ADHD Evaluations and Diagnoses
The first step to managing symptoms is to get a diagnosis. Find an accredited mental health professional or physician (psychiatrist or neurologist, family doctor) who is skilled in ADHD diagnosis and evaluation.
The specialist will conduct an interview structured to examine your past. They may request old reports and speak to teachers, family members or friends to get information about your childhood behavior.
Signs and symptoms
Children and adults who have symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often have trouble with paying close attention, listening attentively and following directions--things that come naturally to others. These symptoms can also cause problems with relationships and learning at school, at home and at work. Consult your GP when you or your child is showing these symptoms. They aren't able to officially diagnose ADHD, but they can discuss your concerns with you and recommend specialist services, if necessary.
A GP can help you determine if your symptoms are related to ADHD by asking questions, looking over your medical history and health records and conducting physical examination. You can also discuss the background of ADHD in your family to help with the diagnosis. The GP will then refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist to complete a psychiatric evaluation. The evaluation could include a description of your symptoms, questionnaires and scales completed by you, your caregivers and teachers along with a psychiatric assessment, physical exam and lab tests.
Psychology and psychiatry can help diagnose ADHD among children and adolescents using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition of the American Psychiatric Association. This includes looking for a pattern of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity that lasts for six months or more and determining whether these symptoms are affecting your daily life at work, home and school.
Adults can be diagnosed with ADHD in the same way however, their symptoms are more likely to manifest differently as they grow older. They can have a predominantly inattentive presentation of the disorder, a predominantly hyperactive/impulsive presentation or a combination of both.
If you meet the criteria for diagnosis and your symptoms are adult-specific You may be prescribed medication. Psychostimulants that affect neurotransmitters in the brain, are often prescribed to treat ADHD in adults. These medications improve focus and concentration, while increasing energy and alertness. These medications may be given in extended-release versions to lessen the effects of the risk of adverse effects. Adults who present with inattention ADHD may be treated with antidepressants. These medications, including Wellbutrin (bupropion) and Effexor (venlafaxine), affect the brain's neurotransmitters and enhance mood and focus.
Diagnosis
Getting a diagnosis of ADHD is the first step in taking control of symptoms that could be affecting your life both personally and professionally. A psychiatric examination is performed by an accredited mental health professional or a physician (psychiatrist or neurologist, family doctor, or any other kind of medical specialist). To receive treatment for ADHD or other disorders, a person who has a symptom based diagnosis (such as ADHD) must follow certain criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition of the American Psychiatric Association.
During an ADHD assessment Your healthcare provider will ask questions about your child's behavior at the home, school and social environments. They will also discuss your child's growth medical and family history. They will then assess your child's behavior to the behavior of other children who are similar to them. They can use standard rating scales that assess the frequency of certain behaviors, such as difficulty in paying attention, forgetting things or interrupting other children.
There are three presentations of ADHD - predominately inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive and combined. To be diagnosed with ADHD, your child must meet six of the nine symptoms that fall under either the inattentive or the hyperactive-impulsive categories. They must occur in more than one setting and affect your child's performance and cause problems and be present for at least six (6) months.
If your child isn't meeting the criteria for an inattentive ADHD diagnosis Your healthcare provider could diagnose them with unspecified ADHD. They might also decide that your child does not have a hyperactive-impulsive presentation of the condition and not give them an official ADHD diagnosis.
A thorough psychiatric assessment could include neuropsychological and psycho-psychological testing, and computer-based cognitive tests. Your healthcare provider will conduct a physical exam and examine your child's heart rate to rule out medical issues like thyroid disorders or head injuries that can be similar to ADHD symptoms. They might also request details about the problem from caregivers and teachers, and conduct a thorough discussion with your child as well as family members. They'll also be looking into whether there is any history of ADHD in the family, as it is highly inheritable.
Treatment
If someone has been diagnosed as having ADHD it is possible that they will require treatment more info or medication for their behavior. Behavioral therapy may include family and individual counseling as also group therapies such as cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). To start treatment, it is necessary to find a professional who specializes in ADHD diagnosis and is covered by insurance. Start by contacting your insurer or a local mental health support group like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) or CHADD to find a professional who specialize in ADHD in your area. Some doctors use computer programs, such as continuous tests of performance, to test for attention and impulsivity problems. Others use brain scans, like single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), to look for signs of abnormalities. But experts agree that the most important part of an evaluation is an interview with the patient.
During an interview, the clinician will go over the symptoms that led to the appointment. The clinician will also request information from someone who knows the patient very well, such as the spouse, sibling or parent. The doctor will also interview teachers, coaches, nannies and other adults who spend significant time with the patient. This is a thorough procedure that could take up to an hour. The doctor will write an evaluation report and then discuss the results with the patient.
It is crucial to remember that the diagnosis of ADHD depends on the extent to which the symptoms affect the life of a person. This means that the individual's symptoms must cause significant impairment in at minimum two major environments, like the workplace and at home. The impairment must have been present for at least six months to be considered an appropriate diagnosis of ADHD.
During the interview, a clinician will discuss the person's medical and psychiatric history and determine whether or not the patient meets the diagnostic criteria set by the American Psychiatric Association in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition Text Revision (DSM-5). A valid diagnosis of ADHD must be backed by at least three of the five symptom categories: difficulty paying attention to small details and making careless mistakes, difficulty remaining focused on tasks or activities or tasks, difficulty in listening to what you are being talked to or daydreaming, or appearing to be distracted.
Prevention
In many cases, people who have inattention ADHD symptoms aren't diagnosed. They're not as disruptive or impulsive as people with hyperactive ADHD and can be ignored. However, their issues can have consequences: they may not perform well at school, get into trouble with their peers, or struggle to keep an occupation. They also have to be treated.
The term ADD is still used infrequently, but the current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) defines the condition as an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The newer definition is based on the fact that children may be suffering from symptoms of inattention on their own.
While many of the symptoms are common to all cases, there are a few variations in the way that the disorder presents itself between girls and boys. Girls and children assigned female at birth (AFAB) tend to show more inattentive symptoms, which are less noticeable, than the hyperactive/impulsive symptoms. This makes it more likely that they will go undiagnosed and receive less treatment.
A reliable diagnosis requires a thorough evaluation by a health care professional. That includes the clinical interview, medical history review, and a physical examination. It is also a matter of reviewing reports from teachers or parents, or other adults who know the person, as well as normed rating scales completed by loved ones and teachers. These can be helpful in determining whether the symptoms are serious enough to cause impairment in functioning.
A thorough examination is essential to determine if symptoms are caused by a different medical or mental illness, such as anxiety or depression. In some cases treating these other disorders will aid in reducing or eliminating the ADHD symptoms.
Those who have been diagnosed with the disorder should be aware of potential adverse effects and treatments. They should also stay in touch with their doctor or nurse to ensure that the medications are working as they should.
The most common treatment for inattentive ADHD is stimulant medications, which can help improve concentration and decrease impulsive behavior. Adults and children suffering from ADHD who are inattentive might benefit from other treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy or parent training. It is crucial to remind those who are prescribed ADHD medication to visit their doctor regularly, since certain patients may require adjustments in dosages or other treatment options.