ADHD Evaluations and Diagnoses
Getting a diagnosis is the first step towards understanding and addressing symptoms. Find a licensed mental health specialist or physician (psychiatrist or neurologist, family doctor) who is specialized in ADHD evaluations and diagnoses.
The specialist will conduct an interview that is structured to review your past. They may want to see old report cards and speak to teachers, relatives or friends about your childhood habits.
Signs and 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. The symptoms can also interfere with relationships and learning at work, school and at home. If you or your child exhibit these symptoms, consult a GP. They're not able to definitively diagnose ADHD, but they can discuss your concerns with you and recommend specialist services, if necessary.
A GP can assist you in determining whether your symptoms are linked to ADHD by asking questions, reviewing your medical history and health records and completing a physical exam. You can also provide the history of ADHD in your family members to aid in diagnosis. The GP will then refer you to a psychiatrist or psychologist to conduct a psychiatric evaluation. The evaluation may include a description and scales of your symptoms, completed by you and your family members, and a physical exam, lab tests and a psychiatric evaluation.
Psychologists and psychiatrists can 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. They will look for a pattern of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity that lasts for at least six months and determining whether these symptoms have a significant impact on your daily routine at home, at work or school.
Adults can be diagnosed with ADHD in the same manner however, their symptoms are more likely to present differently as they grow older. They can have a predominantly inattentive presentation of the disorder, a predominantly hyperactive/impulsive presentation or a combination of both.
If your adult symptoms are in line with the guidelines for diagnosis, you can be treated with medication. Adults with ADHD are usually prescribed psychostimulants to alter neurotransmitters. These drugs boost energy and alertness, while also improving focus and concentration. They can be prescribed in extended-release form to minimize the risk of side effects. Antidepressants are sometimes used to treat the inattention presentation of ADHD in adults. These medications, including Wellbutrin (bupropion) and Effexor (venlafaxine) can affect the brain's neurotransmitters and enhance mood and focus.
Diagnosis
A diagnosis of ADHD can help you gain control of the symptoms that could be affecting both your professional and personal lives. A licensed mental health professional (psychiatrists or neurologists, as well as family physicians) can conduct a psychiatric examination. A person with an underlying symptom-based diagnosis, such as ADHD must adhere to certain guidelines laid out in the American Psychiatric Society's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition to be eligible for treatment for ADHD.
During the ADHD assessment, you will be asked questions about your child's behavior at home, in school and in social settings. Your child's medical history as well as family history and development will be studied. They will then assess your child's behavior with the behaviors of other children who are their age. They could use standardized rating scales to measure the frequency of specific behaviors, like difficulty paying attention, ignoring things and interrupting others.
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 be present in at least two settings, make your child perform poorly and last for a minimum of six months.
If your child does not meet all the criteria needed to be diagnosed of inattentive ADHD, your healthcare provider will assign them 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 comprehensive psychiatric evaluation can include psychological and neuropsychological testing, and computer-based cognitive tests. Your doctor will assess your child's blood pressure, and perform an examination to determine if there are any medical conditions that could be a cause of ADHD symptoms like thyroid disorders or head injuries (Austerman, 2015). They may also ask teachers and caregivers to provide a full history and conduct a thorough interview with your child and family. They'll also look into whether there is an ancestry of ADHD in the family, since it is highly inheritable.
Treatment
If a person has been diagnosed as having ADHD, they may need treatment or medication for their behavior. Behavioral therapy can include family and individual counseling, as well as group therapy, such as dialectical behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. The first step to receive 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, such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness or CHADD for the how to get diagnosed with adhd ireland names of professionals in your area who specialize in ADHD. Some doctors use computer programs, such as continuous performance tests, to check for problems with attention and impulsivity. Other doctors use brain scans, such as single photon emission computed Tomography (SPECT) to check for abnormalities. Experts agree that the patient's interview is the most crucial component of an assessment.
During an interview, the clinician will discuss the symptoms that prompted the appointment. The clinician will also seek information from someone who knows the patient well, such as siblings, spouses or a parent. The clinician will also interview teachers, coaches, nannies and other professionals who spend much time with the patient. This is a lengthy process and can take an hour or more. The doctor will write the report, and then discuss the findings with the patient.
It is crucial to keep in mind that a diagnosis of ADHD will be based on the extent to which the symptoms impact the person's everyday life. This means that the person's symptoms must cause significant impairment in at least two major settings, such as home and work. The impairment must have been present for at least six months to be considered a valid diagnosis of ADHD.
During the interview, the clinician will go over the patient's medical and mental health history and determine whether or not the patient is in compliance with the diagnostic criteria set by the American Psychiatric Association in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition Text Revision (DSM-5). A valid diagnosis of ADHD requires at minimum three of the following five symptoms that include difficulty paying attention to specifics, making erroneous mistakes or omissions, difficulty staying focused on work or other activities, and trouble listening to someone's words when they speak.
Prevention
Often, people with inattentive ADHD symptoms don't get diagnosed. They're not as disruptive as hyperactive or impulsive forms of ADHD and are often ignored. But their problems do have consequences: they could be unable to perform at school, have a conflict with peers or struggle to keep their job. These people also need to be treated with respect.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is the official name for the condition. The term ADD may still be occasionally used but it's not the most common. The newer version is based on the fact that children might only have symptoms of inattention.
While many of the symptoms are present in all cases, there are a few distinct ways in which the disorder manifests itself between girls and boys. 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 not be diagnosed, and less likely to seek treatment.
An accurate diagnosis requires a thorough examination by a medical professional. This may include an examination of the medical history along with a medical interview and a physical exam. It is a process of examining reports from teachers, parents or other adults with an understanding of the person, as well as normative rating scales, both by loved ones and by teachers. These can be useful in determining if the symptoms are severe enough to affect functioning.
A thorough evaluation is essential to determine if symptoms are caused by a different medical or mental illness, such as depression or anxiety. In some instances the treatment of other disorders may aid in reducing or eliminating ADHD symptoms.
Those diagnosed with the disorder need to be aware of possible adverse effects and treatments. They should also remain in contact with their doctor to ensure that the medication is working in the way it should.
The most popular treatment for inattentive ADHD is stimulant drugs, which can help improve concentration and decrease impulsive behavior. Children and adults with inattentive ADHD may benefit from other treatment options like cognitive behavior therapy or parent training. It is essential to remind those prescribed ADHD medication to see their doctors regularly, as some patients may need adjustments in dosages or other treatment options.