ADHD Diagnosis
Adults can be more difficult to identify than children. A good diagnosis starts with a consultation with an expert in ADHD.
You must bring any medical or academic documents to your appointment. You can also bring questionnaires and rating scales that give details about your symptoms.
Signs and symptoms
A doctor will conduct a physical examination and interview you to determine whether ADHD is present. The evaluator might ask questions about a person's childhood and their family history and use checklists to record symptoms. The evaluator will also review documents from the workplace 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 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 -- for example, at home, at school or at work. The evaluator will also be looking for other conditions that can cause similar symptoms, for example anxiety, depression or a thyroid problem.
Adults will be evaluated to determine the severity of their symptoms and the impact they have on their work or social lives. The evaluation will also inquire how the individual feels about the symptoms and how they interfere with daily functioning.
cheap adhd assessment uk who suffer from ADHD are unable to remember whether their problems started in the early years or later. A specialist may interview people who are familiar with the individual, for example, their spouse, sibling or parent for an adult or a teacher parent for children. The evaluation expert may use checklists to evaluate adults and a list of the behaviors that children exhibit.
Contrary to the previous guidelines for diagnosing the adult can't be diagnosed with ADHD until the symptoms have been identified before the age of twelve. This change is intended to prevent people with ADHD who were diagnosed as kids from being wrongly diagnosed as having other disorders, for example, depression and anxiety.
Medical History
If you suspect your child or yourself may have ADHD, your first step should be to speak with an expert who will conduct an extensive assessment. Consult your doctor or mental health expert in your area for recommendations or look up the phone book by "psychiatry" and "psychology." You can also join an adult ADHD support group, since many will have worked with local specialists who are able to provide referrals.
A healthcare professional will look over the person's medical history as well as family history 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 determine the severity of the symptoms as the APA's guidelines on ADHD stipulate that the symptoms must cause significant impairment to be classified as ADHD.
The healthcare professional will typically interview the patient, but they might also request to speak to the person's parents, siblings and friends who are familiar with him. Some healthcare professionals may ask patients to fill out questionnaires or rating scales, which include ADHD symptoms checklists and standardized behavior ratings. Teachers and other caregivers are often useful sources of information as well.
The APA's Diagnostic Guidelines state that symptoms must be frequent and affect performance. This is crucial due to the fact that other conditions like mood disorders and learning disabilities, may present 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 and hearing or vision issues, or medications like stimulants and sedatives.
Family History
In certain cases there are instances where the family history of ADHD is a crucial factor in getting a diagnosis. It is highly inherited and a look at the patient's and their relatives' histories can help determine if there is any familial pattern.
It is important that providers have a complete picture of the symptoms of their patients, including whether or not they occur in work, school, or social situations. A doctor must also determine the extent to which a person's symptoms interfere with everyday functioning. This is a more accurate measure than simply looking at the number of symptoms or examining a patient's IQ.
For teenagers and children, a doctor may interview the child or teen as well as their parents. In many cases, a psychiatrist or pediatrician specializes 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 takes the time to carefully evaluate each patient's presentation.
A comprehensive evaluation usually includes a physical exam, that can rule out certain 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 and an evaluation of psychological health by school counselors or psychologists. For adults the old school records are often useful in establishing the cause of symptoms that began in the early years of childhood.
In the case of diagnosing adults, it is especially important to determine if the symptoms impact the daily activities. Visit Web Page could be required, including ratings scales and questions from the patient and caregivers and caregivers, as well as a consultation with a doctor and referral for a medical examination. In addition assessment of neuropsychological or psychometric factors is sometimes used for adults in order to see how the symptoms are related to learning disorders and other cognitive impairments.
Interviews
A professional will ask you or your child about their problems at home, at school and in the community. The doctor will also inquire about the child's or yours's medical or personal history, including family and friends and will review any documents you may bring with you like old report cards from school. This information will enable the doctor to determine whether you or your child is required 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 conducted over a period of six months, which includes both at home and in school. The rating must be performed by those who are familiar with your your child's behavior, such as teachers and religious leaders, scout and scout leaders, coaches and parents.
Children and adults diagnosed with ADHD are likely to exhibit symptoms that are debilitating, and interfere with daily functioning, whether at work, school, or play. The symptoms must manifest in the early years of childhood, usually before age 12. They can't be caused by another mental health problem.
Psychometric and neuropsychological tests that test IQ, cognitive functioning and brain function can increase the accuracy and sensitivity of ADHD evaluations. They should be used in conjunction with a physician's assessment and rating scales as part of a comprehensive assessment strategy. These assessments can involve the administration a standardized test, such as the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults or a computerized test method that tests executive functions, short-term memories and reaction speed. In the 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 giving the person being assessed to be in their surroundings rather than sitting in a clinical office.
Tests
Your GP or mental health professional could recommend you to a specialist if he or she suspects ADHD. A complete evaluation will include an in-depth interview, information from other sources such as your spouse or significant others, and the standardized scales of behavior ratings for ADHD. Depending on the clinical impression the evaluator could also order tests to screen for other conditions that may influence your symptoms, like depression, learning disabilities or a medical condition.
A thorough ADHD evaluation requires the examiner to determine if your symptoms are significantly affecting your life and performance. The impairment can occur in many different settings, such as at home at work, at school, or in your social connections. The evaluator will inquire how your condition affected you in every situation. This will assist the evaluator identify the cause and make treatment recommendations.
A comprehensive assessment will comprise in addition to symptom ratings and standardized tests for performance for ADHD. These tests are based on research that compares the behavior of those with ADHD to those who do not. These instruments improve on the limitations of a traditional clinical interview by focusing more on specific behavior rather than an individual's overall performance. These tests can help evaluaters determine if a person is lying or trying to cheat on a test. This issue has been recognized in the field for many years.
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 and other neurological imaging procedures. However, these tests are not routinely used in a clinical setting because they are expensive and expose patients to ionizing radiation.