ADHD Evaluations and Diagnoses
Making an accurate diagnosis is the first step towards understanding and addressing symptoms. Find an accredited mental health professional or physician (psychiatrist, neurologist, family physician) who specializes in ADHD evaluations and diagnoses.
The expert will conduct a structured interview to examine your background. They might request old reports and talk to teachers, family members or your friends to find out about your childhood behaviors.
Signs and symptoms
Children and adults who have symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often have trouble with paying close attention, listening attentively and following directions--things that come naturally to others. These symptoms can also cause problems with relationships and learning at work, school and home. If you or your child exhibit these symptoms, consult a GP. They are unable to diagnose ADHD in a formal way, but they can discuss your concerns and recommend you to specialists if needed.
A GP will be able to determine if you have ADHD symptoms by asking questions, looking over medical records and your health history, and conducting an examination. You can also provide the history of ADHD in your family to aid in diagnosis. The GP will then recommend you to a psychologist or psychiatrist to conduct a psychiatric examination. The evaluation could include a description of your symptoms along with questionnaires and scales that are completed by you, your caregivers and teachers, a psychiatric history and physical exam and lab tests.
Psychologists and psychiatrists can diagnose ADHD among children and adolescents using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition of the American Psychiatric Association. They look for inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity patterns that last for six months or longer and determine if these symptoms interfere with your life at home, at work, and at school.
Adults can be diagnosed with ADHD in the same way but their symptoms are more likely to manifest differently as they get older. They can have a predominantly inattentive presentation of the disorder, a predominantly hyperactive/impulsive presentation or a combination of both.
If you meet the criteria for diagnosis and your symptoms are adult-specific, you may be prescribed medication. Adults with ADHD are often prescribed psychostimulants that affect neurotransmitters. These medications boost energy and alertness, while also improving focus and concentration. They can be prescribed in extended-release forms to lessen side effects. Adults with inattention ADHD can be treated with antidepressants. These drugs, like Wellbutrin and Effexor, affect neurotransmitters and improve mood and concentration.
Diagnosis
Being diagnosed with ADHD is the first step towards taking control of symptoms that could be affecting your life, both professionally and personally. A licensed mental health professional (psychiatrists or neurologists, or family doctors) can conduct a psychiatric examination. To receive treatment for ADHD or other disorders, a person who has a symptom based diagnosis (such as ADHD) must follow certain guidelines set forth in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition of the American Psychiatric Association.
During the ADHD evaluation, you will be asked questions about your child’s behavior at home, in school and in social settings. Your child's medical history, development and family history will be examined. They will then compare your child's behavior with the behavior of other children their age. They can use standard rating scales to measure the frequency of specific behavioral problems like difficulty paying attention, forgetting things and interrupting other children.
There are three presentations of ADHD - predominately inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive and combined. To be diagnosed with ADHD, your child must meet six of the nine symptoms that fall under either the inattentive or the hyperactive-impulsive categories. They must be present in a variety of settings that affect your child's behavior and cause problems, and have been present for at least six (6) months.
If your child does not meet the criteria needed to be diagnosed of inattentive ADHD, your healthcare provider will assign them an unspecified ADHD. They might also decide that your child does not have a hyperactive-impulsive presentation of the condition and not give them an official ADHD diagnosis.
A comprehensive psychiatric assessment can include computer-based psychological and cognitive tests, as well as psychological and neuropsychological testing. Your healthcare provider will perform a physical examination and check your child's heart rate to determine if there are medical conditions like thyroid disorders and head injuries that can be a cause of ADHD symptoms. They may also request an extensive history of the problem from parents and teachers and perform a thorough interview with your child and family members. They'll also be looking into whether there is an ancestry of ADHD in the family, since it is highly genetically inherited.
Treatment
If someone has been diagnosed as having ADHD, they may need treatment or medication for their behavior. Behavioral therapy may include individual and family counseling as well as group therapy, such as dialectical behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. To start treatment, you need to find a professional who specializes in ADHD diagnosis and is covered by insurance. You can begin by contacting your insurer or a local mental health support group, such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) or CHADD to find professionals who specialize in ADHD in your region. Some doctors employ computer tests, like continuous performance tests, to check for problems with attention and impulse control. Other doctors use brain scans, such as single photon emission computed Tomography (SPECT) to look for abnormalities. However, how to get an adhd diagnosis uk agree that the most important element of an evaluation is an interview with the patient.
During an interview, the clinician will go over the symptoms that prompted the appointment. The doctor will also request details from someone who knows the patient very well, such as siblings, spouses or a parent. The clinician will also interview teachers, coaches, nannies and other adults who spend considerable time with the patient. This is a lengthy process that could take up to an hour. The physician will then write an assessment report and discuss the results of the examination with the patient.
It is extremely important to keep in mind that the diagnosis of ADHD is based on the extent to which the symptoms affect the person's daily life. This means that the person's symptoms must result in significant impairment in at minimum two major environments, like the workplace and at home. The impairment must be present for at least six months to be considered an appropriate diagnosis of ADHD.
During the interview, the clinician will go over the patient's medical and mental health history and determine whether or not the person meets the diagnostic criteria set by the American Psychiatric Association in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition Text Revision (DSM-5). A valid diagnosis of ADHD requires at minimum three of the following five symptoms such as difficulty paying attention specifics, making erroneous mistakes, difficulty staying focused on tasks or other activities, and trouble listening to someone's voice when they speak.
The following is a list of preventatives.
People with inattentional ADHD are often not diagnosed. They're not as disruptive or impulsive as those with hyperactive ADHD and can be overlooked. But their problems do have consequences: they may underperform at school, clash with peers or have difficulty to find an occupation. These individuals also need to be treated.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is the official name for the condition. The term ADD may still be occasionally used however it is not the most common. The new definition includes the fact that children may suffer from inattentive symptoms alone.
There are differences between the way that the disorder is presented by boys and girls. Girls and children assigned female at birth (AFAB) tend to show more inattentive symptoms, which are less noticeable, than the hyperactive/impulsive symptoms. This makes them more likely to be undiagnosed and less likely to receive treatment.
A reliable diagnosis requires a thorough assessment by a health care professional. This involves an examination of the medical history, a clinical interview, and physical examination. It also involves reviewing reports by teachers or parents, or other adults who know the person well as well as standard scales of rating used by loved ones and educators. These are useful in determining if the symptoms are severe enough to affect functioning.
A careful evaluation is also crucial to determine if the symptoms are due to another psychiatric or medical condition such as depression or anxiety. In some cases the treatment of other disorders may help alleviate or eliminate ADHD symptoms.
Those who are diagnosed with the disorder must be aware of what to expect in terms of their treatment and possible medication side effects. They should also stay in touch with their physician or nurse to make sure that the medications are functioning exactly as they should.
Stimulant medications are the most common treatment of inattention ADHD. They can improve concentration and decrease the impulsive behavior. Other treatments, including cognitive behavior therapy and parent training are very beneficial for adults and children with this condition as well. It is essential to remind those prescribed ADHD medication to see their doctors regularly, as some patients may require adjustments in dosages or alternative treatment options.