ADHD Testing in Adults
Recognizing ADHD is the first step to managing the symptoms. A reliable ADHD assessment should include a thorough clinical interview, information from outside sources, like spouses and family members and standardized behavioral ratings scales.
Healthcare professionals may also request you to complete an assessment of your childhood. This is because to be diagnosed with ADHD, your symptoms must have begun before the age of 12.
Diagnosis
For adults with ADHD, a diagnosis is the first step to getting control of the symptoms that can cause havoc at work and at home. If you suspect that you or someone in your family has undiagnosed ADHD you should seek out a doctor with experience treating adults. You may also consider the services of a therapist that specializes in adult ADHD or a life coach.
The clinician will review your medical and psychiatric history, including a detailed list of the ADHD symptoms you've had for six months or more. The doctor will conduct a clinical evaluation and ask you questions about your life. Many adults aren't willing to admit that they suffer from ADHD because of the stigma associated with it. A diagnosis can help you feel accepted and relieved.
Your doctor might use scales of behavior rating to assess your symptoms. These tests are designed to pinpoint the behaviors common among people with ADHD. These questionnaires can be extremely useful to the examiner but cannot tell you definitively if you have ADHD. The evaluator could also request you to complete a behavior checklist prior to the appointment or during the interview.
Physical examinations are also part of the evaluation. The evaluator will be looking for medical conditions such as seizures and thyroid issues that can mimic the symptoms of ADHD.
If the evaluator suspects that you have coexisting conditions, such as anxiety or depression, he or she will conduct psychological and neuropsychological tests. These tests can help the evaluator pinpoint areas that require intervention.
Depending on your insurance coverage, you could be able to participate in a clinical trial. These are research studies that examine new treatments for diseases and disorder. Ask your doctor for referral to a health care specialist who specializes in ADHD assessments for adults or look up your insurance provider's online directory. Local support groups might be able to suggest qualified professionals in your community. Certain mental and medical facilities provide ADHD assessments at no cost or for a low price for adults. The NIMH website offers the list of clinical trials organized by state.
Treatment
A correct diagnosis is the first step towards gaining control of symptoms that are disrupting your daily. Though clinicians differ in procedures and testing materials, many of them utilize standardized rating scales to make sure that you or your child meets the requirements for ADHD. This may include a clinical interview, information from other sources, such as your children or spouse and a variety of tests of cognitive or behavioral.
To determine whether you have the symptoms of ADHD A mental health professional will ask you questions about your past history of issues at work and in school as well as your current functioning, and how long your symptoms have been present. The examiner will want to determine if your symptoms affect your family, friends or social relationships. They may also ask for an entire medical and health history dating back to your childhood, together with driving records, drug and alcohol abuse histories, and information about your eating habits and sleeping habits.
A health care provider will also conduct a physical or neurological exam. They will look to rule out other conditions that can mimic ADHD like epilepsy or brain tumors. They will also be looking for other factors which can hinder a person's ability to perform. This includes comorbidities such as depression or anxiety.
The evaluator will also conduct several behavioral tests, like the Barkley Adult ADHD Rating Scales (BAARS) to evaluate your symptoms to those of other adults of your age. They could also give you an ongoing performance test to gauge your speed at responding to stimuli. They will likely check for signs of underlying medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism.
Your evaluator will go over treatment options with you, which could include medication or a combination of medications and therapy. In some cases a therapist could suggest educational classes or support groups for ADHD. In some instances your therapist may suggest that you consult with a psychiatrist or neurologist, based on the nature of your symptoms as well as your needs. You should disclose any other medications you are taking as some medications may interact with ADHD medications. You can locate a qualified healthcare provider by asking your primary health care provider for a referral, calling the local hospital affiliated with a university, or finding a doctor in your insurance plan's online directory.
Counseling
If someone suspects they may have ADHD, the first thing they need to be doing is to talk to their doctor. The doctor may refer them to an expert in mental health, and begin an exhaustive assessment of the patient. This evaluation will include an interview with the patient as well in a review of their personal and familial medical history. The healthcare professional will also review medical and mental health records to determine other conditions that could be a cause of ADHD symptoms, such as seizures, thyroid issues depression, thyroid problems.
A complete assessment will also contain one or more standard behavior rating scales. These questionnaires are based on research that compares the behaviors of people with ADHD and those who do not. The healthcare professional will have the patient and their significant other to fill out these forms as part of the assessment process.
It is important to be honest when answering these questions, especially since many adults are reluctant to admit they suffer from ADHD symptoms. Most often, people suffering from ADHD come up with strategies to disguise the symptoms. This may result in being misdiagnosed, as other conditions like depression or anxiety can cause similar symptoms.
The evaluator will also search for impairment in two key environments, such as school or work, as a result of the ADHD symptoms. The significance of impairment is that it shows that the symptoms are causing noticeable difficulties in the lives of the patients. To qualify for an assessment, the evaluator must verify that the symptoms began in childhood, usually prior to the age of 12.
The evaluator will also interview the patient, his or her significant others, and then review the patient's health, family, and lifestyle history. The evaluator may also want to speak with other people in the patient's life, such as coaches or teachers. These interviews can reveal details about the patient's health issues that cannot be identified by the standardized checklists used during the assessment.
Certain people suffering from ADHD will be required to participate in clinical trials. These are research studies that try out new ways to prevent, diagnose, or treat diseases and conditions. These trials are vital because they enable doctors and researchers to discover more about the condition. It is, however, essential for people suffering from ADHD to know the risks that come with participating in a clinical trial and to discuss these with their health care providers prior to deciding whether or not to participate.
Medication
Even minor symptoms can make it difficult to accept the diagnosis of ADHD in an adult. It is possible to minimize and manage the symptoms of ADHD with medications and other treatments. A comprehensive evaluation is the first step.
To determine the correct diagnosis, it is important to know how ADHD symptoms impact a person's life in several different settings. These include academic performance, work and domestic responsibilities, and interpersonal relationships. A mental health professional can inquire about these issues and speak with relatives, coworkers, or even family members. testing for adhd in adults may also use standard ADHD symptom checklists and psychological tests such as continuous performance testing, working memory tests and spatial and visual (related to space) reasoning tasks.
During the interview, it's important to bring any documentation that show your performance, like performance evaluations, old reports or test scores from school which can help you understand the reasons behind your struggles. It's also a good idea to discuss any medical conditions that you have, or that are in your family, as some of these, like seizures and thyroid issues, can cause symptoms similar to ADHD.
Many adults don't have good memories of their childhoods, and the examiner may seek contact information from relatives, partners or close family members to gather more detailed information about the person's past. The examiner will also look over an individual's current medical and social history, and search for any psychiatric conditions that are present or were present in the past.
A physical exam is necessary to rule out some conditions that may cause symptoms that resemble ADHD, such as seizures or thyroid issues. It is important to check if the person has taken any drugs or supplements which could interfere with an ADHD medication.
Medications used to treat adults with ADHD involve a combination of psychotherapy and stimulants. Some of these drugs affect the norepinephrine receptors and dopamine receptors in the brain to reduce the tendency to be impulsive and improve concentration. Others are designed to help with various mental, emotional and behavioral problems, such as anxiety relief, mood stabilization and improving interpersonal performance. Your Mercy doctor can help you decide the best medication for you.