ADHD Adult Test - Important Steps in Diagnosing Adult ADHD
During an ADHD screening, your doctor will interview you about your personal and family history, work environment, and school performance. They will also take an examination of your medical history, including physical examination.
A thorough ADHD assessment will include questions about your childhood and any drug or alcohol usage. Your clinician will also ask about any comorbidities that may be similar to the symptoms of ADHD.
Signs and symptoms
It is important for adults who suspect they might be suffering from ADHD to speak with their primary care physician. They can assist you to know what ADHD is and can refer you to a mental health professional, if needed. You can also find an ADHD-specialist in your area.
A healthcare professional will use a tool to diagnose ADHD. This usually includes a thorough interview and a series of questions about symptoms. The evaluator should know about your history and if there were any significant events during your childhood that could have influenced your behavior and symptoms. You can tell the evaluator whether you were the victim of trauma or a medical illness in your early childhood.
The evaluator then determines the severity of your symptoms. The evaluator will assess how much your impairments affect your daily activities. For instance, if have significant difficulty maintaining a job or getting along with your family members, this could qualify as impairment. This is an essential part of the diagnostic process, since it guarantees that your ADHD symptoms are not better explained by another mental health disorder such as depression or anxiety.
The evaluator 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 evaluator might also conduct neuropsychological psychological or learning disability testing. These tests can reveal the existence of working memory deficiencies as well as executive functions capabilities, visual and spatial skills and other aspects.
You may be diagnosed with moderate to mild ADHD symptoms, based upon the interview and symptom assessment. These levels are based on the way ADHD symptoms affect you. Mild ADHD symptoms, for example, will have minimal impact on your work and social interactions. Moderate ADHD symptoms can have a larger impact on your daily life. Severe ADHD symptoms can affect every aspect of your life.
Diagnosis
Diagnosing ADHD isn't always easy particularly for adults. There are many Internet websites offer lists of symptoms and questionnaires. However only a licensed mental health specialist or physician can provide an accurate diagnosis of ADHD (psychiatrists or neurologists or family physicians). The evaluation process includes an interview of the individual by the clinician, preferably with a person who is in close contact with the person like parents, spouses, sibling; teacher or coach; or a babysitter. Other important steps include evaluating the individual's symptoms at work, school, at home and among friends. A complete medical record is also an important step.
When looking at an adult's health, the physician will evaluate the patient's symptoms to those described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition. This guide outlines the symptoms that are used to determine an assessment of ADHD in children and adolescents. These criteria are not applicable to adults due to the different characteristics between adults and children. The doctor can also use the Brown Attention Deficit Disorder Symptom Assessment Scale for adults. This is a self-reporting, 40-item test that measures different aspects ADHD symptoms.
During the interview, the clinician will also be looking to learn more about the individual's early life. Many people with ADHD don't remember their childhoods well, or even at all. adhd tests for adults will have to get as much information from the person's parents teachers, relatives, and other people who have known them in the past.
The clinician will ask the patient to fill out a questionnaire to assess how they react to certain situations, such as missing an appointment or losing their keys. He or she might also inquire about the family history of the individual as well as their work history and lifestyle. The clinician will also ask the individual for a list of the they are taking medications and the current symptoms. The doctor will then determine if the symptoms are due to other conditions, like anxiety or depression and determine the best treatment plan.
Treatment
A precise diagnosis of adult ADHD is an essential step in getting the appropriate treatment. Some people with ADHD have co-occurring disorders such as anxiety and mood disorders that also require treatment. Others suffer from physical issues which impact their symptoms. No matter what the cause of symptoms is, most adults who suffer from this condition will benefit from a combination of psychotherapy and medication.
In general, a mental health professional will conduct the test for ADHD. The doctor will inquire about the patient's medical history, and ask about their school, work and their personal lives. He may also conduct an examination of the psychological or ask to speak to a spouse, parent or sibling for additional information that can't be gleaned from questionnaires. Depending on the situation an examination for neurological or physical health 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 might interview family members, co-workers or teachers to obtain more information. They may ask you or your child to recall your behavior as a child. Some experts believe this type of interview is a crucial element of a thorough ADHD assessment for adults and children.
Other tests might include a psychological examination and cognitive behavioral therapy to address problematic behavior or thoughts that are causing problems, such as "thought distortions" or self-defeating beliefs. A cognitive behavioral therapist will assist you or your children to change these negative habits and beliefs with healthier ones.
Your therapist can assist you in devising strategies to improve your organizing abilities. For instance, using a daily planner and making lists of tasks. They can also teach you how to control your impulsive behavior and decrease the amount of risk you take. They can also recommend support group like an ADHD or life coach.
Adults suffering from ADHD might find relief from stimulant medication like amphetamines and methylphenidates. These medications are believed by experts to increase dopamine levels in the brain, a neurotransmitter that can affect attention and motor coordination. These medications are only prescribed 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 stress for those being referred (long waiting lists, lengthy assessments, and finally finding out they do not have ADHD) as well as a waste of healthcare resources and increased costs. Unsuitable referrals can lead to an overdiagnosis of ADHD, which can increase the chance of diversion and abuse of stimulants in certain instances.
A detailed diagnostic interview should be conducted by a certified doctor as part of a comprehensive ADHD evaluation. This could include questions about the person's life in general whether at work or in school, their relationship with their family and friends, alcohol and drug use as well as driving history, medical concerns and their mental health history from childhood onwards. The examiner will look to determine if the person meets the requirements for ADHD diagnosis (inattention hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsiveness). They will also look at whether the symptoms are caused by impairment.
Standardized questionnaires and scales of rating to assess ADHD symptoms may prove useful. They can be administered by the evaluator, or completed by an independent source such as spouse. They are particularly helpful in cases where the person is uncertain of their own symptoms or believes that they have other causes for their issues. The evaluator could also ask the patient to complete an retrospective ADHD profile of their childhood behavior.
Psychological testing is commonly used to provide a full assessment of a person's mental behavior, emotional and behavioral functioning. This could include behavioral observations, rating scales and neuropsychological tests. This provides a more comprehensive view than a diagnostic conversation by itself, and can be used to inform accommodation treatments, and interventions.