ADHD Evaluations and Diagnoses
The first step to managing symptoms is to get a diagnosis. Find a licensed mental health specialist or physician (psychiatrist, neurologist, family physician) who is specialized in ADHD evaluations and diagnoses.
The expert will conduct an interview that is structured to examine your past. They might request old reports and speak to family members, teachers or friends to get information about your childhood habits.
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 interfere with learning and relationships at home, school and work. If you or your child have these symptoms, talk to a GP. They can't formally diagnose ADHD, but they can discuss your concerns with you and refer you to specialist services, if necessary.
A GP will be able to determine if you have ADHD symptoms by asking questions, looking over medical records and your health history, and then performing physical exam. You can also mention your family's history of ADHD to aid in the diagnosis. The GP will then recommend you to a psychiatrist or psychologist to conduct a psychiatric examination. The evaluation could include the description of your symptoms, questionnaires and scales completed by your caregivers, you and teachers, a psychiatric history and physical examination and laboratory tests.
Psychologists and psychiatrists can diagnose ADHD in adolescents and children using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition of the American Psychiatric Association. https://www.iampsychiatry.com/private-adhd-assessment look for hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity behaviors that last for six months or longer and assess whether the symptoms interfere with your family life, at home at work, at home, and at school.
Adults may be diagnosed with ADHD in the same way, but their symptoms tend 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 specific to adults you could be prescribed medication. Adults suffering from ADHD are often prescribed psychostimulants to alter neurotransmitters. These medications increase energy and alertness, as well as improving focus and concentration. They can be prescribed in an extended-release version to lessen the effects of side effects. Antidepressants can be used to treat the inattentive manifestation of ADHD in adults. These medications, like Wellbutrin and Effexor, affect neurotransmitters and can improve mood and concentration.
Diagnosis
A diagnosis of ADHD can help you take control of the symptoms that could affect your professional and personal lives. A psychiatric examination is performed by an accredited mental health professional or a physician (psychiatrist or neurologist, or family physician or another type of medical specialist). A person who is diagnosed with an underlying symptom-based diagnosis, such as ADHD must adhere to specific guidelines laid out in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, to receive treatment for ADHD.
During an ADHD evaluation your healthcare provider will ask questions about your child's behavior at school, at home and in social environments. Your child's medical history as well as family history and development will be studied. They will then assess your child's behavior to the behaviors of other children who are of similar age. They may use standardized rating scales to measure the frequency of specific behavior problems, like difficulty paying attention, forgetting things and interrupting others.
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 be present in two or more settings that affect your child's behavior and cause disruption, and have been present for at least six months.
If your child doesn't meet the requirements 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 evaluation could include computer-based psychological and cognitive tests as well as neuropsychological and psychological testing. Your doctor will conduct a physical examination and examine your child's heart rate to eliminate medical conditions such as thyroid disorders or head injuries that can be similar to ADHD symptoms. They may also ask for a detailed history of the problem from parents and teachers and perform a thorough interview with your child as well as family members. They'll also be looking into whether there is a history of ADHD in the family, as it is highly genetically inherited.
Treatment
If someone has been diagnosed as having ADHD the person may require treatment with medication or behavioral therapy. Behavioral therapy may include family and individual counseling, as in addition to group therapies, like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). The first step to receive treatment is to locate an specialist in the field of diagnosing ADHD who is covered by your insurance. You can start by calling your insurance company or your local mental health support group, such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness or CHADD, for names of professionals in your area who specialize in ADHD. Some doctors make use of computer programs, like continuous tests for performance, to look for impulsivity and attention issues. Others utilize brain scans, for instance single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to search for signs of abnormalities. Experts agree that the patient interview is the most important component of an evaluation.
During the interview, the clinician will discuss the symptoms that led to the appointment. The doctor may also seek details from someone who knows the patient well, such as a spouse, sibling or parent. The clinician will also talk to teachers or coaches, nannies, and other adults who spend considerable time with the patient. This is a very thorough process and can take up to an hour. The clinician will then complete an evaluation report and then discuss the results of the assessment with the patient.
It is extremely important to keep in mind that the diagnosis of ADHD is determined by how the symptoms impact the person's daily life. This means that symptoms have to be significantly affecting 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 consultation, the doctor will discuss with the patient their medical and psychiatric histories and determine if they satisfy 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 minimum three of the following five symptoms: difficulty paying attention to specifics, making erroneous mistakes and having difficulty focusing on work or other activities, and difficulty listening to someone's voice when they speak.
The following is a list of preventions.
Often, people with inattentive ADHD symptoms don't get diagnosed. They're not as disruptive as the hyperactive or impulsive kinds of ADHD, and they are often missed. But their problems do have consequences: they may underperform at school, clash with classmates or have difficulty to keep an occupation. They must be treated as well.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is the official name for the condition. The term ADD can be used from time to time but it's not the most commonly used. The newer designation takes into account the fact that children can be affected by inattention symptoms on their own.
While many of the symptoms are present in all cases, there are a few differences in how the disorder manifests 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 means they are more likely to go undiagnosed, and less likely to seek treatment.
An accurate diagnosis requires a thorough assessment by a health care professional. This involves a medical history review along with a medical interview, and physical examination. It is also a matter of reviewing reports from teachers parents, teachers or other people who know the patient well as well as standard ratings scales that are used by loved ones and teachers. These can be useful in determining if the symptoms are severe enough to cause impairment in functioning.
It is important to conduct a thorough examination to determine if the symptoms are due to another medical or psychiatric condition such as anxiety or depression. In some instances the treatment of other disorders may help to alleviate or eliminate ADHD symptoms.
Those who are diagnosed with the disorder must be aware of what is expected of their treatment and possible medication adverse effects. They should also remain in contact with their physician to make sure that the medication is functioning exactly as it should.
Stimulant medications are the most popular treatment for inattentive ADHD. They can improve concentration and decrease the risk of impulsive behavior. Adults and children suffering from inattentive ADHD can benefit from other treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy or parent training. Those who are prescribed ADHD medication should be advised to schedule regular check-ups with their healthcare providers since some patients may require adjustments to dosages or other treatment options.