ADHD Adult Test - Important Steps in Diagnosing Adult ADHD
During an ADHD screening the doctor will ask you about your personal and family history, work environment, and school performance. They will also ask for your medical history and conduct a physical examination.
A complete ADHD assessment will include questions about your childhood and an assessment of any substance or alcohol use. Your clinician will ask you about any conditions that might be similar to the symptoms that are associated with ADHD.
Signs and symptoms
It is essential for adults who suspect they may be suffering from ADHD to speak with their primary care physician. They can assist you in understanding what it means to be diagnosed with ADHD and also refer you to mental health services if required. You can also locate an expert local counselor who specializes in ADHD.
To determine if you have ADHD, a medical professional will employ an evaluation tool. This usually involves a thorough interview as well as several questions about the symptoms. The examiner will want to know your background and whether there were significant events in childhood that could have contributed to your behavior and symptoms. For instance the event that you were exposed to trauma or suffered from any medical issues in the early years of your life.
The evaluator then determines the severity of your condition. The evaluator will assess how much impairments affect your daily activities. This could be the situation if, for instance you have a difficult time maintaining your job or getting along well with your family members. This is a crucial part of the diagnosis process because it ensures that your ADHD symptoms are not better explained by a different mental health issue, such as depression or anxiety.
adhd testing in adults can also administer ADHD symptoms checklists and behavioral rating scales. 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 examiner might also conduct neuropsychological psychological or learning disability testing. These tests may provide information about working memory impairments as well as executive function abilities and spatial and visual skills.
You may be diagnosed with mild to moderate ADHD symptoms, based on the interview and symptom assessment. These are different levels of the disorder, and they show how your ADHD symptoms affect you in your life. For instance mild ADHD symptoms will have minimal effect on your social and work activities. Moderate ADHD symptoms can have a larger impact on your daily life. Severe ADHD symptoms can impact all aspects of your daily life.
Diagnosis
It can be difficult to recognize ADHD especially among adults. A lot of Internet sites offer symptom lists and questionnaires. However, only a licensed mental healthcare specialist or physician can provide an accurate diagnosis of ADHD (psychiatrists, neurologist or family physicians). The process of evaluating involves a conversation with the person by a physician, typically in with someone close to them such as a spouse or sibling, parent, teacher or coach or babysitter. Other important steps include assessing the individual's symptoms at work, at school, at home and among friends. Taking a complete medical history is an important step.
When conducting an evaluation of an adult, the physician will compare the patient's signs with those listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition. This guide lists the symptoms that are used to diagnose ADHD in teenagers and children. But, due to differences between adults and children this guideline is not always appropriate for diagnosing adults suffering from the disorder. The clinician can also use 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 interview, the clinician might also be interested in knowing more about the child's history. Many adults with ADHD don't recall their childhoods well or even at all. The doctor will need to collect as much information from the person's parents, teachers, and others who have been around them in the past.
The doctor will also ask the patient to fill out a questionnaire that looks at how they respond to certain situations, for example, losing his keys or missing appointments. He or she could also inquire about the family history of the individual as well as work history and lifestyle. Additionally, the doctor will ask for the list of medications the individual takes and the current symptoms. The doctor will then determine whether the symptoms are caused by other issues, such as anxiety or depression, and decide on the proper treatment program.
Treatment
Accurate diagnosis of adult ADHD will help you get the best treatment. Certain people suffering from ADHD have comorbid disorders like anxiety and mood disorders that also require treatment. Others suffer from physical issues that affect their symptoms. Whatever the cause of the symptoms, the majority of people with this disorder are significantly improved by a combination of medication and psychotherapy.
In general, a mental health professional will conduct the assessment for ADHD. The doctor will inquire about the patient's medical history and also inquire about their work, school, and personal lives. He may conduct an examination of the psychological or ask to speak to a spouse, parent, sibling or significant other to get more information that cannot be gleaned from questionnaires. Depending on the situation an examination for neurological or physical health may be required.
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 ask family members, coworkers or teachers to get more information. He might ask you or your child to think about the way you behaved when you were a child. Some experts believe this type of interview is an important element of a thorough ADHD evaluation for adults as well as children.
Other tests may include a psychological assessment and cognitive behavioral therapy to address problematic behavior or thoughts like "thought distortions" or self-defeating beliefs. A cognitive behavioral therapist can assist you or your children to replace these unhealthy habits and beliefs with healthier ones.
Your therapist can help you create strategies to improve your organizational abilities, such as using a daily planner or creating lists of tasks. They can also teach you techniques to curb your risk-taking and impulsive behaviors and gain confidence. They can also recommend support groups like an ADHD or life coach.
Many people with ADHD are able to get relief by taking stimulant drugs such as methylphenidates or amphetamines. These drugs are thought to increase the brain's natural levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that affects attention and motor coordination. These medications are only available to patients with a clear diagnosis of the disorder and who meet specific criteria.
Counseling
In some instances, individuals might be referred to an expert for ADHD without having the disorder. This can result in distress for those referred, inefficiency of healthcare resources, and increased costs. Inappropriate referrals can also cause overdiagnosis of ADHD (increasing the likelihood of stimulant use, which could lead to abuse and diversion in certain cases) and may increase the number of people diagnosed with ADHD even though their symptoms are caused by other mental disorders like anxiety or depression.
A detailed diagnostic interview should be conducted by a trained clinician as part of a comprehensive ADHD assessment. This can include questions about the person's day-to-day life at work or school as well as their relationship with their family and friends, drug and alcohol use, driving background, medical issues and their mental health history from childhood onwards. The examiner will look to determine if the person meets the criteria for ADHD diagnosis (inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness). They will also examine whether the symptoms are causing impairment.
Standardized questionnaires and scales of rating to assess ADHD symptoms may prove useful. They can be administered by the evaluator or filled out by an outside source like spouse. These tests are especially useful for those who aren't sure about their symptoms or suspect they have other causes for their issues. The evaluator could also ask the patient to fill out an retrospective ADHD behavior profile from their childhood.
Psychological testing can be used to determine a person's mental functioning as well as their emotional state and behavior. This can include clinical interviews as well as rating scales behavioral assessments, neuropsychological tests, 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.