ADHD Adult Test - Important Steps in Diagnosing Adult ADHD
During an ADHD screening the doctor will ask you questions about your personal and family history along with your work and school performance, and your environment. They will also take an examination of your medical history, including a physical exam.
A thorough ADHD evaluation will include questions about your childhood and any alcohol or drugs use. Your clinician will also ask about comorbid conditions that could cause symptoms similar to ADHD.
Symptoms
If an adult suspects they are suffering from ADHD or other disorders, it is essential to talk with your primary care physician. They can assist you in understanding what it means to be diagnosed with ADHD and refer you for mental health services if required. You can also find an ADHD-specialist in your area.
To diagnose ADHD, a doctor will employ an assessment tool. This usually is a lengthy interview as well as a series of questions about symptoms. The evaluator wants to know your history, and if there were any significant childhood events that might have contributed to your symptoms or behavior. For example, if you were exposed to trauma or suffered from any medical conditions in your early years of childhood.
The evaluator will then assess how serious your symptoms are. It will be determined by the extent to which the impairments you suffer from affect your everyday functioning. For instance, if you have significant difficulty maintaining a job or interacting with your family members, it could qualify as impairment. This is a crucial part of the diagnosis process since it guarantees that your ADHD symptoms aren't explained by another mental health condition like anxiety or depression.
In addition to an in-depth clinical interview, the evaluator could also administer standardized behavioral rating scales or ADHD symptoms checklists. These tools can help to identify if you have six or more established ADHD symptoms in one of the two main categories -- inattention or hyperactivity-impulsivity. If necessary, the evaluator can also conduct neuropsychological, psycho-educational or learning disability tests. These tests can reveal details about working memory impairments and executive functions abilities spatial and visual abilities and other aspects.
It is possible that you'll be diagnosed with moderate, mild or severe ADHD symptoms in light of your interview and symptom assessment. These levels are determined by how ADHD symptoms affect you. For instance, mild ADHD symptoms will have a small impact on your social interactions and work. Moderate ADHD symptoms will have a greater impact on your life, while severe ADHD symptoms can affect all aspects of your life.
Diagnosis
The process of diagnosing ADHD isn't always easy, especially for adults. A lot of Internet websites offer lists of symptoms and questionnaires. However only a licensed mental healthcare specialist or physician can provide a valid diagnosis of ADHD (psychiatrists or neurologists or family doctors). The evaluation process involves a conversation with the patient by a physician, typically in with someone close to him or her such as a spouse or sibling, parent, teacher or coach, or babysitter. Other important steps include assessing the impact of symptoms on the individual in school or at work as well as at home and with friends; taking an exhaustive medical history and determining whether the symptoms are better explained by a different illness.
When evaluating adults, a doctor will evaluate the symptoms of a patient against those listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition. This guide provides the symptoms that are used to make an assessment of ADHD in adolescents and children. However, due to the differences between adults and children this guideline is not always a good way to diagnose adults with the disorder. The doctor may also employ the Brown Attention Deficit Disorder Symptom Assessment Scale for adults. It is a self-reporting 40-item test that measures different aspects ADHD symptoms.
During the clinical interview the doctor will want to learn more about the individual's childhood. Many adults suffering from ADHD have inconsistent or poor memories of their childhood behaviors The clinician will seek as much information as possible from teachers and relatives and other people who have been in contact with the patient in the past.
The physician will ask the patient to fill out a questionnaire to determine how they react to certain situations such as not attending an appointment or losing their keys. They might also inquire about the person's family history as well as work history and life style. Additionally, the doctor will request an inventory of the medications the patient is taking as well as his or her current symptoms. The clinician will determine if the symptoms may be caused by other disorders like depression or anxiety disorders and then determine the best treatment strategy.
Treatment
An accurate diagnosis of adult ADHD will allow you to receive the appropriate treatment. Certain people suffering from ADHD have co-occurring disorders such as anxiety and mood disorders that require treatment. Some suffer from physical ailments that affect their symptoms. Whatever the reason of symptoms is, most people suffering from this condition will benefit from the combination of psychotherapy and medication.
In general the mental health professional will perform the evaluation for ADHD. The doctor will review medical history and ask about school, work and personal issues. He may ask to talk to your spouse, parent, child, or significant other to get more information that cannot be gathered from the questionnaire. testing for adhd in adults or neurological exam could be necessary, depending on the situation.
The evaluator will use rating scales and other tools to determine if you or your child has established symptoms of inattention or hyperactivity/impulsivity for the past six months. The evaluator may interview family members, co-workers or teachers to gather more information. He may ask you or your child to remember how you behaved as a child. Some experts believe that this interview is a crucial component of an extensive ADHD assessment for both adults and children.
Other tests may include a psychological examination and cognitive behavioral therapy in order to address problematic behavior or thoughts like "thought distorsions" or self defeating beliefs. A cognitive behavioral therapist will help you or your children change these negative beliefs and habits with healthier ones.
Your therapist will help you develop strategies to improve organizational abilities, such as using a daily planner or creating lists of tasks. They can also teach you strategies to decrease the risk-taking and impulsive behavior and increase your confidence. They can also suggest support groups, like life coaches or ADHD coach.
Adults with ADHD might find relief from stimulant medication like amphetamines or methylphenidates. These drugs are thought to increase the brain's natural levels dopamine, a neurotransmitter that affects motor coordination and attention. These medications are only prescribed to patients who have a definitive diagnosis of the disorder and who meet the criteria.
Counseling
In some cases, people are sent to a specialist even though they don't have ADHD. This can lead to distress for those who are referred (long waiting lists, long assessments, and finally finding out they do not have ADHD) and also inefficient use of healthcare resources and increased costs. Inappropriate referrals could cause an overdiagnosis of ADHD which could increase the chance of stimulant abuse and diversion in certain cases.
A complete ADHD assessment should include a detailed diagnostic interview with a certified professional. This may include questions regarding the person's daily life whether at work or in school and their relationships with family and friends alcohol and drug use, driving history, medical concerns and their mental health history from childhood to now. The examiner will be looking at how many of the criteria to diagnose ADHD apply to the individual (inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness). They will also look at whether the symptoms are caused by impairment.
Standardized questionnaires and ratings scales could be useful in assessing ADHD symptoms. These can be administered by the evaluator or filled out by an outside source like spouse. They are particularly helpful in cases where the person is uncertain of their own symptoms or believes that they have other reasons for their problems. The evaluator may also ask the patient to fill out a retrospective ADHD behavior profile from their childhood.
Psychological tests can be used to assess a person's cognitive functioning as well as their emotional state and behavior. This could include clinical interviews, rating scales behavioral assessments, neuropsychological tests, intelligence and mood tests. This gives a greater picture than a simple diagnostic interview and can be used to guide the treatment, accommodations, and intervention plans.