ADHD Diagnosis
Adults can be more difficult to identify than children. A clinical interview with an ADHD expert is the first step in obtaining an accurate diagnosis.
It is recommended to bring any medical or academic records to your appointment. It's also beneficial to bring rating scales and interviews that can provide information regarding your symptoms.
Symptoms
A thorough ADHD diagnosis requires physical examination and a conversation with a physician. The evaluator might inquire about a person's family history and childhood and use checklists to record 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 is that the person suffers from multiple symptoms that last for at least 6 months, and that the symptoms manifest in more than one place -- such as at home, work or school. The evaluator will also be looking for other conditions that can cause similar symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, or a thyroid condition.
Adults will be assessed to determine the severity of their symptoms and the impact they have on work or social life. The evaluator will also ask how the individual feels about the symptoms and how they interfere with daily functioning.
Many people with ADHD cannot remember the time when their issues began. This is why an expert will typically interview someone who knows the person well for example, a spouse or sibling for an adult or parents or teachers for a child. The examiner can use checklists to examine adults and a list of behaviors for children.
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 who had ADHD as children from being misdiagnosed with other disorders like anxiety or depression.
Medical History
If you suspect that you or your child suffers from ADHD The first step is to locate an expert who can conduct an exhaustive examination. Contact your doctor or an experienced local mental health professional for suggestions, or consult the phone book under "psychiatry" or "psychology." You can also join an adult ADHD support group, as they may have worked with local specialists who can provide referrals.
During the ADHD diagnostic evaluation, a healthcare professional will look over the patient's medical and family history. They will inquire about the effects of the symptoms on the person's performance in various settings such as at work, home or in relationships. It is crucial to determine the severity of the symptoms in light of the APA's guidelines for diagnosing ADHD stipulate that the symptoms must result in significant impairment to be diagnosed.
The healthcare professional will talk to the patient, but may request information from his or her parents, siblings, and friends who are familiar with him. how to get an adhd assessment uk ask people to fill out questionnaires or scales. These include ADHD symptom checklists and rating of behavior. Teachers and other caregivers can also be important sources of information.
The APA's Diagnostic Guidelines stipulate that symptoms must be frequent and interfere with performance. This is important due to the fact that other conditions like mood disorders and learning disabilities may present similar to ADHD (Austerman 2015). Additionally medical exams can be conducted to determine other possible causes for the symptoms, such as thyroid problems, vision and hearing issues, or the use of certain medications such as stimulants or sedatives.
Family History
In some cases, an ancestor's history of ADHD is a key element in determining if you have 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 important that providers have a complete understanding of the symptoms of their patients, such as whether or not they occur in work, school, or social situations. A physician should also consider the degree of how symptoms impact a person's daily functioning. This is a more reliable measure than simply looking at the number of symptoms or looking at a patient's IQ.
A doctor may interview a child or teen, as well as his or her parents. In many cases, a pediatrician or psychiatrist is a specialist 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 situation.
A thorough evaluation typically includes a physical exam, which can rule out specific health conditions that may cause similar symptoms as ADHD. A complete medical history is also gathered. For children, this could include prior medical and school records as well as a psychological evaluation by a school counselor or psychologist. The school records of the past can be helpful for adults to determine whether symptoms started in childhood.
In the case of diagnosing adults with psychiatric disorders, it is particularly important to examine how the symptoms affect daily functioning. A thorough psychiatric exam could be required, which may include ratings scales and questions from the caregiver and patient in addition to an interview with a clinician and referral for a medical exam. Additionally psychometric or neuropsychological assessments is often used for adults in order to see how the symptoms relate to learning disorders and other cognitive impairments.
Interviews
A provider will ask you or your child questions about their concerns at school, home and in the community. The doctor will also inquire 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 school report cards. This information will help the provider decide whether you or your child should 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 typically taken over a six-month period, and include 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.
To be diagnosed with ADHD, children and adults must have symptomatic behavior that is debilitating and interferes with everyday functioning in multiple settings, such as at school, at work or playing. Symptoms should start in early childhood, typically before 12 years of age. They aren't caused by another mental health issue.
The sensitivity and specificity in ADHD evaluations can be improved by using neuropsychological and psychometric tests that test IQ and cognitive functioning. They should be utilized in conjunction with a clinician's assessment and rating scales as part of a comprehensive assessment plan. These assessments could involve the administration of a standard questionnaire like the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults (DIVA) or a computerized adaptive testing approach that allows for measurement of responses speed short-term memory, executive functions. In the future the use of digital technology like virtual reality for continuous performance tests as well as sensors for head movement may help to improve ecological validity of these ADHD assessment tools by permitting the person being evaluated to be in their natural environment rather than sitting in an office for clinical evaluation.
Tests
Your GP or a mental health professional may refer you to specialists if he/she they suspect ADHD. A thorough evaluation will consist of an extensive interview, data from other sources, such as your spouse or significant others, as well as the standardized scales of behavior ratings for ADHD. The evaluator will order tests according to the clinical impression to check for any conditions that may be affecting your symptoms. These include depression or learning disabilities, or a medical illness.
A thorough ADHD evaluation requires the examiner to determine if your symptoms are seriously affecting your life and functioning. Impairment can be in a variety settings such as your work, home or school, as well as social interactions. The examiner will inquire about how your symptoms affected you in each circumstance. This will allow the evaluator make an assessment and formulate treatment recommendations.
A complete assessment will include the rating of symptoms and standardized performance tests for ADHD. These tests are based on research comparing the behavior of people with ADHD to those without it. These instruments improve on the limitations of a traditional clinical interview since they focus more on specific behaviors rather than an individual's overall functioning. These tests can help assessors identify when a person is lying or attempting to cheat on a test. This issue has been recognized by experts in the field for years.
A thorough ADHD evaluation may include a brain scan or other neuroimaging procedures in addition to the typical test and symptom rating scales. These tests aren't used in clinical settings because they are costly and expose patients to ionizing radioactivity.