ADHD Assessment - What Happens When a Doctor Diagnoses ADHD?
To make an ADHD diagnosis, doctors examine your symptoms to determine whether they fit the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fifth Edition (DSM-V). Most professionals also administer an interview for clinical purposes with one or more standardized ADHD rating scales.
It's best to find a professional who specializes in diagnosing ADHD and is covered by your insurance plan. Contact a local support group for a list of experts.
Symptoms
If your pediatrician tests you for ADHD the doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms and history. He or she will also examine you to determine the physical causes for your disorder such as vision issues hearing loss, or an illness.
The most prominent sign of ADHD is the difficulty in paying attention or staying focused. This can lead to careless mistakes or failing to complete work (e.g. schoolwork, homework or chores). Teens and children with ADHD are unable to listen to others and be distracted or drowsy. For adults suffering from ADHD, these issues can result in problems at work or home and also in relationships.
Another symptom of ADHD is difficulty sitting still or remaining still for long periods of time. People with ADHD pace, fidget or squirm as they wait for others to arrive or during a meeting. They may also be too loud or interrupt others frequently.
Doctors use the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition Text Revision (DSM-5-TR(tm)), to aid in their diagnosis. They assess whether a person has at least six traits of inattention or hyperactivity/impulsivity to determine what type of ADHD they have.
Your pediatrician will review your behavior in various situations like at school or in other social situations. The doctor will ask you as well as your family members as well as teachers and other caregivers to discuss your behavior. He or she will also utilize checklists and scales to assess ADHD symptoms.
Your child may be subjected to an examination of the body or blood tests in order to determine if there are any other medical conditions, such as a thyroid disorder, a vision problem or hearing loss. A mental health professional will assess your child's ability to focus on the task at hand, follow directions and complete tasks.
Neuropsychological testing is not usually used to diagnose ADHD, but it may be helpful in some situations. It involves measuring brain activity, including beta waves by using an EEG scan or a magnetic resonance image (MRI). Some studies suggest that people who suffer from ADHD have less beta wave activity in the frontal lobes of their brains and that they create too many theta waves.
Diagnosis
A doctor can determine ADHD by examining the patient's symptoms, his or her family history, and the results of a variety of screening and assessment tools. There are several tools that can be used to diagnose ADHD, including rating scales and continuous tests. For each instrument it is crucial to know its sensitivity and specificity - the likelihood that the test is able to identify those with the disorder as opposed to those who do not.
Interviewing the patient is the first step to the assessment of ADHD. This is an hour-long session with a therapist who will be asked questions about the symptoms they experience and past experiences. A specialist may ask caregivers, teachers and other educators to gather information, particularly when diagnosing children. The specialist will look over the child's medical and school records and ask them to fill out questionnaires that parents and educators have completed.
For adults who are being assessed for ADHD the doctor might also request past school records to determine if the individual's symptoms began in childhood. They could also talk to the person's spouse, siblings and other family members about their experiences with the person. A specialist may also want to speak with others who know the person, such as religious and scout leaders or former teachers in order to gain insight into how the individual interacts in various settings.
For an adult or teenager to be diagnosed with ADHD, the person must exhibit a variety of symptoms in a variety of settings, such as school, home and work. uk adhd assessment must interfere in the person's ability to perform and cannot be explained by any other illness. For adolescents the symptoms must be consistent and present since childhood. For adults, he or she must exhibit at least five ongoing symptoms and have experienced them for at least six months. The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition Text Revision (DSM-5) offers criteria for diagnosing the disorder.
Treatment
There are many treatment options available if your child or adult is diagnosed with ADHD. These treatments may include medication, behavior therapy or a mix of both. Your doctor and you will decide on the most appropriate treatment for your child based upon their symptoms and the length of time they've been experiencing them for. Your doctor will also rule out other things that could be the cause of the symptoms, like mental health issues like depression and anxiety, or medical conditions like thyroid disorders.
If you or your child are struggling in school, it's crucial to talk to a teacher about the problem. Teachers can spot ADHD signs in children and determine if the issue is ADHD or something else.
The evaluation you receive will likely involve an interview with a clinician, the taking ADHD symptom checklists and other questionnaires, medical history, psychological tests and details about family members and friends. It is crucial to be as specific as you can about the difficulties that you or your child is experiencing. This will help your practitioner understand the complexities of your situation and help you make an accurate diagnosis.
Adults and older teenagers will go through a similar assessment process, however their symptoms will be evaluated differently, as they are generally connected to their work and other pursuits. Your psychologist or psychiatrist may also ask you to explain the issues and how they affect your life. Are the issues affecting your social or professional relationships, for example? If yes what is the extent? This information will be used by your doctor to determine whether your symptoms are moderate or mild.
Psychosocial treatments are more effective than prescription medications for adults with ADHD. These treatments can aid you and your family find better ways to cope with your symptoms. For instance, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can teach you how to shift your negative thoughts and manage your emotions. Group and family therapy can help you develop new skills and strategies to improve your relationship with your spouse or partner. For adolescents and younger children, behavior training is recommended prior to taking any medication. This includes training for parents on behavior management for children up to age 6 and different forms of behavior therapy and training for adults and older teens.
Follow-up
Like any diagnostic procedure the results of an adhd assessment should always be interpreted by a qualified clinician. This ensures that the person receives the correct treatment for their condition. It also reduces the chance of false positive results, when a test suggests that someone has ADHD but they do not. This can occur if a test used to evaluate is not valid or the examiner doesn't have the necessary experience to interpret the results correctly.
When analysing the results of an assessment for adhd the doctor will determine if the symptoms are in line with the person's history and if they are sufficiently disruptive to their life. They will also look at the onset and persistence of the symptoms, as well in comparing them to an estimate of mental age (i.e. is the patient's behavior significantly above or below for their age).
In addition to clinical interviews and observations, neuropsychological tests can be useful in assessing ADHD symptoms. Some tests have been specifically developed to evaluate the core symptoms of ADHD: inattention, hyperactivity and the tendency to be impulsive. The Quantified Behavior Test for children (6-12 years) and the Qb+(c) for adults (12 years and over) are two of these tests. These tests utilize motion-tracking technology to measure head movement and generate measures of activity, like the amount of time spent moving faster than 1 cm/s, distance and surface covered, and microevents, such as small movements greater than 1 mm. They also generate estimates of mistakes in omission and commission both of which are the main causes of ADHD's executive functioning issues.
It is essential that the physician takes the time to conduct a thorough assessment. They'll likely inquire about the person's health history and development history dating back to childhood, their educational and work history, as well as family life, and alcohol and drug usage, to identify any contributing factors which could be contributing to the symptoms they observe. The SWAN and ratings from parents or patients, and objective cognitive tests will be used to arrive at a diagnosis.