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ADHD Evaluations and Diagnoses

Making an assessment is the first step towards understanding and managing symptoms. Find a licensed mental healthcare professional (psychiatrists or neurologists, family doctors) who is experienced in ADHD assessments.

The specialist will conduct an interview that is structured to look into your past. They might want to look at old report cards and talk to family members, teachers or classmates about childhood behaviors.

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 interfere with relationships and learning at home, school and at work. If you or your child exhibit these symptoms, speak to a GP. They're not able to definitively diagnose ADHD, but they can discuss your concerns with you and refer you to specialists, if required.

A GP can assist you in determining whether your symptoms are linked to ADHD by asking questions, reviewing your medical and health records and conducting physical examination. You may also mention your family's history of ADHD to help with diagnosis. The GP will then recommend you to a psychiatrist or psychologist to conduct a psychiatric examination. The evaluation may include the description of your symptoms as well as questionnaires and scales filled out by you, your caregivers and teachers along with a psychiatric assessment, physical examination and laboratory tests.

Psychologists and psychiatrists can diagnose ADHD among adolescents and children using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition of the American Psychiatric Association. They look for inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity behaviors that last for a period of six months or more and determine if these symptoms impact your daily life at home at work, at home, and in school.

Adults may be diagnosed with ADHD in the same manner, but their symptoms tend to manifest differently as they get 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 could be prescribed medication. Adults with ADHD are often prescribed psychostimulants to affect neurotransmitters. These medications boost energy and alertness, while also improving concentration and focus. They are available as extended-release versions to reduce adverse effects. Antidepressants can be employed to treat the inattention symptoms of ADHD in adults. These medications, such as Wellbutrin (bupropion) and Effexor (venlafaxine) alter neurotransmitters in the brain and enhance mood and focus.

Diagnosis

A diagnosis of ADHD can help you gain control of symptoms which may affect your professional and personal life. A psychiatric examination is conducted by an accredited mental health professional or physician (psychiatrist or neurologist, or family doctor or other type of medical specialist). A person with an underlying symptom-based diagnosis like ADHD, must meet certain guidelines laid out in the American Psychiatric Society's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, to receive treatment for ADHD.

During an ADHD evaluation your healthcare provider will inquire about your child's behavior at home, school and social settings. Your child's medical history and development history, as well as the family history will be examined. They will then compare your child's behavior with the behaviors of other children who are of similar age. They can use standard ratings scales to measure the frequency of certain behavior problems, such as inability to pay attention, ignoring things and interrupting other people.

There are three presentations of ADHD - predominately inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive and combined. To be diagnosed with adhd diagnosis test, your child must meet six of the nine symptoms that fall under either the inattentive or the hyperactive-impulsive categories. They must be present in a variety of settings, affect your child's functioning and cause dysfunction and be present for at least six (6) months.

If your child is not able to meet the criteria needed to be diagnosed of inattentive ADHD the healthcare professional will assign them an 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 can include psychological and neuropsychological testing, and computer-based cognitive tests. Your healthcare provider will also check your child's blood pressure and conduct an examination to rule out any medical conditions that may mimic ADHD symptoms such as thyroid disorders or head injuries (Austerman 2015). They may also ask for a detailed history of the problem from caregivers and teachers, and conduct a thorough interview with your child and other family members. They will also consider whether there is an ancestry of ADHD in the family, since it is highly genetically inherited.

Treatment

If a person has been diagnosed as having ADHD it is possible that they will require treatment or medication for their behavior. Behavioral therapy can include family and individual counseling, as also group therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). The first step in getting treatment is to locate an expert in the field of diagnosing ADHD who is covered by your insurance. Start by contacting your insurance company or a local mental health support group such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) or CHADD to find professionals who specialize in ADHD in your area. Some doctors use computer programs, such as continuous performance tests, to check for attention and impulsivity problems. Other doctors use brain scans like single photon emission computed Tomography (SPECT) to detect abnormalities. However, experts agree that the most crucial part of an evaluation is an interview with the patient.

During the interview, the clinician will go over the symptoms that led up to the appointment. The clinician will also request information from someone who is familiar with the patient well for example, a spouse, sibling or parent. The clinician will also talk to teachers, coaches, nannies and other professionals who spend long periods of time with the patient. This is a lengthy procedure that could take up to an hour. The doctor will write the report, and then discuss the findings with the patient.

It is crucial to keep in mind that the diagnosis of ADHD is determined by how to diagnosis adhd in adults the symptoms interfere with the person's daily life. This means that the symptoms have to be causing significant impairment in two major settings such as at work and at home. The impairment must have been present for at least six months to be considered an acceptable diagnosis of ADHD.

During the interview the clinician will discuss with the patient their medical and mental health history and determine if they meet the diagnostic criteria set forth by the American Psychiatric Society's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition Text Revision DSM-5. A valid diagnosis of ADHD requires at least three of the following five symptoms: difficulty paying attention to particulars, making mistakes and having difficulty focusing on tasks or other activities, and difficulty listening to someone when they speak.

Prevention

People who have inattentional ADHD are often not diagnosed. They're not as disruptive as the hyperactive or impulsive forms of ADHD and can be easily ignored. However, their issues can have consequences: they may not perform well at school, get into trouble with classmates or have difficulty to keep an occupation. These individuals must be treated as well.

The term ADD is still used infrequently however, the latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) defines the condition as an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The newer name takes into account that children may only suffer from inattentive symptom.

There are differences in the way the disorder is presented by 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 thorough assessment by a healthcare professional is required to establish an accurate diagnosis. That includes the clinical interview, medical history review and a physical examination. It involves examining reports from parents, teachers, or other adults with a good understanding of the individual and normative rating scales that are completed by loved ones and by teachers. These can be helpful in determining if the symptoms are present to an extent that impacts the functioning.

A careful evaluation is also crucial to determine if the symptoms are caused by a different psychiatric or medical condition like depression or anxiety. In some cases the treatment of other disorders may help alleviate or eliminate ADHD symptoms.

Those who have been diagnosed with the disorder should to be aware of possible side effects and treatment. They should also keep contact with their physician or nurse to make sure that the medication is working in the way they should.

The most common treatment for inattentive ADHD is stimulant drugs which can help improve concentration and reduce impulsive behavior. Children and adults with ADHD with inattentiveness might benefit from other treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy or parent training. It is important to remind people who are prescribed ADHD medication to visit their doctors regularly, as some patients may need adjustments in dosages or alternative treatment options.