ADHD Diagnosis
Adults can be more difficult to identify than children. A consultation with an ADHD expert is the first step in obtaining a good diagnosis.
You should bring any medical or academic documents to your appointment. You can bring questionnaires and rating scales that provide details 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 inquire about a person's family history and childhood and use checklists to note symptoms. The evaluator will also review the records of work and school and may want to talk with teachers or other people 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. Those criteria are that the patient has a variety of symptoms that last for at least 6 months, and that the symptoms manifest in more than one location -- such as at home, at school or at work. The evaluator may also check for other conditions that could cause similar symptoms, such as anxiety or depression.
Adults will be evaluated to determine the severity of their symptoms and the impact they have on work or social life. The evaluation will also inquire how the individual feels about their symptoms and how they interfere with daily functioning.
Many people suffering from ADHD cannot remember the time when their issues began. This is why a specialist will usually interview someone who knows the person well, such as siblings or spouses for an adult or parents or teachers for the child. The examiner can use checklists to examine adults as well as a list of behaviors for children.
In contrast to the past, the current guidelines for diagnosing ADHD indicate that an adult shouldn't be diagnosed with ADHD when symptoms were evident before the age of 12. This change is meant to prevent people who had ADHD as children from being misdiagnosed with other disorders such as depression or anxiety.
Medical History
If you suspect that you or your child has ADHD The first step is to locate an expert who can provide a thorough evaluation. Ask your personal physician or an experienced local mental health specialist for suggestions, or consult the phone book under "psychiatry" or "psychology." You can also join an adult support group with ADHD, as many of them have worked with local experts who could offer referrals.
A healthcare professional will look over a person's medical history and family history during the ADHD diagnostic evaluation. They will inquire as to how the symptoms interfere with functioning in different environments, like at home, at work, or with relationships. It is crucial to determine the severity of the symptoms, as the APA's guidelines for diagnosing ADHD note that the symptoms must result in significant impairment to be diagnosed.
The healthcare professional will interview the patient, but they may request details from the patient's parents, siblings, and friends who know him. Some professionals ask people to complete questionnaires or scales. They may also ask for ADHD symptoms checklists and rating of behavior. Teachers and other caregivers are valuable sources of information as well.
It is crucial to determine how the person's symptoms interfere in various environments, as the APA's diagnostic guidelines note that the symptoms must occur frequently and affect performance. This is important because other disorders like mood disorders and learning disabilities, can present similarly to ADHD (Austerman, 2015). A medical examination can be performed to determine if there are other possible causes of the symptoms. This could be thyroid issues and hearing or vision issues, or medication such as stimulants and sedatives.
Family History
In certain cases, an ancestor's history of ADHD is a major element in determining if you have an diagnosis. It is highly genetically inherited, and a review of the patient's and their relatives' histories can aid in determining if there's any family-related pattern.
It is important that providers get a complete picture about the symptoms of their patients, including whether or not they are present in school, at work or in social settings. A physician should also consider the extent to which symptoms affect 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.
For teenagers and children, a doctor may interview the teen or child and his or her parents. In many instances psychiatrists or pediatricians specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. linked web-site 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 to ADHD. A complete medical history is also gathered. This could include medical and school documents as along with a psychologist's or school counselor's psychological evaluation. For adults the old school records are often useful in establishing whether symptoms began in childhood.
When diagnosing adults it is crucial to look at how the symptoms affect your daily life. A thorough psychiatric examination could be required, which may include ratings scales and questions from the caregiver and patient, as well as a consultation with a doctor and referral for medical exam. In addition assessment of neuropsychological or psychometric factors can be used in adult cases in order to see how the symptoms are related to learning disorders and other cognitive impairments.
Interviews
A healthcare professional will speak with you or your child about their issues at home, in school and in the community. linked web-site will inquire about your or child's medical personal, family, and medical history, and will review any records that you may bring, such as old school report cards. This information will help the provider to decide if you or your child should to undergo tests 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. The ratings are typically conducted over a period of six months, and cover both at school and home. The evaluations must be conducted by people who are familiar with your or your child's behavior like teachers as well as religious and Scout leaders, coaches and parents.
Children and adults who are diagnosed with ADHD must exhibit symptoms that are debilitating and can hinder their daily functioning, whether at school, work or playing. Symptoms must begin in the early years, typically before the age of 12. They cannot be caused by any other mental health disorder.
Psychometric and neuropsychological tests to measure IQ, brain function, and cognitive functioning can improve the accuracy and precision of ADHD assessments. They should be used in conjunction with a physician's interview and rating scales as part of a comprehensive assessment plan. These assessments could involve the use of a standardized questionnaire, such as the ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Adults (DIVA), or an adaptive test that is computerized that allows for measurement of the speed of response short-term memory, executive functions. In the future digital technology like virtual reality and head sensors that monitor head movements for continuous performance tests, can help improve the validity of ecological tests by allowing people to be immersed into their surroundings instead of sitting in a clinic.
Tests
If your GP or mental healthcare professional suspects ADHD, he or she might refer you to an ADHD specialist. A thorough evaluation should consist of an extensive interview, details from independent sources such as your spouse or significant other and standardized behavior rating scales for ADHD. The evaluator will order tests based on the clinical impression to screen for any conditions that might be causing your symptoms. These could include depression, learning disabilities, or a medical condition.
A thorough ADHD evaluation requires the examiner to determine if your symptoms are seriously affecting your life and functioning. The impairment can occur in a variety of environments such as your workplace, home, school and social relationships. The evaluator will ask you how your symptoms affected you in every situation. This will allow the evaluator to make an assessment, and then formulate treatment recommendations.
In addition to the symptom ratings, a complete assessment will typically include one or more tests that are standardized for ADHD. These tests are based on research and compare the behavior of people with ADHD with those without. These instruments improve on the limitations of a traditional clinical interview since they focus more on specific behaviors rather than an individual's overall performance. These measures can also help evaluators identify when an individual is being disingenuous or is trying to cheat on the test which 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 evaluation should include brain scans and other imaging techniques for the brain. These tests aren't used in clinical settings since they cost a lot of money and expose patients to radioactivity ionizing.