ADHD Assessment - What Happens When a Doctor Diagnoses ADHD?
Doctors will look over your symptoms and determine if they meet the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition DSM-V. Most professionals will conduct a clinical interview that is based on one or more ADHD rating scales.
It's best to find an expert who is specialized in diagnosing ADHD and is covered by your insurance plan. Contact an organization that supports local residents to find the names of experts.
Signs and symptoms
When your pediatrician evaluates you for ADHD, he or she will ask questions about your symptoms and history. He or she will also conduct a physical exam to determine the physical causes of your problem, such as vision problems hearing loss, a deficiency in hearing or an illness.
The most prominent characteristic of ADHD is the difficulty in paying attention or staying focused. This can lead to careless mistakes and inability to complete tasks (e.g. schoolwork or chores). Teens and children with ADHD have trouble listening to others and seem distracted or daydreaming. These issues can cause difficulties in the workplace as well as at home in relationships in adults with ADHD.
Another ADHD sign is the inability to sit still or remain still for long periods of time. People with ADHD pace, fidget or squirm when waiting for others to arrive or during a meeting. They might also talk too much and interrupt others frequently.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition Text Revision of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-5TR(tm) is used by doctors to establish their diagnoses. 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 examine your behavior in various settings like at school or in other social settings. He or she will talk to you and your family, teachers and other caregivers about your behavior. He or she may also use the standard ADHD symptom rating scales and checklists.
Your child might also undergo a physical examination or undergo tests for blood to rule out other medical issues, like a hearing loss, vision loss or a thyroid condition that may cause similar symptoms. A mental health professional may also assess your child's capacity to follow directions, concentrate and complete tasks.
Neuropsychological tests aren't used to diagnose ADHD but they could be useful in certain circumstances. It involves analyzing brain activity, including beta waves with an EEG scan or magnetic resonance image (MRI). Some studies suggest that individuals with ADHD have lower beta wave activity in the frontal lobes of their brains. They also suggest that they generate too many theta waves.
Diagnosis
A doctor can determine ADHD by looking at a patient's symptoms, their family history, and the results of various screening and assessment tools. These include rating scales continuous performance tests, as well as neuropsychological testing batteries (Table I). It is important to understand the sensitivity and specificity of each instrument - how likely it is that the test will correctly determine those suffering from the disorder as opposed to those who do not.
Interviewing the patient is the initial step in the assessment of ADHD. It is a one-hour session with a therapist in which the patient is asked about their symptoms and past experiences. A specialist can also seek the assistance of teachers and other caregivers in gathering details, particularly when diagnosing children. The doctor will go through the child's medical and school records and ask them to fill out questionnaires that parents and educators have completed.
For adults who are being assessed for ADHD, the clinician might also request past school records to determine if the patient's symptoms began in childhood. The doctor might also speak to the person's spouse, siblings and other acquaintances about their experiences with the individual. A specialist may want to interview people who are familiar with the person, such as former teachers or religious leaders.
To be diagnosed with ADHD in an adult or teenager the person must exhibit multiple symptoms in a variety of settings, including at school, home and at work. These symptoms must interfere in the person's ability to perform and cannot be explained by any other illness. For adolescents the symptoms must be consistent and present from the time of their childhood. Adults must have at minimum five symptoms that persist for a minimum of 6 months. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition Text Revision of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-5) includes criteria for diagnosing the disorder.
Treatment
If your child or adult has been diagnosed with ADHD There are a variety of options for treatment. The treatments could include medication, behavior therapy or a mixture of both. Your doctor and you will decide which is the best option for you based on the many symptoms your child experiences and how long they've been having them. Your doctor will also rule out other things out that could cause symptoms, like mental health issues such as anxiety and depression or medical conditions like thyroid issues.
If you or your child is struggling at school, it's essential to speak with a teacher about the problem. Teachers can detect ADHD symptoms in children and determine if it's ADHD or something else.
Your assessment could include a clinical conversation, the completion of ADHD symptoms lists and other questionnaires, psychological tests, information about your family and friends, as well as medical background. It is essential to be as precise as you can about the difficulties that you or your child are experiencing. This will allow your doctor to be aware of the complexity of your situation and provide an accurate diagnosis.
Adults and teens over the age of 18 will be able to undergo the same assessment process however, symptoms will be evaluated differently as they are usually connected to work and other pursuits. Your psychologist or psychiatrist may also ask you to describe the problems and how they affect your life. For example, do the problems interfere with your work or social relationships? If yes, how much? This information will be used by your clinician to determine if your symptoms are mild or moderate.
Psychosocial therapies are more effective than medication for adults suffering from ADHD. These treatments can teach your family and you more effective ways to manage your ADHD. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for instance, can teach you to reframe negative thoughts and manage your emotions. Therapy for families and groups can help you learn new skills and strategies that can improve your relationship with a spouse or partner. For children and adolescents, behavior training is recommended prior to taking any medication. This includes training for parents on behavior management for children up to age 6 and other types of behavior therapy and training for adults and older teens.
Follow-up
As with any diagnostic process, the results of an adhd evaluation should be reviewed and interpreted by a qualified clinician. This ensures that the patient receives the right treatment for their condition. This also reduces the risk of false positive results when the test results indicate that a person has ADHD but they don't. This could happen if a test used for an evaluation is not valid or the examiner lacks the experience to interpret the results correctly.
When interpreting the results of an adhd test the doctor will examine whether the symptoms are in line with the person's history and if they are disruptive to their life. like it will also look at the time of onset and duration of the symptoms as well as examine them against a mental age estimation (i.e. is the patient's behavior significantly "below" or "above" for their age).
Neuropsychological testing is useful to determine ADHD symptoms in addition to clinical interviews and observation. Some tests were developed specifically to assess the most important ADHD symptoms that include impulsivity and inattention. Two of these tests are the Quantified Behavior test for children (6-12 year olds) and Qb+(c), for adults (12 years or older). These tests use motion-tracking systems to measure head movement and generate indicators of activity, including the amount of time spent moving faster than 1 cm/s, distance and surface covered, and microevents, such as small movements greater than 1 mm. They also produce estimates of omission and commission mistakes, two elements of ADHD executive functioning problems.
It is crucial that the doctor is able to conduct a thorough evaluation. They may inquire about the patient's health and developmental history going back to childhood, their school and work history, family life and drug and alcohol usage, to determine the causes that could be contributing to the symptoms they observe. The SWAN as well as the ratings of parents or patients and cognitive tests that are objective will be used to arrive at a diagnosis.