ADHD Evaluations and Diagnoses
The first step in managing symptoms is to get a diagnosis. Find a licensed mental healthcare professional (psychiatrists, neurologists, family physicians) who is experienced in ADHD evaluations.
The specialist will conduct an interview that is structured to look into your past. They might request old reports, and talk to family members, teachers or friends to get information about your 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 cause issues with relationships and learning at school, at home and work. Talk to your GP in the event that you or your child displays these symptoms. They are unable to diagnose ADHD in a formal way, but they can discuss your concerns and recommend you to specialists if required.
A GP will be able to determine if you have ADHD symptoms by asking questions, looking over medical documents and your health history, and then performing an examination. You can also mention your family's history of ADHD to aid in determining the cause. The GP will then recommend you to a psychiatrist or psychologist to conduct a psychiatric evaluation. The evaluation may include a description and scales of your symptoms that are completed by you and your caregivers along with physical examination, lab tests and a psychiatric evaluation.
Psychiatrists and psychologists can diagnose ADHD in children and adolescents with the help of established guidelines from the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. They look for inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity patterns that last for six months or longer and assess whether the symptoms interfere with your family life, at home at work, or at school.
Adults may be diagnosed with ADHD in the same manner but their symptoms are more likely 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 your adult symptoms meet the guidelines for diagnosis, you can be treated with medication. Adults suffering from ADHD are often prescribed psychostimulants to alter neurotransmitters. These drugs improve concentration and focus, while improving alertness and energy. They can be prescribed in extended-release forms to lessen the risk of adverse effects. Antidepressants can be employed to treat the inattention symptoms of ADHD in adults. These drugs, like Wellbutrin and Effexor, affect neurotransmitters and improve mood and concentration.
Diagnosis
A diagnosis of ADHD can help you take control of symptoms which may affect your professional and personal life. A licensed mental health professional (psychiatrists, neurologist or family physicians) can conduct a psychiatric examination. A person who is diagnosed with an underlying symptom-based diagnosis like ADHD must adhere to certain guidelines set forth in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition to be eligible for treatment for ADHD.
During an ADHD evaluation, your healthcare provider will inquire about your child's behavior in school, at home and in social environments. Your child's medical history and development history, as well as the family history will be examined. They will then assess your child's behaviors to the behaviors of other children who are their age. They can employ standardized ratings scales to determine the frequency of certain behavioral problems, such as inability to focus, forgetting about things and interrupting other people.
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 occur in two or more settings, affect your child's functioning and cause disruption and be present for at least six months.
If your child does not meet the criteria for an inattentive ADHD diagnosis, your healthcare provider may 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 comprehensive psychiatric evaluation could include neuropsychological and psycho-psychological testing, and cognitive tests that are computer-based. Your healthcare provider will perform a physical examination and examine your child's heart rate to determine if there are medical conditions like thyroid disorders or head injuries that can be similar to ADHD symptoms. They might also request details about the problem from parents and teachers and conduct a thorough discussion with your child and other family members. They will also consider whether there is a history of ADHD in the family, as it is highly genetically inherited.
Treatment
If someone has been identified as having ADHD, they may need treatment or medication for their behavior. Behavioral therapy may include individual and family counseling, as in addition to group therapies, like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). To begin treatment, you must first find a professional who specializes in ADHD diagnosis and is covered by insurance. You can start by calling your insurance provider or asking your local mental health support group like the National Alliance on Mental Illness or CHADD for names of specialists in your area who specialize in ADHD. Certain doctors utilize computer programs, like continuous tests of performance, to test for attention and impulsivity problems. Others use brain scans, like single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to search for abnormalities. However, experts agree that the most crucial part of an evaluation is a patient-patient interview.
During an interview, the physician will discuss the symptoms that prompted the appointment. The clinician may also seek out anyone who is familiar with the patient such as their spouse, parent or sibling, for information. The clinician will also talk to teachers, coaches, nannies and other adults who spend long periods of time with the patient. This is a thorough process that can take up to an hour. The clinician will prepare a report, and discuss the results with the patient.
It is extremely important to keep in mind that the definition of ADHD is determined by how the symptoms impact the person's daily life. This means that the symptoms have to be causing significant impairment in two main settings, such as at work and at home. The impairment must be present for at least six months in order 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 meet the diagnostic criteria laid out by the American Psychiatric Assocation'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 such as difficulty paying attention specifics, making erroneous mistakes or omissions, difficulty staying focused on tasks or other activities, and trouble listening to someone's voice when they speak.
Prevention
People with inattentive ADHD are often not diagnosed. They're not as disruptive or as impulsive as hyperactive ADHD and can be overlooked. But their problems do result in consequences: they might not perform well at school, get into trouble with their peers, or struggle to find their job. They require treatment, too.
The term ADD is still used occasionally, but the current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) defines the condition as an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The newer name is based on the fact that children can have symptoms of inattention.
There are differences in the manner in which the disorder is exhibited by boys and girls. Girls and children assigned female at birth (AFAB) tend to show more inattentive symptoms, which are less website noticeable, than the hyperactive/impulsive symptoms. This increases the likelihood that they are not diagnosed and receive less treatment.
A thorough evaluation by a healthcare professional is required to make an accurate diagnosis. This includes the clinical interview, medical history review, and a physical examination. It is a process of examining reports from teachers, parents or other adults who have a good understanding of the person, and normative rating scales that are completed by family members and teachers. These can be helpful in determining if the symptoms are present to an extent that they affect the way you function.
A thorough evaluation is crucial to determine if the symptoms are due to another medical or mental illness such as anxiety or depression. In some instances treating these other disorders can alleviate or eliminate ADHD symptoms.
People who are who have been diagnosed with the disorder should be aware of potential side effects and treatment. They should also remain in contact with their physician or nurse to ensure that the medications are working exactly as they should.
The most commonly used treatment for inattentive ADHD is stimulant medications, which can help improve concentration and reduce impulsive behaviors. Other treatments, like cognitive behavioral therapy and parent education are very beneficial for adults and children with this condition too. It is essential to remind those prescribed ADHD medication to see their doctor on a regular basis, as some patients may need adjustments in dosages or other treatment options.