ADHD Assessment For Adults
The first step in determining if you or your child is ADHD is to get an assessment. The doctor will speak with you about your progress, health and family history. They may also interview your friends, family members or teachers to gain more detailed information about your symptoms.
You will be asked to rate your symptoms on a scale of rating. Make sure that you answer honestly for the most accurate results.
Diagnosis
To diagnose ADHD mental health professionals will review the symptoms and their impact on the life of a person. They will inquire about their experiences from childhood, including school and work experiences. They may also use the standard scales and questionnaires in order to help determine whether ADHD symptoms are present. They will also interview friends, family and other people who know the person well.
A thorough assessment of ADHD can take between one and three hours. It is essential that the person comes prepared with a list of symptoms and their impact on their lives. Additionally, they should bring their medical history as well as any other health issues. It's also a good idea to check with their insurance company to find out whether or not ADHD assessments are covered.
The person must be honest and open when completing the assessment. The clinician may ask for permission to interview others, such as the spouse or a close friend of the individual to obtain a complete picture of their experiences. They can also request their permission to talk with the individual's parents or teachers to learn more about their childhood experiences and behaviors.
Although adults can suffer from ADHD, they cannot be diagnosed if they didn't have symptoms during childhood (technically before age 12). This is because most individuals do not overcome ADHD. It is also important for the clinician to understand how the symptoms are affecting their daily life and in which settings they occur.
ADHD is diagnosed when symptoms are so severe that they hinder the performance of a person in at least two aspects of their lives, including school and home. The symptoms must persist despite attempts to overcome them. Talk to your doctor if you suspect that you may have ADHD. adult adhd assessments may also contact people with ADHD and speak to them about your issues. They may have tips and suggestions that can help you manage your condition better.
Treatment
A thorough ADHD evaluation can take anywhere between one and three hours. It is crucial that the person who is receiving the evaluation takes the time to answer all questions fully and provide information to the clinician. The evaluator may ask about the patient’s medical, developmental, and psychiatric experiences. They might also ask questions of others, such as teachers, family members, and other care providers.
As part of the evaluation, the evaluator will ask whether the patient has experienced any difficulties at school or at work. The doctor will also look at the way ADHD symptoms impact the person's home life and relationships.
Based on the results of the initial evaluation the evaluator might suggest further testing. This testing is designed to determine other conditions, like learning disabilities and personality disorders that may have similar symptoms to ADHD. The evaluator could also test for thyroid disorders or seizure disorders.
Many people who are evaluated for ADHD also have anxiety or depression. In these instances the evaluator might discuss options for psychotherapy. This usually includes cognitive behavioral therapy that is designed to encourage strategies for self-medicating and control. CBT can be provided in a single session or in a group setting.
Some experts believe that people with ADHD should receive psychotherapy along with medication. The majority of research suggests that ADHD is best treated with medication by itself. A thorough ADHD assessment is crucial to identify the treatment plan suitable for each individual.
If you're interested in getting an ADHD evaluation, check with your insurer to see whether they have specialists available for ADHD diagnosis. You may also ask your family doctor for a recommendation. Another alternative is to contact your local chapter of CHADD or a mental health professional association for a list of specialists in your area who specialize in ADHD. You can also request referrals from support groups, such as those for people suffering from bipolar disorder or depression.
Counseling
A qualified mental health professional can talk to you at length about the issues you are facing, and the solutions you've tried to address the issues. She will ask about your work and family life, as well as other issues like alcohol or drug abuse as well as emotional traumas. She may also want to interview close family members like your spouse, other significant people, or a coach, teacher or mentor who has known you since childhood, to get their perspective on how you are currently and in the past. This is particularly relevant for adults whose memories about their past behavior can be distorted due to ADHD symptoms.
You may need to have additional tests based on your particular situation to rule out other possible causes for your issues. This could include cognitive testing to look for intellectual or learning limitations; medical tests such as for seizures or thyroid disorders and can cause symptoms that look like ADHD as well as psychological counseling (psychotherapy) to help you manage your emotions like depression or feelings failure, which can intensify or cover up your ADHD symptoms.
Psychotherapy can be a valuable tool for ADHD adults, since it helps you manage the effects of ADHD at home and at work. It can help you develop better organization skills and develop strategies to improve your concentration as well as impulse control and executive function. It can also improve your relationships with others as well as reduce your stress.
There are many online and mobile-based services that can help you find a therapist who specializes in adult ADHD. These services allow you to select from a list of licensed professionals, including social workers and psychiatric nurses, who are rated by their patients as excellent, very good or excellent. They can assist you in determining a schedule that works for your lifestyle and your budget.
The American Psychiatric Association provides clinical guidelines for diagnosing ADHD in the fifth edition of their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. In the course of assessing you doctors will evaluate your symptoms with those described in this manual to determine whether or not you are suffering from ADHD. A diagnosis is based on the presence of symptoms in two or more settings, such as at school or at work and the symptoms are constant and debilitating; they started in childhood; and the symptoms can't be explained by another mental health issue or medical condition, such as anxiety or depression.
Support
Some adults find the concept of ADHD as a stigmatizing condition and dismiss symptoms as a "normal" part of life. They may delay seeking treatment because they don't want to admit that they struggle to keep on top of their tasks and being organized or meeting deadlines. Often the first step toward treatment is a thorough examination by a medical professional or mental health professional. The evaluation will look at the patient's mood and medical history as well as how the symptoms affect the work environment, relationships with family and friends and other aspects of everyday life.
A complete ADHD assessment could take a few hours. The most important part of the assessment is an extensive interview. The examiner is using a set of standard questions to ensure that all relevant symptoms are taken care of and compared to the diagnostic criteria for ADHD. The examiner will go through older school reports questionnaires, brain imaging in the event that it is available.
The report that is generated will help to identify comorbidity. In other words, if a patient suffers from a different condition such as depression or anxiety, these can often overlap with ADHD symptoms. The report will also identify other factors that might cause a person's problems such as medical conditions, learning disabilities and stress.
After a diagnosis is given to ADHD, the next step would be to locate a therapist or psychiatrist with experience to treat this disorder. The patient should contact their insurance company to see if there are specialists who treat ADHD that are covered by their insurance plan. If assessment for adhd in adults do not, the patient must seek referrals from patients who have been successfully treated and seek recommendations from local support groups.
One excellent source of support is CHADD which is a national organization with chapters across the U.S. Their website has numerous details on ADHD as well as the names of professionals who have been certified to treat the disorder. It is also worth looking into social media websites, such as Facebook which has several groups for people with ADHD. Just be careful to make sure that the group you join is not commercially-oriented.