Adult ADHD Assessments
Based on current diagnostic guidelines the adult can only be diagnosed with ADHD if the symptoms were present in the early years of childhood (technically before age 12). Your specialist will review your school records and speak with you and significant others about your childhood behavior.
The evaluator is also trying to determine if any causes other than ADHD could be the cause of your symptoms.
Interviews
During the interview part of an ADHD assessment, the doctor will interview the person being evaluated several questions. During this time, the examiner will review several issues such as the symptoms that are being reported, the often they occur and for how long the person has been experiencing them.
It is important that the person who is being evaluated be transparent about their symptoms and how these are affecting their life. If they are suffering from a lack of memory or are prone to losing things or are struggling with organizational abilities or problems with managing their time, they should be open about their issues and not conceal them away. It is also important for them to realize that it is not their fault if they experience problems and that it is not unusual.
The doctor will not just analyze the patient's present issues but also their previous health and development, including their education, childhood, work, alcohol and drug abuse, as well as the relationship between marriage and family. The doctor may choose to interview family members as well as friends, colleagues, and teachers to collect additional details.
During an assessment, standardized questionnaires are used to compare the symptoms of a person with people who do not suffer from ADHD. These tests are typically administered along with a clinical interview by an experienced ADHD specialist. This helps to decrease the likelihood that someone is diagnosed with ADHD only based on their self-reports and to ensure the accuracy of the diagnosis.
In many cases, the clinician will talk to the spouse or partner to better know how the signs of the person are impacting their relationship. This step can aid the couple in coming to know each other's needs and establish a solid foundation for communication following the diagnosis. It also provides an opportunity for the non ADHD spouse or partner to discover how to help their ADHD-afflicted partner and implement healthy changes in their behavior.
Tests
Your doctor may ask you questions or conduct tests to determine the severity of your symptoms. They might ask if your symptoms have affected your work, your social or family life. They will also examine your history and check for other conditions that may be causing your symptoms.
They may employ standardized behavior rating scales to identify ADHD symptoms. These tools are designed to be quick and easy to complete which is why they are popular among patients. They don't always have a high degree of validity or positive predictor power. This means they could overlook some people suffering from the disorder.
It is important to keep in mind that ADHD exists along the continuum of symptoms and screening tools can only provide general guidance. To be diagnosed, an individual must display symptomatic behaviors in at least two different areas of their lives and these should be significantly impacting their daily activities. It is important to be aware of these distinctions when using an online ADHD test or self-assessment.
You and others who know you well will be interviewed by your healthcare professional. This includes people in your immediate family, such as spouses or siblings, and could include close friends, teachers or coaches. They will ask how often you have certain symptoms and will rate them on an arbitrary scale from "never" to "very often."
The doctor might also conduct an examination to determine if there are any medical conditions which could be the cause of your symptoms. This may involve a blood test or electrocardiogram (ECG). You may also be asked to complete tasks, such as the test of variable concentration (TOVA). The TOVA is an assessment of your ability to focus on tasks that are not your preferred and compares it with people with ADHD.
Undiagnosed adults can have serious health and wellness implications. Women and people of color are less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD and this makes it more difficult for people to seek treatment when they need. It's never too late to have an assessment and start the path to recovery.
Referrals
When conducting an adult ADHD assessment A medical professional will conduct an interview with the patient. They may request that someone who knows the patient well (a roommate or spouse of an adult, or a sibling or parent for children) fill out a form that outlines how they perform in various areas of their lives. This information can reveal details that isn't easy to get through a questionnaire.
If the medical professional who is evaluating suspects a person may have an anxiety or depression disorder that is comorbid to the they may request those closest to them to take similar questionnaires on how they deal with their behavior. This is a way to determine if there are any conditions that may cause ADHD-like symptoms.
The medical professional might also need to inquire about the patient's family's mental health history, and if there is a known family history of ADHD. She may also review the patient’s early childhood school records and report card to determine if any patterns are present.
A diagnosis of psychiatric disorders like ADHD is often difficult to get due to the stigma attached to the condition, as well as the fact that a lot of people with the condition do not get diagnosed at all. The NHS has a long waiting list for ADHD assessments. This can make it difficult to determine the condition of some people.
Private healthcare companies offer adult ADHD assessments via the NHS Right to Choose" pathway. Private healthcare firms can conduct assessments much faster than the NHS and offer a shared-care agreement with the patient's GP in order to pay only the NHS prescription fee. However the private healthcare provider should always be clear about the limitations of its services and should not claim to be able to prove the accuracy of a diagnosis or its ability to provide an appropriate treatment plan. It is important to remember that there aren't any conclusive tests to determine the presence of ADHD, and a medical professional must be trained to assess the symptoms based on clinical experience.
Reports
Once the person conducting the assessment has completed the report the professional will then communicate with the individual's primary health medical professional to ensure that a plan is in place for the next step. This could include therapy to treat ADHD or other mental illnesses related to it, along with medication to manage the symptoms.
During an adult adhd assessment the clinician will interview the person being evaluated along with other people who know him or her well. This could include close family members, friends and colleagues. The doctor will also require copies of the student's school records, especially early report cards. It is crucial to provide this information because ADHD symptoms can change over time.
The physician will use a variety of rating scales to determine whether or not the current problems are consistent with the presence of ADHD. These scales are designed to assess attention to impulse control, hyperactivity and attention. They could be self-report scales such as the Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS) or observer scales in which someone who knows the person well fills out a form on behalf of the individual. The clinician will also consider the way in which a person's present problems impact his or her life at home, work and social interactions.
If the person being assessed has an antecedent of ADHD the doctor will go through the records of previous patients to determine if any of the symptoms are present today. These records will likely include the symptoms as reported by the doctor as well as any other professionals who have evaluated the patient. If the person has ADHD in childhood, a physician typically requests a copy of the previous diagnosis as well as any reports of treatment such psychometric testing.
Several online tools are available to test for ADHD. Some are free, and others are more thorough. For example, the Women's ADHD Symptom Index which focuses on childhood patterns and adult-specific symptoms specific to women. The primary factor to determine ADHD is the presence of impairment in at minimum two major situations, and screening tools are usually unable to identify this.