ADHD Evaluations and Diagnoses
The first step in managing symptoms is to receive an accurate diagnosis. Find a licensed mental health specialist or physician (psychiatrist or neurologist, or family doctor) who is skilled in ADHD assessments and diagnoses.
The specialist will conduct an organized interview to review your history. They might want to look at old report cards and talk to parents, relatives or even friends about childhood behaviors.
Symptoms
Children and adults who have symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often have trouble with paying close attention, listening attentively and following directions--things that come naturally to others. These symptoms can cause issues with learning and relationships at home, school and at work. If you or your child have these symptoms, talk to a GP. They can't formally diagnose ADHD, but they can discuss your concerns with you and recommend specialist services, if needed.
A GP will be able to determine if you suffer from ADHD symptoms by asking questions, looking over medical records and your medical history, and conducting physical exam. You may also mention your family's history of ADHD to aid in the diagnosis. The GP will then recommend you to a psychiatrist or psychologist to conduct a psychiatric examination. The evaluation may include the description of your symptoms as well as questionnaires and scales filled out by your caregivers, you and teachers, a psychiatric history and physical examination and laboratory tests.
Psychologists and psychiatrists are able to diagnose ADHD in children and adolescents with the help of established guidelines from the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition. This includes looking for an inattention pattern or hyperactivity, which lasts for six months or more, and evaluating whether these symptoms are affecting your life at work, home and school.
Adults may be diagnosed with ADHD, but their symptoms will likely present differently as they age. They can have a predominantly inattentive presentation of the disorder, a predominantly hyperactive/impulsive presentation or a combination of both.
If your adult symptoms meet the requirements for diagnosis, you may be treated with medication. Adults with ADHD are often prescribed psychostimulants that affect neurotransmitters. These medications improve concentration and focus, as well as increasing alertness and energy. They are available in extended-release forms to lessen side effects. Antidepressants are often used to treat the inattentive presentation of ADHD in adults. These drugs, like Wellbutrin and Effexor alter neurotransmitters and can improve mood and concentration.
Diagnosis
A diagnosis of ADHD can help you take control of symptoms which may be affecting both your professional and personal life. A licensed mental health professional (psychiatrists or neurologists, or family physicians) can conduct a psychiatric examination. A person who has an underlying symptom-based diagnosis, such as ADHD must adhere to certain guidelines set forth in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition for treatment for ADHD.
During an ADHD assessment your healthcare provider will inquire regarding your child's behavior in home, school and social environments. The medical history of your child and development history, as well as the family history will be studied. They will then compare your child's behavior to those of other children who are similar to them. They may use standardized rating scales to measure the frequency of specific behavior problems, like difficulty paying attention, forgetting things or interrupting other children.
There are three presentations of ADHD - predominately inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive and combined. To be diagnosed with ADHD, your child must meet six of the nine symptoms that fall under either the inattentive or the hyperactive-impulsive categories. They must occur in more than one setting that affect your child's behavior and cause disruption, and have been present for at least six months.
If your child does not meet the criteria for an inattentive ADHD diagnosis the healthcare professional may diagnose them with unspecified ADHD. They might also decide that your child does not have a hyperactive-impulsive presentation of the condition and not give them an official ADHD diagnosis.
A thorough psychiatric evaluation may include computer-based cognitive and psychological tests, as well as psychological and neuropsychological tests. Your healthcare provider will also examine your child's blood pressure, and perform an examination of the body to identify any medical issues that could be a cause of ADHD symptoms, such as thyroid disorders or head injuries (Austerman 2015). They can also ask teachers and caregivers for a detailed history and conduct a thorough interview of your child and family members. They will consider whether there is an ancestral history of ADHD since the condition is highly heritable.
Treatment
If someone has been diagnosed with ADHD the person may need medication and/or therapy for behavioral issues. Behavioral therapy may include family and individual counseling as well as group therapies, like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). The first step in getting treatment is to find an expert in diagnosing ADHD who is covered by your insurance. You can start by calling your insurer or asking a local mental health support group like the National Alliance on Mental Illness or CHADD for the names of professionals in your area who specialize in ADHD. Some doctors employ computer tests, like continuous performance tests, to check for attention and impulse control problems. Other doctors use brain scans, such as single photon emission computed Tomography (SPECT) to look for abnormalities. Experts agree that the patient's interview is the most crucial component of an assessment.
During an interview, the doctor will review the symptoms that prompted the appointment. The doctor might also seek out anyone who is familiar with the patient such as their spouse, parent, or sibling for information. The clinician will also talk to teachers or coaches, nannies, and other adults who spend significant time with the patient. This is a thorough procedure that could take up to an hour. The clinician will then complete an evaluation report and then discuss the findings of the assessment with the patient.
It is crucial to keep in mind that the diagnosis of ADHD is based on how the symptoms impact the life of a person. This means that the symptoms have to be causing significant impairment in two important settings like at work and at home. The impairment must have been present for at least six months in order to be considered an acceptable diagnosis of ADHD.
During the interview, a clinician will discuss the person's medical and mental health history and determine whether or not the person meets the diagnostic criteria established by the American Psychiatric Association in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition Text Revision (DSM-5). A valid diagnosis of ADHD must be backed by at least three of these five symptoms: trouble paying close attention to details and making careless mistakes, difficulty staying focused on work or activities, trouble listening when being talked to or daydreaming, or appearing to be distracted.
The following is a list of preventatives.
People who have inattentional ADHD are often not diagnosed. They're not as disruptive or impulsive as people with hyperactive ADHD and can be overlooked. Their problems can have serious consequences. They might not do well in school, have disagreements with their peers or struggle to hold a job. These people also need to be treated.
The term ADD is still used infrequently, but the current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) defines the condition as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The newer definition takes into account that children may only be suffering from an inattention symptom.
While many of the symptoms are common to all instances, there are differences in how the disorder manifests between boys and girls. Girls and children assigned female at birth (AFAB) tend to show more inattentive symptoms, which are less noticeable, than the hyperactive/impulsive symptoms. This increases the likelihood that they will go undiagnosed and receive less treatment.
A thorough examination by a medical professional is required to establish an accurate diagnosis. That includes an interview with a clinician, a medical history review and physical examination. It involves examining reports from teachers, parents, or other adults with an understanding get more info of the person, as well as normative rating scales, both by loved ones and by educators. These can be helpful in determining if the symptoms are severe enough to cause impairment in functioning.
It is essential to conduct a thorough examination to determine if the symptoms are due to other psychiatric or medical condition such as depression or anxiety. In some instances, treating these other disorders can help relieve or eliminate the ADHD symptoms.
Those who have been diagnosed with the disorder should to be aware of possible adverse effects and treatments. They should also stay in contact with their doctor to make sure that the medication is working exactly as it should.
The most popular treatment for inattentive ADHD is stimulant drugs which can help improve concentration and reduce impulsive behaviors. Children and adults with ADHD who are inattentive may benefit from other treatment options like cognitive behavior therapy or parent training. It is crucial to remind those prescribed ADHD medication to see their doctors regularly, as certain patients may require adjustments in dosages or other treatment options.