ADHD Evaluations and Diagnoses
Making a diagnosis is the first step to understanding and addressing symptoms. Find a licensed mental health professional or physician (psychiatrist or neurologist, or family physician) who is skilled in ADHD evaluations and diagnoses.
The expert will conduct an organized interview to review your history. adult adhd diagnosis uk might request old reports, and talk to your family members, teachers or your friends to find out about your childhood behavior.
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. The symptoms also may interfere with learning and relationships at work, school and at home. Talk to adult adhd diagnosis uk if you or your child is showing these signs. They cannot diagnose ADHD formally, but can discuss your concerns and recommend you to specialists if needed.
A GP can assist you in determining whether your symptoms are related to ADHD by asking questions, looking over your medical history and health records and conducting physical examination. You may 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 complete a psychiatric evaluation. The evaluation could comprise an explanation and scales of your symptoms that are completed by you and your family members, as well as a physical exam, lab tests and a psychiatric evaluation.
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. They look for hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity patterns that last for a period of six months or more and assess whether the symptoms interfere with your life, at home, at work, and in school.
Adults may also be diagnosed with ADHD, but the symptoms of ADHD will likely 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 you meet the criteria for diagnosis and your symptoms are adult-specific you could be prescribed medication. Adults with ADHD are usually prescribed psychostimulants that alter neurotransmitters. These medications increase energy and alertness, improving focus and concentration. These medications can be administered in an extended-release version to minimize the risk of the effects of side effects. Antidepressants can be used to treat the inattention manifestation of ADHD in adults. These drugs, like Wellbutrin (bupropion) and Effexor (venlafaxine) can affect the brain's neurotransmitters and improve focus and mood.
Diagnosis
A diagnosis of ADHD can help you gain control of the symptoms that could affect your professional and personal lives. A licensed mental health professional (psychiatrists or neurologists, or family doctors) can conduct a psychiatric assessment. To receive treatment for ADHD, a person with a diagnosis based on symptoms (such as ADHD) must meet certain guidelines set forth in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition of the American Psychiatric Association.
During the ADHD assessment, you will be asked questions about your child’s behavior at home, at school, and in social situations. The medical history of your child, development and family history will be reviewed. They will then compare your child's behavior to the behaviors of other children who are of similar age. They can use standard ratings scales to determine the frequency of certain behavior problems, like inability to focus, forgetting about 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 and affect your child's performance and cause problems and be present for at least six months.
If your child doesn't meet the requirements 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 complete psychiatric examination may include computer-based cognitive and psychological tests as well as neuropsychological and psychological testing. Your doctor will conduct a physical exam and examine your child's heart rate to eliminate medical conditions such as thyroid disorders and head injuries that may be a cause of ADHD symptoms. They may also request an extensive history of the problem from caregivers and teachers, and conduct a thorough interview with your child and family members. They will consider whether there is a family history of ADHD, as ADHD is highly hereditary.
Treatment
If someone has been diagnosed as having ADHD the person may require treatment with medication or behavioral therapy. Behavioral therapy may include individual and family counseling, as well as group therapies, like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). The first step to get treatment is to find an expert in diagnosing ADHD who is covered by your insurance. Start by contacting your insurer or a local mental support group such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) or CHADD to find a professional who specialize in ADHD in your area. Some doctors use computer programs, like continuous performance tests, to check for attention and impulsivity problems. Others use brain scans, like single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to search for any abnormalities. However, experts agree that the most crucial part of an evaluation is a patient-patient interview.
During the interview, the therapist will go over the symptoms that led up to the appointment. The doctor may also seek out someone who is very familiar with the patient such as their spouse, parent or sibling for information. The clinician will also interview teachers, coaches, nannies and other professionals who spend a lot of time with the patient. This is a thorough procedure that can last up to an hour. The clinician will complete a report, and discuss the findings with the patient.
It is important to remember that the diagnosis of ADHD is based on the extent to which the symptoms interfere with the person's daily life. This means that the individual's symptoms must result in significant impairment in at least two major settings, such as work and home. The impairment must have been present for at least six months in order to be considered a valid diagnosis of ADHD.
During the interview the clinician will discuss with the patient their medical and mental health history and determine if they meet the diagnostic criteria set forth 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 five symptoms: difficulty paying attention to details, making careless errors and having difficulty focusing on tasks or other activities, and difficulty listening to someone's voice when they speak.
Prevention
People who have inattentive ADHD are typically not diagnosed. They're not as disruptive, or impulsive as those with hyperactive ADHD and are often ignored. Their problems can have serious consequences. They might not do well at school, have disagreements with their peers or struggle to keep jobs. These individuals need to be treated, as well.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is the official name for the condition. The term ADD may still be occasionally used but it's not the most common. The newer designation includes the fact that children could suffer from inattentive symptoms alone.
While many of the symptoms are present in all cases, there are some distinct ways in which the disorder presents itself 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 makes them more likely to go undiagnosed, and less likely to seek treatment.
An accurate diagnosis requires a thorough examination by a health professional. This involves an assessment of medical history, a clinical interview and a physical exam. It includes analyzing reports from teachers, parents, or other adults with a good understanding of the person, as well as normative rating scales completed both by family members and educators. These can be useful in determining whether the symptoms are severe enough to affect functioning.
It is important to conduct a thorough evaluation in order to determine whether the symptoms are caused by other psychiatric or medical condition, such as anxiety or depression. In some cases treatment of other disorders can help alleviate or eliminate ADHD symptoms.
Those who are diagnosed with the disorder should be aware of what is expected of their treatment and possible medication side effects. They should also remain in touch with their physician or nurse to make sure that the medication is working exactly as they should.
Stimulant medications are the most common treatment for inattention ADHD. They can improve concentration and reduce the risk of impulsive behavior. Other treatments, like cognitive behavioral therapy and parent education are very beneficial for adults and children with this condition too. People who are prescribed ADHD medications are advised to seek regular check-ups with their health care providers, as some patients require adjustments to dosages or other treatment options.