ADHD Diagnosis
The process of diagnosing ADHD in adults can be more difficult than diagnosing ADHD in children. An accurate diagnosis begins with a consultation with an expert in ADHD.
You should bring any medical or academic documents to your appointment. You can also bring questionnaires or rating scales that give details about your symptoms.
Signs and symptoms
A thorough ADHD diagnosis involves physical examination and a discussion with a medical professional. The evaluator will ask questions about the person's family history and childhood, and might use checklists to record the symptoms of the individual. The evaluator may also look over the records of work and school and may want to talk with teachers or other individuals who interact with the person.
The evaluator will use the official lists of symptoms for inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity to determine whether the person meets diagnostic criteria. These criteria include that the person suffers from multiple symptoms that last for at least 6 months and that the symptoms are present in more than one location -- for example, at home, school or at work. The evaluator will also look for other conditions that could trigger similar symptoms, such as anxiety, depression or a thyroid condition.
Home Page will be assessed to determine the severity of symptoms and their impact on their work or social lives. The evaluation will also inquire how the person feels about their symptoms and how much they impact daily life.
Many people with ADHD have trouble remembering whether their issues began in childhood or later. A specialist will often interview anyone who is familiar with the person, such as their spouse, sibling, or parent for an adult, or a teacher or parent of the child. The examiner may utilize checklists for adults and for children, a list of behaviors to look out for.
Contrary to previous diagnostic guidelines, an adult cannot be diagnosed with ADHD until symptoms begin to manifest before the age of 12. This change is meant to stop people suffering from ADHD who were diagnosed as children being misdiagnosed as having other disorders, for example, depression or anxiety.
Medical History
If you suspect that you or your child has ADHD the first step is to find an expert who can conduct an extensive assessment. Contact your doctor or a local mental health care specialist for suggestions, or consult the phone book for "psychiatry" or "psychology." You can also join an adult ADHD support group, since many will have worked with local specialists who can provide referrals.
A healthcare professional will go over the person's medical history as well as family background during the ADHD diagnostic assessment. They will inquire about how the symptoms affect functioning in different environments, like at work, at home, or in relationships. It is essential to determine the severity of the symptoms as the APA's guidelines for ADHD state that symptoms have to cause significant impairment to be classified as ADHD.
The healthcare professional will usually interview the patient, however, they may also ask to talk to siblings, parents and friends who are familiar with him. Some healthcare professionals will ask people to complete questionnaires or ratings scales, which include ADHD symptoms checklists and standardized behavior ratings. Teachers and other caregivers can be useful sources of information.
The APA's Diagnostic Guidelines stipulate that symptoms should be frequent and affect performance. This is important, as other conditions like mood disorders or learning disabilities may present in a similar way to ADHD (Austerman 2015). A medical exam can also be conducted to determine if there are any other possible causes of the symptoms. These could include thyroid issues, vision or hearing issues, or medication such as stimulants and sedatives.
Family History
In some cases there is a history of ADHD within the family may be a significant factor in making a diagnosis. It is highly genetically inherited, and a review of the patient's and their relatives' histories can aid in determining if there is any pattern of inheritance in the family.
It is essential that doctors have a complete understanding of the symptoms of their patients, which includes whether or not they happen in work, school, or social situations. A doctor must also determine the degree of how a patient's symptoms interfere with everyday functioning. This is a more accurate method than simply examining symptom counts or examining a patient's IQ.
For teenagers and children doctors may conduct an interview with the child or teen as well as their parents. In many cases, a pediatrician or psychiatrist specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. For adults, a detailed interview is required by a mental health specialist who has extensive knowledge of ADHD and is able to carefully evaluate the individual's symptoms.
A thorough evaluation typically includes a physical examination, that can rule out certain health conditions that may cause similar symptoms as ADHD. A complete medical history is also obtained. This can include medical and school documents as in addition to a psychologist's or school counselor's psychological assessment. School records from the past can be helpful to adults to determine whether symptoms began in the early years of childhood.
When diagnosing adults it is important to take into consideration how symptoms affect your daily life. A thorough psychiatric exam might be required, which may include ratings scales and questions from the caregiver and patient in addition to a consultation with a doctor and referral to a medical examination. Adults may also undergo a psychometric or neuropsychological assessment to determine the connection between their symptoms and learning disorders.
Interviews
A professional will ask you or your child about their concerns at school, home and in the community. The provider will also inquire about your or your child's previous medical, family and personal history and will review any records you may bring with you, such as old school reports. This information will assist the doctor to decide if you or your child is eligible to take a test to diagnose 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, which includes both at home and school. The rating must be performed by people who are familiar with your or your child's behaviors, such as teachers as well as religious and scout leaders, coaches and parents.
To be diagnosed with ADHD children and adults must have symptomatic behavior that is debilitating and hinders everyday functioning in a variety of situations, like at school, at work, or at play. Symptoms must begin in the early years of childhood, usually before age 12. They cannot be caused by any other mental health disorder.
The sensitivity and accuracy of ADHD assessments can be enhanced by using neuropsychological and psychometric tests that measure IQ and cognitive performance. However, they should be utilized as part of an assessment strategy that includes a clinician interview as well as rating scales. These assessments could involve the use of a standardized questionnaire like the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults (DIVA) or a computer-based adaptive testing method that can measure the speed of response, short-term memory and executive functions. In the near future digital technology, such as virtual reality for continuous performance tests as well as sensors for head movement may aid in improving the ecological validity of these ADHD assessment tools by giving the person being assessed to be immersed in their surroundings rather than sitting in the clinical office.
Tests
Your GP or mental health professional may refer you to an expert if he or suspects ADHD. A complete evaluation should include a comprehensive interview, information from independent sources like your spouse or significant other and standardized behavior rating scales for ADHD. Based on the clinical impression the evaluator might conduct tests to test for other conditions that could affect your symptoms, like depression, learning disabilities or a medical illness.
In order to conduct a thorough ADHD assessment, the evaluator must determine if your symptoms significantly impact your daily life and function. The impairment could occur in many different settings, like at home, at work, in school, or with your social connections. The evaluator should ask what your symptoms have affected you in each situation. This will assist the evaluator determine a diagnosis and formulate treatment recommendations.
A complete assessment will include the rating of symptoms and standardized tests for performance for ADHD. These tests are founded on research that examines the behavior of people with ADHD and those who don't. They improve upon the limitations of a clinical interview by focusing on specific behaviors instead of assessing a person's overall functioning. These measures can help evaluaters determine if a person is lying or attempting to cheat a test. This problem has been recognized in the field for many years.
A thorough ADHD assessment will include the brain scan or other neuroimaging procedures in addition to the normal test and symptom-rating scales. However these tests aren't often used in a clinic setting because they are expensive and expose the patient to ionizing radiation.