ADHD Assessment - What Happens When a Doctor Diagnoses ADHD?
To determine an ADHD diagnosis, doctors review your symptoms to determine whether they match the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V). Most professionals will conduct a clinical interview using one or more ADHD rating scales.
It is best to find a specialist who specializes in diagnosing ADHD and is covered by your insurance plan. Contact a local support group for names of specialists.
Symptoms
If your pediatrician tests you for ADHD, he or she will ask you questions about your symptoms and past history. He or she will also examine you to look for physical causes for your disorder such as vision issues, hearing loss or a condition.
ADHD is defined as difficulty staying focused or paying attention. This often results in making mistakes that are not made or failing to complete work (e.g. schoolwork, schoolwork or chores). Children and teens with ADHD often have trouble listening to others and can be distracted or daydreaming. In adults who suffer from ADHD these issues may cause problems at work or home and also in relationships.
Another symptom of ADHD is difficulty sitting still or remaining quiet for long durations. People with ADHD fidget, squirm or pace while waiting for others or in meetings. They also may be too loud or interrupt others frequently.
Doctors use the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition Text Revision (DSM-5-TR(tm)), to help them diagnose. They assess whether a person has at least six traits of inattention or hyperactivity/impulsivity to determine what type of ADHD they have.
Your pediatrician will review your behavior in various situations like at school or other social settings. He or she will ask you as well as your family members as well as teachers and other caretakers to discuss your behavior. He or she may also use the standard ADHD scales for assessing symptoms and checklists.
Your child could also undergo a physical exam or undergo tests for blood to rule out other medical problems, such as hearing loss, vision loss, or thyroid issue which can trigger similar symptoms. A mental health professional will test your child’s ability to concentrate, follow instructions and complete tasks.
Neuropsychological tests are not used to diagnose ADHD but they could help in certain situations. It involves measuring brain activity, such as beta waves using an EEG scan or a magnetic resonance image (MRI). Some studies suggest that ADHD patients are less active in beta waves in their frontal lobes and produce too many theta-waves.
Diagnosis
A doctor can diagnose ADHD by looking at the person's symptoms, his or her family history, and the results of a variety of screening and assessment tools. There are many tools that can be used to determine the presence of ADHD, such as rating scales and continuous tests. assessments for adhd is essential to comprehend the sensitivity and specificity of each tool - how likely it is that the test will correctly identify those with the disorder, as opposed to those without.
The first step to determine ADHD is to interview the patient. This is an hour-long session with a clinician, during which the patient is asked about his or her symptoms and previous experiences. A specialist may also request teachers' assistance and other caregivers to gather details, particularly when diagnosing children. The physician will go through medical and school records, and also ask the child or teenager to fill out questionnaires that are completed by educators and parents.
The clinician may also ask for school records from people being assessed for ADHD to determine if the affliction started in the early years of childhood. They might also speak to the person's spouse, children and other family members about their experiences with the individual. A specialist may want to interview people who know the person well like former teachers or religious leaders.
To be diagnosed with ADHD in an adult or teenager, they must show several symptoms in a variety of situations, including at school, home, and work. These symptoms must hinder the person's ability to perform and cannot be explained by any other medical condition. For adolescents, symptoms must be present since childhood and persist over time. Adults must show at least 5 ongoing symptoms for a minimum of 6 months. The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition Text Revision (DSM-5) offers guidelines for the diagnosis of the disorder.
Treatment
If your child or adult has been diagnosed with ADHD, there are several treatment options. This could include therapy, medication or a combination of both. Your doctor and you will decide on the most appropriate treatment for your child based on the symptoms and the length of time they've been experiencing them for. Your doctor will also rule other things out that could cause symptoms, like mental health issues such as anxiety and depression or medical issues like thyroid disorders.
It is important to talk to your child's teacher if he/she is having difficulty in school. Teachers often spot ADHD symptoms in children, and they can help determine if the issues are caused by ADHD or another reason.
Your evaluation may include a conversation with a clinician, the completion of ADHD symptom lists and other questionnaires as well as psychological tests, information about your family and friends, as well as medical background. It is important to provide as much detail about the issues you or your child is having as possible. This will help your practitioner be aware of the complexity of your situation and help you make an accurate diagnosis.
Adults and older teens will go through a similar procedure of evaluation, but their symptoms will be evaluated differently because they are usually related to their work and other activities. Your psychiatrist or psychologist may also ask you to describe the problems and how they impact your life. Are the issues affecting your social or professional relationships, for example? How much, if all? Your clinician will utilize this information to determine if your symptoms are mild, moderate or severe.
Psychosocial therapies are more effective than medications for adults suffering from ADHD. These treatments can help you and your family learn more effective ways to manage your ADHD. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for instance, can teach you to reframe negative thoughts and manage your emotions. Family and group therapy can help you learn new skills and strategies that will improve your relationship with a spouse or partner. Before attempting any medication, behavior training should be considered for young children and adolescents. This includes training for parents on the management of children's behavior until age six and other forms of training and therapy for adults and older teens.
Follow-up
Like any diagnostic procedure, the results of an adhd evaluation should be reviewed by a qualified clinician. This ensures that the patient receives the correct treatment for their specific condition. This also reduces the risk of false-positive results, when the test results indicate that an individual has ADHD even though they don't. This could happen if a test that is used for evaluating is not valid or if the examiner lacks the experience to interpret the results correctly.
When interpreting the results of an adhd assessment the physician will determine if the symptoms are consistent with the patient's past and if they're sufficiently disruptive to their life. They will also consider the onset and persistency of the symptoms as well as compare them to a mental age estimation (i.e. is the patient's behavior in a way "below" or "above" for their age).
In addition to clinical interviews and observations, neuropsychological testing can be helpful in assessing ADHD symptoms. Some tests have been specifically developed to evaluate the core symptoms of ADHD: inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. The Quantified Behavior Test for children (6-12 years) and the Qb+(c) for adults (12 years and older) are two such tests. These tests employ motion tracking systems to monitor head movements and generate measurements of activity (i.e. the time spent moving more than 1 cm/s), distance and surface covered by movement, as and microevents (i.e. tiny movements of more than 1 millimeter). They also generate estimates of mistakes in omission and commission, the two components of ADHD's executive dysfunction.
It is essential that the clinician conducts a thorough examination. They may inquire about the patient's health and developmental history going back to childhood, their educational and work history, family life, and alcohol and drug use, to identify any contributing factors that could be contributing to the symptoms they observe. They will then employ an amalgamation of the SWAN and the patient or parent ratings and objective cognitive testing to establish their diagnosis.