ADHD Adult Test - Important Steps in Diagnosing Adult ADHD
During an ADHD screen, your doctor will ask you questions about your personal and family background, your work and school performance, as well as your environment. They will also inquire about your medical history and perform a physical examination.
A full ADHD assessment will include questions about your childhood and a review of any drug or alcohol consumption. Your doctor will inquire about any comorbid conditions that may be akin to the symptoms that are associated with ADHD.
Symptoms
It is crucial for anyone who is concerned that they may be suffering from ADHD to talk to their primary health care provider. They can help you comprehend what ADHD is and can refer you to a mental health professional, if needed. You can also find an ADHD specialist in your area.
To determine ADHD, a healthcare professional will use an assessment tool. This typically includes a thorough interview and several questions about the symptoms. The evaluator wants to know your background and whether there were any significant childhood events that might have contributed to your symptoms and behavior. For example the event that you were exposed to trauma or suffered from any medical illnesses in early childhood.
The evaluator then determines the severity of your symptoms. The evaluator will decide how much impairments affect your daily activities. This could be the situation if, for instance you had difficulty in completing your work or interacting with family members. This is an essential aspect of the diagnostic process, because it ensures that your ADHD symptoms are not better explained by a different mental health condition like anxiety or depression.
In addition to a thorough clinical interview, the evaluator could also use 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 might also conduct neuropsychological psycho-educational or learning disability tests. These tests can provide data on working memory deficits as well as executive function abilities and spatial and visual skills.
You could be diagnosed with mild to moderate ADHD symptoms, based upon the interview and the assessment of symptoms. These levels are based on the extent to which ADHD symptoms affect you. For instance, mild ADHD symptoms will have a small impact on your work and social interactions. Moderate ADHD symptoms will have a greater impact on your daily life, and severe ADHD symptoms can affect every aspect of your life.
Diagnosis
It can be challenging to determine ADHD particularly in adults. While a lot of Internet sites offer symptom checklists and questionnaires, the sole reliable diagnosis of ADHD is determined by an accredited mental health specialist or a doctor (psychiatrist, neurologist or family physician). The process of evaluation includes an interview with the patient by the clinician, preferably with a person who is in constant contact with the person, such as a spouse, parent or sibling or teacher; or a babysitter. Other important steps include assessing the individual's symptoms at work, at school at home, as well as with friends. A complete medical record is an important step.
When evaluating adults, the physician will review the symptoms of a patient against those described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition. adult testing for adhd lists the symptoms that are used to establish an assessment of ADHD in children and adolescents. However, due to the differences between adults and children, these criteria are not always a good way to diagnose adults suffering from the disorder. The doctor can also use the Brown Attention Deficit Disorder Symptom Assessment Scale for adults. It is a self-reporting 40-item test that evaluates different aspects of ADHD symptoms.
During the interview with the patient the doctor will want to learn more about the person's childhood. Many adults with ADHD have inconsistent or poor memories of their childhood behavior The clinician will want to gather as much information as is possible from teachers and relatives, as well as other people who have been in contact with the patient in the past.
The clinician will ask the patient to complete a questionnaire to see how they respond to certain situations, such as not attending an appointment or losing their keys. The clinician could also inquire about the individual's family history as well as their work history and lifestyle. In addition, the clinician will require an inventory of the medications the patient takes as well as his or her current symptoms. The clinician will determine if symptoms are due to other issues like depression or anxiety disorders and then decide on the appropriate treatment strategy.
Treatment
A clear diagnosis of adult ADHD is a critical step to receiving the proper treatment. Certain people suffering from ADHD may also suffer from comorbid disorders such as depression and anxiety that require treatment. Some suffer from physical ailments that affect their symptoms. Whatever is causing the symptoms, the majority of people with this disorder are significantly ameliorated by the combination of medication and psychotherapy.
In general an expert in mental health will perform the evaluation for ADHD. The doctor will inquire about the patient's medical history, and ask about their work, school, and personal lives. He may also conduct a psychological exam or request to talk to parents, spouses or sibling for additional information that can't be obtained from questionnaires. A physical or a neurological examination may be required, based on the specific 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, teachers, or coworkers for additional details. He may ask you or your child to remember the way you behaved as a child. Some experts believe that this interview is an important part of a thorough ADHD assessment for both adults and children.
Other tests could include a psychological test and cognitive behavioral therapy in order to address problematic behavior or thoughts like "thought distorsions" or self-defeating beliefs. A cognitive behavioral therapist will assist you or your children to change these negative habits and beliefs with healthier ones.
Your therapist will assist in establishing strategies to improve your organizing abilities. For example, using a daily planner and making lists of tasks. They can also teach you skills to reduce impulsive and risk-taking behaviors and increase your confidence. They can also recommend support groups, such as a ADHD or life coach.
Adults with ADHD may benefit from stimulant medication like amphetamines and methylphenidates. These medications are believed by experts to increase dopamine levels in the brain, a neurotransmitter that affects attention and motor coordination. These drugs are only prescribed to patients with a clear diagnosis of the disorder and who meet specific criteria.
Counseling
In some instances, people are sent to a specialist even though they don't have ADHD. This can cause distress to the people being referred, a inefficiency of healthcare resources, and higher costs. Inappropriate referrals can also cause overdiagnosis of ADHD (increasing the chance of stimulant use which can lead to abuse and diversion in certain instances) and may increase the number of people who are diagnosed when their symptoms are due to other psychiatric conditions such as anxiety or depression.
A comprehensive ADHD assessment should include a thorough diagnostic interview with a certified professional. This could include questions about the person's daily life including school, work relationship with family and friends as well as alcohol and/or drug use, driving record medical conditions, and mental health history since childhood. The examiner will look to see if the individual meets the criteria for ADHD diagnosis (inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness). They will also consider whether the symptoms are caused by impairment.
Standardized questionnaires and scales of ratings can be helpful in assessing ADHD symptoms. These can be administered by the evaluator or provided by an independent source, such as a spouse. They can be extremely useful when a person is not sure of their own symptoms or believes there are other causes for their difficulties. The evaluator can also ask the person to complete an retrospective ADHD profile of their childhood behavior.
Psychological tests are often used to provide a full assessment of a person's mental and emotional, as well as behavioral functioning. This can include clinical interviews ratings scales, behavioral observations, tests for neuropsychological intelligence, and mood tests. This gives a greater picture than a simple diagnostic interview and can assist in determining the treatment, accommodations, and intervention plans.