sedatives.
Family History
In some cases, a history of ADHD within the family may be a major factor making a diagnosis. It is highly genetically inherited, and a review of the patient's and their relatives' histories will help determine if there is any pattern of inheritance in the family.
It is essential for health professionals to have a complete understanding of the symptoms a patient is experiencing, including whether they occur at work, school or in social settings. A physician should also consider the degree to which symptoms interfere with a person's daily functioning. This is a more accurate test than simply looking at symptom counts or examining the patient's intelligence.
For children and teens, a doctor can interview the child or teen and his or her parents. In many cases, a pediatrician or psychiatrist is an expert in the diagnosis 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 thorough assessment usually includes a physical exam which can rule out specific medical conditions that could cause similar symptoms to ADHD. Home Page is also a must. For children, this may include medical and school records as well as an evaluation of psychological health by a school counselor or psychologist. For adults documents from school are often helpful in determining if symptoms started in childhood.
In the case of diagnosing adults, it is especially important to look at how the symptoms affect the daily activities. A thorough psychiatric evaluation could be required with regard to rating scales and questionnaires by the patient and caregivers, a clinical interview and referral for medical examination. Adults can also undergo a neuropsychological or psychometric test to determine the connection between their symptoms and learning disorders.
Interviews
A professional will ask you or your child questions regarding their problems at home, at school and in the community. The provider will inquire about your child's medical and family history, and will review any records that you may have, like old school report cards. 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 usually taken over a six-month period, which includes both at the school and at home. The ratings should be given by people who know your child or yourself well, including coaches, teachers, religious leaders, scouts, and parents.
To be diagnosed with ADHD adults and children must exhibit a symptomatic behavior that is a source of distress and hinders everyday functioning in a variety of situations, like at school, work or play. The symptoms should manifest in the early years of early childhood, typically before 12 years of age. They can't be caused by a mental health problem.
The sensitivity and precision of ADHD assessments can be enhanced by using neuropsychological and psychometric tests that assess IQ and cognitive performance. However, they should only be used as part of an assessment process that includes a clinician interview and rating scales. These assessments could involve the use of a standardized questionnaire, such as the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults (DIVA), or a computerized adaptive testing approach that measures responses speed, short-term memory and executive functions. In the future digital technology, such as virtual reality and head movement sensors for continuous performance tests may help improve ecological validity by permitting people to immerse themselves into their surroundings instead of sitting in a clinic office.
Tests
If your physician or mental healthcare professional suspects ADHD the doctor may refer you to an ADHD specialist. A thorough evaluation should consist of an extensive interview, details from independent sources such as your spouse or significant others, and standardized behavior rating scales for ADHD. The evaluator will conduct tests according to the clinical impression and will screen for any conditions that might affect your symptoms. This includes depression or learning disabilities, or a medical condition.
To conduct an accurate ADHD evaluation, the assessor must determine if the symptoms have a significant impact on your life and performance. The impairment can occur in many different settings, such as at home at work, at school, or in your social relationships. The evaluator needs to know what your symptoms have affected your life in each of these settings. This will allow the evaluator to make an assessment, and then formulate treatment suggestions.
In addition to the symptom rating, a comprehensive assessment usually includes one or more standardized performance test for ADHD. These testing instruments are based on research that compares the behavior of people suffering from ADHD with those without. These instruments enhance the limitations of a traditional clinical interview by focusing more on specific behaviors than the overall functioning of an individual. These measures can also help evaluators identify when an individual is lying or trying 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 the symptom-rating scales as well as the symptom rating scales, an extensive ADHD assessment should include brain scans or other imaging procedures for neurological disorders. These tests aren't used in clinical settings because they cost a lot of money and expose patients to radioactive ionization.