The ADHD Diagnosis Assessment Awards: The Most, Worst, And Strangest Things We've Ever Seen
ADHD Diagnosis
Adults are more difficult to diagnose than children. A consultation with an ADHD expert is the first step to an accurate diagnosis.
Bring any medical or academic records with you to your appointment. You may also bring questionnaires and rating scales to provide information about your symptoms.
Signs and symptoms
A doctor will conduct a physical examination and interview you to determine if ADHD is present. The evaluator might ask questions about the person's childhood and their family history and utilize checklists to document symptoms. The evaluator will also review documents from the workplace and school, and may want to talk with teachers or other people 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. Those criteria are that the person has several symptoms that last for at least 6 months, and that the symptoms are present in more than one setting -- for example, at home and at work or school. The evaluator will also look for other conditions that could trigger similar symptoms, like depression, anxiety or a thyroid issue.
Adults will be assessed to determine the severity of their symptoms and their impact on work or social life. The evaluator may also inquire about what their feelings are about their symptoms and if they affect their daily activities.
Many people who suffer from ADHD have trouble remembering whether their problems started in the early years or later. A specialist may interview people who are familiar with the person, like their spouse, sibling or parent for an adult or a teacher parent for the child. The assessor may use checklists for adults, and for children, a list of behaviors to look out for.
Contrary to the previous guidelines for diagnosing the adult can't be diagnosed with ADHD until symptoms begin to manifest before the age of twelve. This change is designed to protect people who suffered from ADHD as children from being misdiagnosed with other disorders, such as depression or anxiety.
Medical Histories
If you suspect that your or your child suffers from ADHD the first step is to locate an expert who can provide a thorough examination. Ask your personal physician or an area mental health expert for recommendations, or look in the phone book under "psychiatry" or "psychology." You can also contact an adult ADHD support group, since many will have worked with local specialists who are able to offer referrals.
During the ADHD diagnostic assessment, a healthcare specialist will examine the patient's medical and family history. They will ask about how the symptoms affect functioning in different settings such as at work, home or in relationships. It is important to determine the severity of the symptoms, as the APA's guidelines on ADHD state that symptoms have to cause significant impairment in order to be classified as ADHD.
The healthcare professional will talk to the patient, but may also ask for information from parents, siblings, and friends who are familiar with him. Some healthcare professionals will ask people to fill out questionnaires or rating scales, such as ADHD symptoms checklists and standardized behavior ratings. Teachers and other caregivers can be valuable sources of information as well.
The APA's Diagnostic Guidelines state that symptoms should be frequent and affect performance. This is essential because other conditions, such as mood disorders and learning disabilities, may present similar to ADHD (Austerman 2015). A medical examination can be done to determine if there are other possible reasons for the symptoms. This could be thyroid issues as well as hearing or vision issues, or prescription medications like stimulants and sedatives.
Family History
In certain cases the presence of ADHD in the family could be a major factor determining a diagnosis. It is highly inherited and a review of the patient's and relatives' histories will aid in determining if there is any family-related pattern.
It is crucial that healthcare professionals have a complete picture of the symptoms of their patients, such as whether or not they happen at work, in school, or social situations. A doctor should also be able to determine the extent of how symptoms impact the patient's daily activities. This is a more reliable method than simply examining the number of symptoms or looking at the patient's intelligence.
For teens and children, a doctor may interview the teen or child and his or her parents. In many cases, a pediatrician or psychiatrist is a specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. A mental health professional with extensive experience in ADHD is required to conduct a thorough interview for adults.
A thorough assessment usually includes a physical exam, that can rule out certain health conditions that can cause similar symptoms as ADHD. A complete medical history is also obtained. For children, this may include medical and school records as well as an evaluation of the psychological state by school counselors or psychologists. School records from the past can be useful for adults to determine if the symptoms started in childhood.
When diagnosing adults it is crucial to look at how the symptoms affect daily functioning. A thorough psychiatric exam might be required, including rating scales and questions by the patient and caregivers and caregivers, as well as an interview with a clinician and referral to medical exam. 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 regarding their issues at home, at school and in the community. The provider will ask about your child's medical personal, family, and medical background, and will look over any records that you may have, like old school report cards. This information will help the doctor to determine whether 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 usually taken over a six-month time period which includes both at school and home. The ratings should be provided by those who know your child and yourself well, including teachers, coaches, religious leaders, scouts, and parents.
To be diagnosed with ADHD adults and children must exhibit a symptomatic behavior that is debilitating and interferes with everyday functioning in a variety of situations, like at school, at work, or at play. The symptoms should manifest in the early years of childhood, usually before the age of 12. They aren't caused by a mental health condition.
Psychometric and neuropsychological tests that test IQ, cognitive functioning and brain function can enhance the accuracy and sensitivity of ADHD assessments. However, they should only be used as part of an assessment plan that includes a clinician interview as well as rating scales. These tests could include the administration of a standard questionnaire, such as the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults (DIVA) or an adaptive test that is computerized that measures response speed short-term memory, executive functions. In the near future, digital technology, such as virtual reality and head sensors that monitor head movements for continuous performance tests, may help improve ecological validity by allowing people to be immersed into their surroundings instead of sitting in a clinic.
Tests
If your physician or mental health professional suspects ADHD the doctor may recommend you to an ADHD specialist. A complete evaluation should include an extensive interview, details from independent sources such as your spouse or significant other and standardized behavior rating scales for ADHD. Depending on the clinical impression, the evaluator may conduct tests to test for other conditions that could have an impact on your symptoms, such as depression, learning disabilities, or a medical condition.
A thorough ADHD evaluation requires the evaluator to determine whether your symptoms are significantly affecting your life and performance. The problem can manifest in many different settings, such as at home, at work, in school, or with your social relationships. The evaluator will ask you how your condition affected you in each situation. This will assist the evaluator identify the cause and make treatment recommendations.
In addition to the symptom ratings, a complete assessment typically includes one or more performance tests that are standard for ADHD. These tests are founded on research that compares the behavior of people suffering from ADHD and those who don't. These instruments enhance the limitations of a traditional clinical interview because they focus more on specific behaviors rather than an individual's overall functioning. These measures can help assessors determine if an individual is lying or trying to cheat on the test, a problem that has been identified for many 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 neurological imaging procedures. These tests are not utilized in clinical settings because they are expensive and expose patients to radioactivity ionizing.