ADHD Assessment for Children, Youth, and Adults
Are you caring for a child or adolescent you think struggles with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?
Do you wonder — and perhaps worry — whether you have the condition yourself?
Woods Integrated Healthcare wants you to have accurate information about ADHD assessment.
ADHD is a complex, multifaceted condition. Accurate assessment is the critical first step in helping people of any age who have ADHD live the most fulfilling lives possible.
Understanding Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can affect both children and adults. People with ADHD may have trouble staying focused on tasks, following through with instructions, and organizing their thoughts and belongings. They may also struggle with controlling their impulses, and seem restless or constantly “on the go.”
Researchers don’t fully know what causes ADHD. Most likely, a combination of genetic, environmental, and neurological factors is responsible. Abnormalities in the brain’s neurotransmitter systems (specifically those transmitting dopamine and norepinephrine) may contribute to the condition’s symptoms.
Despite this uncertainty, researchers do know ADHD is not the result of laziness or lack of discipline. It’s a real medical condition. And it makes a real, often significant impact on daily living. It can affect performance at work or school, and hinder social interactions and interpersonal relationships.
Three main types of ADHD and their symptoms
Three main types of ADHD exist, each with distinctive symptoms and characteristics.
Mostly Inattentive Presentation
People with this type of ADHD often struggle with paying attention, staying organized, and following through on tasks. They may be easily distracted and forgetful, losing track of time or deadlines. They may also have difficulty focusing on one thing for an extended period of time.
Mostly Hyperactive-impulsive Presentation
People with this type of ADHD are often restless, fidgety, and have trouble sitting still for long periods of time. They may also struggle with impulse control. They may speak without thinking, talk excessively, and interrupt others. They may act without considering their action’s consequences.
Combined Presentation
People with the combined type of ADHD often exhibit symptoms of both inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive presentations.
In children, ADHD symptoms often start before age 12, sometimes as early as age 3. In adults, symptoms may persist from childhood or become apparent only later in life. Symptoms may present differently and with more subtlety in adults. This reality makes accurate ADHD assessment for adults particularly important.
Assessing, Diagnosing and Treating ADHD
How do you get an accurate ADHD assessment for yourself or for someone for whom you’re a caregiver?
No single physical, medical, or genetic test diagnoses ADHD in either children or adults. Consulting with medical and psychiatric professionals is the only way to ensure a reliable diagnosis and evidence-based, effective treatment.
ADHD Assessment for Children
If you think your child presents inattentive, hyperactive, or impulsive symptoms, tell your pediatrician about your concerns.
Your pediatrician will:
- Compare your child’s behaviors to those of similarly aged children.
- Perform a physical and neurologic examination.
- Screen for other conditions that may be affecting your child’s behavior, and/or refer your child to a specialist in other issues (such as intellectual and developmental disabilities, or anxiety and depression).
- Consider information you and your child’s other caregivers (for example, teachers or child care workers) provide.
- Talk with your child about how they act and feel.
Having gathered and reviewed this information, your pediatrician will use American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines to determine if your child has ADHD. They will also use these guidelines to develop and implement an effective treatment plan.
ADHD Assessment for Adults
A number of ADHD assessment and screening tools for adults exist, which individuals can find online. However, ADHD self-assessment resources cannot provide a definitive diagnosis.
Qualified medical and psychiatric professionals can productively use these tools to help adults self-report their symptoms, as opposed to letting adults try and diagnose themselves.
Professional assessment for ADHD in adults usually requires at least two appointments. The clinician uses these visits to observe the persistence of symptoms. They also use the visits to:
- Review and corroborate the individual’s current symptoms.
- Determine whether or not symptoms began in childhood.
- Evaluate whether symptoms belong to ADHD or to some other mental or physical health condition.
The last item in the list above is known as differential diagnosis. It’s especially important when diagnosing ADHD in adults because symptoms can overlap with those of other disorders. Adults with undiagnosed ADHD also often have comorbidities (chronic or long-term conditions), some of which present with symptoms mimicking those of ADHD.
Once an adult patient receives an ADHD diagnosis, clinicians can work with them to develop an effective treatment plan.
ADHD Assessment at Woods Integrated Healthcare
At Woods Integrated Healthcare our skilled and experienced clinical team conducts compassionate, comprehensive ADHD evaluations for children, youth, and adults.
We’ll discuss your young person’s or your own behavioral and medical history, gather observational data from multiple sources, and use widely accepted and respected assessment tools to arrive at the most accurate diagnosis.
We’ll also develop a customized plan of treatment that ensures you or your young person not only manage the symptoms and daily challenges of ADHD, but also thrive and flourish.
