ADHD Adult Test - Important Steps in Diagnosing Adult ADHD
During an ADHD screening, your doctor will interview you about your family and personal history, environment, work and school performance. They will also take an examination of your medical history, including physical examination.
A complete ADHD assessment will include questions regarding childhood and any alcohol or drug consumption. Your clinician will also ask about any comorbidities that may mimic the symptoms of ADHD.
Symptoms
It is important for anyone who is concerned that they may be suffering from ADHD to consult their primary care physician. They can assist you to know what ADHD is and can refer you to a mental health professional should you require it. You can also find an individual counselor in your area who is specialized in ADHD.
A healthcare professional will employ tools to determine ADHD. This usually involves a thorough interview and a series questions about symptoms. The examiner wants to know about your past and whether there were any significant childhood events that might have contributed to your symptoms and behavior. The evaluator can inquire whether you were the victim of trauma or a medical illness in your early childhood.
The evaluator will then determine the severity of your symptoms. The evaluator will determine how much impairments affect your daily activities. This would be the case if, for example, you had significant difficulties keeping your job or interacting with your family members. This is a crucial part of the diagnosis process as it ensures that your ADHD symptoms can't be explained by other mental health issues like depression or anxiety.
In addition to an in-depth clinical interview, the evaluator could also administer standardized behavioral rating scales or ADHD symptom 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. The examiner will also conduct a neuropsychological, psychological or learning disabilities testing when needed. These tests can provide information about working memory impairments, executive function ability and visual and spatial skills.
It is possible to be diagnosed with moderate, mild or severe ADHD symptoms according to your interview and symptom evaluation. 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 can have a larger impact on your daily life. The most severe ADHD symptoms can impact all aspects of your daily life.
Diagnosis
It can be difficult to determine ADHD particularly in adults. Although many Internet websites provide symptom checklists and questionnaires, the most valid diagnosis of ADHD is determined by a licensed mental health specialist or a physician (psychiatrist or neurologist or family physician). The process of evaluation includes an interview with the patient by the physician, and preferably with a person who is in close contact with the patient like parents, spouses, sibling; teacher or coach; or a babysitter. Other important steps include assessing the effects of symptoms on the person at work or in school and at home and with friends; taking an extensive medical history and determining if the symptoms are better explained by a different illness.
In evaluating adults, the doctor will evaluate a patient's symptoms against those described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition. This guide provides the symptoms that are used to make a diagnosis of ADHD in children and adolescents. However, due to the differences between children and adults, these criteria are not always applicable to diagnosing adults with the disorder. The clinician can also use the Brown Attention Deficit Disorder Symptom Assessment Scale for adults. It is a 40 item self-reporting test that evaluates different aspects of ADHD symptoms.
During the interview with the patient the doctor will be looking to learn more about the person's childhood. Many adults with ADHD do not recall their childhoods well or even at all. The doctor will have to get as much information from the individual's relatives teachers, relatives, and other people who have known them in the past.
The physician will ask the patient to complete a survey to assess how they react to certain situations such as not attending an appointment or losing their keys. He or she might also inquire about the person's family history as well as their work history and life style. The physician will also ask the person for a list if they are taking medications and the current symptoms. The clinician will determine if the symptoms may be related to other disorders like anxiety or depression and then determine the best treatment plan.
Treatment
A precise diagnosis of adult ADHD will allow you to receive the best treatment. Certain people suffering from ADHD also have comorbid conditions such as depression and anxiety, which require treatment. Others have physical ailments that affect their symptoms. Whatever the cause of the symptoms, most adults affected by this condition are greatly improved with a combination of medication and psychotherapy.
Generally an expert in mental health will conduct the assessment for ADHD. The doctor will go over the medical history of the patient and inquire about work, school and personal lives. He may ask to talk to your spouse, parent, child, or your significant other to gather more information that cannot be obtained from an online questionnaire. Depending on the situation, an examination of the brain or a physical exam might 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 will interview family members, teachers or co-workers to get additional information. He might ask you or your child to remember how you acted as a kid. Some experts believe this interview is an essential component of an extensive ADHD assessment for both adults and children.
Other tests could include a psychological examination and cognitive behavioral therapy in order to address issues with behavior or thoughts, such as "thought distorsions" or self-defeating beliefs. A cognitive behavioral therapist will assist you or your child to replace these destructive habits and beliefs with healthier ones.
Your therapist can assist you in developing strategies to improve your organizing abilities. For example, using a daily planner and creating lists of tasks. They can also teach you strategies to decrease the risk-taking and impulsive behavior and build confidence. They can also recommend support groups, such as a life coach or ADHD coach.
Some people suffering from ADHD get relief from taking stimulant medications, such as methylphenidates or amphetamines. These medications are believed by experts to boost dopamine levels in the brain, a neurotransmitter which can affect attention and motor coordination. These medications are only available to patients who have a definitive diagnosis of the disorder and who meet certain requirements.
Counseling
In some cases, people are sent to a specialist without even having ADHD. adhd online testing can cause distress to those referred, waste of healthcare resources, and higher costs. Inappropriate referrals can also result in an over-diagnosis of ADHD (increasing the chance of stimulant use which can lead to abuse and diversion in certain instances) and can increase the number of people who are diagnosed with ADHD when their symptoms are caused by other psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety or depression.
A thorough ADHD assessment should include a thorough diagnostic interview with a certified professional. This could include questions about the person's life in general, school or work, their relationship with their family and friends, drinking and drug use, driving background, medical issues and their mental health history from childhood to now. The examiner will look at how many of the criteria to diagnose ADHD are applicable to the individual (inattentiveness as well as hyperactivity and impulsiveness). They will also examine whether the symptoms are causing impairment.
Standardized questionnaires and scales of rating for assessing ADHD symptoms can be useful. These can be administered either by the evaluator, or 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 they have other reasons for their problems. The evaluator could request that the person complete a retrospective ADHD behavior profile from their childhood.
Psychological testing is a method to evaluate a person's cognitive functioning, behavior and emotional state. This may include behavioral assessments ratings scales, neuropsychological tests. This gives a greater picture than a diagnostic interview alone and can help to inform accommodations, interventions and treatment plans.