How do doctors diagnose adhd

Strengths and weaknesses. Those are telltale symptoms of ADHD. In the process, I identify strengths I want to protect and encourage during treatment. By the time the clinical interview is over, most doctors with experience treating people with ADHD will have a good idea of whether you or your child has the condition.

Even so, most will want to back up their opinion with objective proof from tests. A proper ADHD test should do two things: determine whether a person has ADHD and rule out or identify other problems — learning disabilities, autism, auditory processing disorders, or mood disorders. ADHD rating scales. These questionnaires can identify specific symptoms of ADHD that may not emerge in the clinical interview. Answers to the questions can reveal how well a person functions at school, home, or work.

The scales are specifically formatted for children, adolescents, and adults. Intelligence tests are a standard part of most thorough evaluations because they not only measure IQ but can also detect certain learning disabilities common in people with ADHD.

Broad-spectrum scales screen for social, emotional, and psychiatric problems, and they may be ordered if the doctor suspects that a patient has a mood disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder , or another condition in addition to ADHD. Tests of specific abilities — such as language development, vocabulary, memory recall, motor skills — may also be recommended to screen for learning disabilities or other processing problems.

The doctor may decide which tests to do based, in part, on which kinds of tasks you or your child find easy or difficult.

Computer tests are becoming popular because patients enjoy taking them, and because they can screen for attention and impulsivity problems, which are common in people with ADHD. A series of visual targets appear on the screen, and the user responds to prompts while the computer measures his ability to stay on task.

In practice, some experts have found that these tests are better at identifying impulsive symptoms and less successful at flagging symptoms of inattention.

Brain scans. But their use in diagnosing ADHD has not yet been validated with conclusive scientific research. But it seems that patients love seeing a picture of their brain, and the scans can often help them own the diagnosis. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry AACAP practice parameters clearly state that scans and computerized continuous performance testing should not be done because they do not give either diagnostic or clinically useful information and they expose the patient to very significant levels of ionizing radiation 2.

After the clinical interview and the recommended tests are completed, most doctors will call you into the office to go over the results of your ADHD evaluation. This is the best time to ask the doctor questions. When you leave that appointment, the doctor should have formulated an action plan to manage symptoms.

It should include:. I have also used it to write an introductory letter to the teachers that focuses on his strengths. Having that diagnosis meant everything to me. It gave me the tools I needed to help him at home and in working with his teachers. When you learn how to manage ADHD, it can become an asset in your life. The only problem is, you have bicycle brakes. And with the correct diagnosis and treatment, percent of those with ADHD can improve their lives. The following are a few common ways in which an evaluation for ADHD may go awry or arrive at a false conclusion.

Not taking enough time. Rushed visits raise the likelihood that you or your child will be misdiagnosed, or that the doctor will miss a secondary diagnosis that may be important to treat. Diagnosing the symptoms, not the underlying problem.

In many cases, when the ADHD is treated, the secondary symptoms also improve. For example, a physician may focus on only the mood dysregulation symptoms intrinsic to ADHD, and make a mood disorder diagnosis that totally misses other underlying ADHD symptoms.

Thinking that academic failure is intrinsic to ADHD. Many children with ADHD do well at school because they work hard, and teachers and doctors will not suspect they have the condition. American Psychiatric Association Get recommendations. Doctors, therapists, and friends you trust may refer you to a particular specialist. Ask them questions about their choice and try out their recommendation.

Do your homework. Find out the professional certification and academic degrees of the specialists you are looking into. If possible, talk to former patients and clients, and find out what their experience was. Feel at ease. Feeling comfortable with the specialist is an important part of choosing the right person to evaluate you. Try to be yourself, ask questions, and be honest with the professional.

You may need to speak with a few specialists before finding the person who is best for you. Check price and insurance. Find out how much the specialist will charge and if your health insurance will cover part or all of the ADHD evaluation.

Some insurance policies cover evaluation for ADHD from one kind of specialist, but not from another. Many people only learn that they have ADHD when they become adults. Some find out after their children receive the diagnosis.

As they become educated about the condition, they also realize that they have it. For others, the symptoms finally outpace their coping skills, causing significant enough problems in their daily life that they seek help. If you recognize the signs and symptoms of ADHD in yourself, schedule a visit with a mental health professional for an assessment. Once you make that initial appointment, feeling somewhat nervous about it is normal.

Many professionals will start by asking you to fill out and return questionnaires before an evaluation. To determine if you have ADHD, you can expect the specialist conducting the evaluation to do any or all of the following:.

If you have significant problems with any of the following categories, you may want to get evaluated for ADHD:. Together with specialists trained in diagnosing ADHD, you can help bring about a swift and accurate assessment that leads to treatment. As a parent in this process, your roles are both emotional and practical.

You can:. Usually, more than one professional assesses a child for ADHD symptoms. Physicians, clinical and school psychologists, clinical social workers, speech-language pathologists, learning specialists, and educators may each play an important role in the ADHD evaluation. As with adults, there are no laboratory or imaging tests available to make a diagnosis; instead, clinicians base their conclusions on the observable symptoms and by ruling out other disorders.

They may also:. Doctors, specialists, ADHD tests—it may all feel a little overwhelming to pursue a diagnosis for your child. You can take a lot of the chaos out of the process with the following practical steps. Make an appointment with a specialist. As the parent, you can initiate testing for ADHD on behalf of your child. The earlier you schedule this appointment, the sooner you can get help for their ADHD.

Public schools in the U. Give professionals the full picture. Your perspective is very important to the evaluation process. Some practitioners will also conduct tests of cognitive ability and academic achievement in order to rule out a possible learning disability. ADHD cannot be diagnosed accurately just from brief office observations or simply by talking to the person. A diagnosis of ADHD must include consideration of the possible presence of co-occurring conditions.

These established guidelines are widely used in research and clinical practice. During an evaluation, the clinician will try to determine the extent to which these symptoms currently apply to the adult and if they have been present in childhood. In making the diagnosis, adults should have at least five of the symptoms present.

These symptoms can change over time, so adults may fit different presentations from when they were children. The symptoms for each are adapted and summarized below. A diagnosis of ADHD is determined by the clinician based on the number and severity of symptoms, the duration of symptoms and the degree to which these symptoms cause impairment in various areas of life, such as home, school or work; with friends or relatives; or in other activities. It is possible to meet diagnostic criteria for ADHD without any symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity.

The clinician must further determine if these symptoms are caused by other conditions, or are influenced by co-existing conditions. Several of the symptoms must have been present prior to age This generally requires corroboration by a parent or some other informant.

Examples of impairment include losing a job because of ADHD symptoms, experiencing excessive conflict and distress in a marriage, getting into financial trouble because of impulsive spending, failure to pay bills in a timely manner or being put on academic probation in college due to failing grades.

There are many Internet sites about ADHD that offer various types of questionnaires and lists of symptoms. Most of these questionnaires are not standardized or scientifically validated and should not be used to self-diagnose or to diagnose others with ADHD.

A valid diagnosis can only be provided by a qualified, licensed professional. For adults, an ADHD diagnostic evaluation should be conducted by a licensed mental health professional or a physician.

These professionals include clinical psychologists, physicians psychiatrist, neurologist, family doctor or other type of physician or clinical social workers. Whichever type of professional is chosen, it is important to ask about their training and experience in working with adults with ADHD. Qualified professionals are usually willing to provide information about their training and experience with adults with ADHD. Reluctance to provide such information in response to reasonable requests should be regarded with suspicion and may be an indicator that the individual should seek out a different professional.

Ask your personal physician for a referral to a health care professional in your community who is qualified to perform ADHD evaluations for adults. It may also be helpful to call a local university-based hospital, a medical school or a graduate school in psychology for recommendations.

If there is an ADHD support group in your area, it may be very helpful to go there and talk with the people attending the group. Chances are that many of them have worked with one or more professionals in your community and can provide information about them.

Most insurance plans list professionals by specialty and can assist those who participate in their plans to find a health care professional. Most adults who seek an evaluation for ADHD experience significant problems in one or more areas of living. The following are some of the most common problems:. A qualified professional can determine if these problems are due to ADHD, some other cause or a combination of causes.

Although some ADHD symptoms are evident since early childhood, some individuals may not experience significant problems until later in life. Some very bright and talented individuals, for example, are able to compensate for their ADHD symptoms and do not experience significant problems until high school, college or in pursuit of their career.

In other cases, parents may have provided a highly protective, structured and supportive environment, minimizing the impact of ADHD symptoms until the individual has begun to live independently as a young adult.

Most people are a little nervous and apprehensive about being evaluated for any type of condition such as ADHD. Many professionals find it helpful to review old report cards and other school records dating back to kindergarten or even the preschool years.

If such records are available, they should be brought to the first appointment. Copies of reports from any previous psychological testing should also be brought to the appointment. For adults who experience problems in the workplace, job evaluations should be brought for review if available. Many professionals will ask the individual to complete and return questionnaires before the evaluation and to identify a spouse or other family member who can also participate in parts of the evaluation.

Timely completion and return of the questionnaires will expedite the evaluation.