ADHD Assessment For Adults - What to Expect
Your primary care physician or support group for adults with ADHD can recommend a certified health care professional who performs these tests. You can also use the directory online of your health insurance plan to find specialists.
Typically, an assessment takes approximately one to three hours. It starts with an extensive interview about your family, work and personal life.
What to Expect
It is essential to consult your doctor if you think you or someone in your family has ADHD. Your GP can talk to you about your symptoms, ask about your family history and inquire about any other comorbidities that you might have, but they are not able to diagnose ADHD themselves. They will refer you to a mental specialist typically a psychologist to assess your ADHD.
The initial assessment could take several hours. During this interview the clinician will ask you a series of specific questions about your behavior in the present and in the past. They will also ask about your relationships and any issues that you've experienced in the past. The interview will determine if you are in compliance with the ADHD criteria as defined in the Psychiatric Diagnostic Manual published by the American Psychiatric Association.
You'll need to show that your conditions are leading to significant impairment in two or more areas of your life. This could be at work, at home or in your social life. Some examples of impairment include being unable to keep a job or having difficulty maintaining a healthy relationship or having financial issues due to impulse purchases.
Depending on your situation, the clinician will likely also perform certain neuropsychological or psychological tests. These tests are not able to diagnose ADHD but they can provide valuable information on how ADHD affects your daily life. These tests can also be used to rule out other comorbidities like anxiety and depression.
Your doctor will conduct a physical examination and take a medical history prior to or during the exam. This will allow them to identify any other medical conditions that could be causing symptoms, such as thyroid or seizure disorders. They will need to know about any prior mental or medical diagnosis because some of them may appear like ADHD.
During the Evaluation
An ADHD evaluation is a dialogue with a mental health professional, and can include questionnaires that the patient has to fill out. It could also involve an interview with an important family member or other. This can be useful because the person may not realize that their symptoms are causing problems for others. It can also help the evaluator identify any mental health issues that need to be addressed by a treatment.
Adults can find it intimidating to be diagnosed with ADHD especially when they are older and have a number of obligations. A diagnosis can change your life dramatically. A diagnosis will help you understand that inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity do not occur due to a lack effort or personal failure, but rather an illness of the brain.
Your child or you may be required to display symptomatic behavior in at minimum two environments (home school, home, and work) that cause significant impairment. Several of these symptoms are present since early childhood, and cannot be explained by another disorder.
As part of the process of evaluation, a physical exam is usually recommended. Certain medical conditions (such seizure disorders and thyroid problems) disorders) can trigger symptoms similar to ADHD. The physical exam helps the examiner to rule out other illnesses that could be responsible for the symptoms.
The evaluator will review the patient's medical history as well as the psychiatric symptoms. The evaluator will also discuss the patient's lifestyle, and determine the extent to which symptoms impact everyday functioning. It's usually helpful for the evaluator talk to people who know the patient well like friends or family members.
The evaluator will use the criteria set out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) to make a diagnosis. They will ask the patient to detail their symptoms and how they impact the person's functioning. They will also consider whether there are any comorbid mental health issues that require treatment, like anxiety or depression.
Follow-up
Once an ADHD assessment has been completed the treatment plan will be developed. Most often, this will comprise psychotherapy and medication. It is important to keep in mind that it may take time to get on the right dosage of medication and also to see results of therapy. The most important thing you can do is to stick with the treatment. During the one-on-1 sessions, it is crucial to be honest and open with your psychiatrist. This will ensure that you receive the best care that you can get.
You will be asked to fill in an array of pre-screening questions prior to meeting with your psychiatrist. They are available on your portal's dashboard and should be completed in advance of your appointment. This will reduce the time of your consultation, and ensure that you can meet your evaluator as fast as possible.
In the initial in-person consultation the evaluator will review your medical history and conduct a physical exam. This could include screening for vision or hearing, depending on the patient. This is to rule out any medical causes for the presenting symptoms.
The next important step is to conduct an in-depth interview that can be anywhere between one and three hours. This is a chance for the patient to discuss their symptoms in detail with the evaluator, and explain how they affect their daily activities. The evaluator will inquire into many different issues, such as relationships with school, work, sleep patterns, and eating habits. The evaluator might also want to interview people who are close to the patient, such as their parents, spouses, siblings teachers, coaches, or daycare providers. This information is not accessible from self-reporting questionnaires. It helps the evaluator determine the presence of ADHD, and determine the severity and extent of the impairment it causes to functioning.
The evaluator will then perform an examination that looks at various areas that are related to the disorder, such as inattention, restlessness, as well as impulse control. The evaluator will also ask questions about how symptoms manifest in different settings and under various stressors, since ADHD can appear differently in different settings.
After adhd adults will note down your symptoms when you describe your symptoms and respond to questions. The evaluation usually lasts between one to three hours and could involve multiple visits or questionnaires. You may be asked to supply some medical information, including your family history of health issues and your current medication. This will assist the evaluator determine if your symptoms are due to something else.
You might have to complete ADHD rating scales or behavioral questionnaires. The evaluator can also conduct a physical examination and examine your medical history. It is crucial to rule out other medical conditions, like thyroid problems or seizure disorders, that can mimic the symptoms of ADHD.
The evaluator will also talk to people who know you well, like teachers and coworkers. These interviews will help the evaluator understand the way your symptoms affect your work or school. It is important to be honest and open about your symptoms, and how they impact you and others.
After the evaluator has collected all this information, they will prepare the report for you. They will present their findings and outline a possible diagnosis. If they decide that you are suffering from ADHD they will consult with you about ongoing treatment and support. If they don't discover that you are suffering from ADHD they will talk to your about other psychiatric problems and recommend ways to help.
It can be a challenging procedure to undergo an ADHD evaluation, especially in the case of an adult. It can be especially difficult if you have been denied a diagnosis in the past, because many medical professionals have preconceived ideas about what ADHD is like.
It's never too late to get an ADHD assessment. A diagnosis can help you seek treatment if you've struggled for a long time. It can also help strengthen relationships with family members. You can find out more about the symptoms and signs of ADHD on our website. You can also download an informational letter from ADHD UK to present to your GP.