Getting an ADHD Diagnosis

A diagnosis of ADHD can alter your life. It explains why some individuals struggle to stay focused and following directions, or staying focused.

Ask your family physician or therapist to refer you to a specialist. Contact your insurance provider to determine if it covers adhd private diagnosis evaluations for adults.

Diagnosis Process

For adults, a proper diagnosis requires an evaluation by a psychiatrist, psychologist or specialist nurse. They are the only healthcare professionals who can identify ADHD in adults.

A detailed interview about your health and symptoms is often the first step in a preliminary assessment. The healthcare professional will want to know how long your symptoms have been present and how they affect you. They may ask you to talk to a family member or friend about your symptoms.

The process of evaluating you will include questions regarding your childhood. The current guidelines do allow doctors to diagnose ADHD without any evidence that the disorder existed in childhood. So the healthcare professional will want to examine your school records and talk to people who knew you when you were in your early years. They will also discuss whether you have experienced any other mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression.

In some cases an evaluator might suggest cognitive tests, like IQ tests or tests for learning or memory problems. They may also recommend other medical exams to rule out physical ailments that may be creating your symptoms, for instance thyroid disorders or seizure problems.

If the healthcare professional is convinced that your symptoms are related to ADHD they will suggest additional tests to confirm the diagnosis and determine the severity. These tests could include urine and blood tests as well as a medical examination and perhaps educational or psychological tests.

Tests are used to determine the levels of specific chemicals that may be associated with ADHD in your body, such as dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. They will also check your blood pressure and heart rate. You could also receive a spirometry, which measures lung capacity. They might also suggest an imaging scan of the brain to look for functional or structural issues. In certain instances, the evaluator may recommend that you or your child be examined for other conditions that have similar symptoms to ADHD like depression and anxiety, or mood and personality disorders.

The Interview

There are plenty of ADHD questions and quizzes that can act as a screening tool before you make an appointment with a physician. These tests can be helpful in alerting you to the possibility of ADHD, but the only way to make an accurate diagnosis is to consult a medical professional who conducts a thorough medical interview and doesn't rush into prescribing medications.

This process could take anywhere from about 2 to 3 hours. It includes a time spent explaining to the patient what we know about ADHD and how it could affect their symptoms. The clinician may also ask about substance abuse or depression as these issues can co-occur with ADHD.

A good diagnostic interview will involve a discussion of the patient's symptoms and their impact, and the psychologist or psychiatrist will use a checklist designed to evaluate hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattentiveness. The clinician will also want to look over the patient's school records as well as talk to teachers. If the patient is an older private adult adhd diagnosis - their website,, they might also interview a spouse or a family member. Personal experience can reveal information that cannot be gleaned through questionnaires.

Some doctors rush through this step or insist on seeing a patient once rather than completing a complete assessment. This can cause a doctor to make a wrong diagnosis. This is a red-flag in the event that the physician is too rigid about the criteria to diagnose ADHD.

For adults, the evaluator might request the patient to fill out ratings for each of the symptoms on an ADHD checklist and then provide examples of how those symptoms have impacted the patient's life. The evaluation will then compare the ratings with the checklist and assess the severity of ADHD.

It's a great feeling for some adults to finally get an ADHD diagnosis. The underlying emotions, such as guilt or resentment for not meeting expectations or the fact that the disorder was not recognized until later in life, can be a bit complicated. The inattention and impulsivity that are characteristic of ADHD can have serious implications throughout the life of a person, including relationships, work and health.

The Tests

It can be challenging and confusing to get an ADHD diagnosis. It requires a lot of paperwork as well as interviews and tests. You can prepare by getting recommendations from trusted doctors, family members and friends. Research the specialist's credentials and make sure that they're a good match for your needs. It is important to locate an expert who is specialized in ADHD diagnosis. This will ensure that you or your child receives a precise diagnosis and the best treatment.

The initial step of an ADHD assessment is an interview with an evaluator. The evaluator may ask you or your child questions to find out more about your symptoms. The evaluator will want to know how symptoms affect you and whether they impact your schoolwork, work, or relationships. The evaluator may also use rating scales to assess your ADHD symptoms. These usually consist of checklists that ask you or someone close to you to answer a series of questions. You may be asked if you often forget appointments or how often you interrupt other people.

Many evaluators also ask people who know you and your child well to fill out questionnaires based on their observations of your behavior. Adults might be asked to complete questionnaires by their spouses or siblings. Children may be asked to complete questionnaires from coaches, teachers, daycare workers or nannies. Personal insight can uncover information that cannot be gleaned from a questionnaire.

The evaluators can also conduct cognitive tests to determine if learning or mental impairments contribute to your symptoms. They might also look for mood disorders like bipolar disorder, depression, or psychosis that is in the beginning. They might also test for underlying conditions like seizure disorders and hypothyroidism.

Certain evaluators might offer you or your children an ADHD screening test to measure the way you react to target and nontarget stimuli. For instance, the TOVA (Timed On-Only Visual Attention) is an FDA-approved computer-based test that tests your ability to pay attention and recall a series of geometric shapes. The test examines how often you respond non-targeted stimuli and how long it takes you to respond to targeted stimuli. This will help the evaluators determine whether you have an impulsive ADHD or inattentional ADHD.

Follow-up

Multiple mental health professionals are certified to diagnose ADHD and offer ADHD evaluations. This could include a psychiatrist, psychologist psychotherapist, neurologist, or psychotherapist. The doctor will ask you what the issues you are facing and how long these problems have been affecting you for. He will also inquire about any family history of ADHD. It is believed that the disorder is 70% to 80 percent hereditary and that genes play a significant role in determining if you or your child will have symptoms.

The specialist will want to know how your or your child's ADHD affects your daily life, including home, work, and school. He will inquire with you or your child about their behavior in different situations since ADHD symptoms differ in different situations. In addition, to be eligible for an assessment of ADHD, your or your child must display at least six distinct signs of inattention or Private Adult Adhd Diagnosis hyperactivity and an impulsiveness that hinder daily functioning for at least six months.

To determine the correct diagnosis, the specialist will have to rule other conditions out. Other psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and mood disorders as well as intellectual disabilities might be considered. Certain medical disorders that affect brain function, such as thyroid problems, can be considered. In addition, the specialist will inquire about your child's sleeping patterns and any previous injuries or accidents that might have affected the development of your or your child's brain.

He will also look into whether your or your child's ADHD symptoms are related to any other health condition or medications you or your child are taking. The adverse effects of stimulant medications like those used to treat ADHD can include stomachaches and difficulty sleeping. These side effects could also be caused by other medications, including antidepressants, sleep medications, and a few sleep aids.

Finally, the doctor will need to determine if a comorbidity present which means that your child or you has another condition that can cause symptoms of ADHD for example, bipolar disorder, depression anxiety disorder, or eating disorder. The psychologist or psychiatrist will examine all of the information and come up with an assessment.