ADHD Symptoms Test - How to Get a Diagnosis
Screening tools can help detect potential ADHD symptoms however the only way to make a diagnosis is to visit a health care professional. These professionals use a combination physical exam and behavioral test.
They might ask for your or your child's performance records and other information. They may also want to speak with family members and school officials.
Symptoms
Symptoms of ADHD can cause issues in a variety of areas such as at school and at work. A visit to a doctor to assess your symptoms is the first step towards receiving treatment and taking control over your life. Begin by talking with your primary health care provider or requesting the referral of a mental healthcare professional. Your doctor will inquire about your family history and medical history, as well as your current symptoms. The doctor might also ask about your symptoms when you were an infant.
Has trouble following instructions, or keeping track of tasks at home and work (e.g. misses appointments, fails to complete assignments, or loses things like homework). It is easy to forget important tasks like paying bills and showing up at work. Forgets to keep track of schoolwork or chores at home. Sometimes, they lose track of conversations and misses specifics when reading or listening. Often loses the conversation and loses details while reading or listening.
People who have the most inattention type of ADHD are more likely to have trouble remembering things. private adhd testing of this type are not as obvious as hyperactivity and impulsivity that are seen in other types of ADHD.
For those with both kinds of ADHD, the most common symptoms is being easily distracted. They are more likely to be restless and fidgety. These signs usually begin in the early years of childhood, before the age of 12.
Before determining ADHD Your doctor will determine if your symptoms can be explained by a different condition such as depression or anxiety disorder. He or she will also review your health and family histories and look for physical problems that could trigger symptoms similar to ADHD, such as thyroid disorders, seizure disorders or sleep disorders. Your doctor will also be interested in knowing about your work schedule and social life. They may want to ask you for permission to talk to those you know well, like teachers and coworkers or get information from your medical or educational records.
Causes
The majority of adults are aware that there are many things that can cause symptoms of hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity like depression, anxiety, poor sleep habits as well as alcohol and drug abuse and learning disabilities. ADHD is often associated with other mental health issues. It is essential that you or your child receive an accurate assessment before you are given an diagnosis of ADHD. This includes a physical exam, reviewing school records and speaking with caretakers and teachers as well as doing standard tests and questionnaires. The aim is to make sure that a person meets the criterion for ADHD as defined by the American Psychiatric Association.
The symptoms must have been present for at minimum six months, and must be consistent across several situations (home school, work and home). People up to age 16 need to consistently demonstrate at least six symptoms in either of the two main categories -- inattention or hyperactivity/impulsivity -- and the symptoms must clearly interfere with functioning in at least two major life areas. In addition, the person cannot have a plausible explanation for the symptoms, such as a learning disability, an intellectual disability, mood disorder or a medical condition such as seizures, thyroid issues or brain tumors.
It is important that you find a health care professional with experience in ADHD evaluations. Your child's school may have someone on staff, but you can also ask for referrals from family doctors or pediatricians with special training in developmental-behavioral pediatrics, a psychologist or psychiatrist, or a neurologist. A health professional will go over the medical and psychiatric history of your child or yourself and will also look for signs of the disorder. This could include an eye examination, blood pressure and heartbeat.
Additional psychological and neuropsychological tests could be administered depending on the individual's needs to determine for signs of conditions like learning disabilities or bipolar disorder. A standardized test called the Neuropsychiatric EEG-Based Assessment Aid is often used by people who are 6 and over to determine the brain wave patterns which tend to be more prominent in people suffering from ADHD.
Diagnosis
Finding a diagnosis for ADHD is the first step towards managing your symptoms and achieving more efficient functioning at work and home. However, it can be difficult to know where to begin or even who to ask for recommendations for a professional to assess you or your child.
There are many different ways to get diagnosed with ADHD however, the majority of professionals follow the American Psychiatric Association's guidelines for clinical care in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fifth Edition (DSM-V). They will go over the current symptoms that your child or you are experiencing. They will also conduct an extensive interview based on one of the common ADHD rating scales. They will usually also perform tests to screen for other co-existing disorders like mood disorders or learning disabilities too.
They may look at your or your child's medical and family histories, and may talk with other people who know you personallyfor example, family members, teachers and employers. They can request old school records or other tests to determine whether symptoms were present in childhood. They may recommend an examination for physical health or request an analysis of blood to rule out certain health problems.
Other tests could include a brain imaging examination like MRI or CT scan. These tests can help identify other possible causes for the symptoms of your child or yourself, including a tumor or thyroid issue, inflammation in the brain, or a brain virus.
Additionally, a psychologist or psychiatrist might recommend an EEG that measures the speed of the brain's electrical activity. EEGs reveal that people with ADHD have brain wave patterns that are faster than those of other people.
The symptoms are present in at least two settings (such as at school, home or at work) for a minimum of six months. The symptoms are evident and can disrupt a person's daily life. These symptoms can affect a person's ability to perform at school, work and in social settings. The symptoms must have been present before the age of 12 for children and until 16 years old; for adults, it must have begun in childhood. The symptoms are not caused by another mental or medical condition, such as anxiety or depression.
Treatment
Medicines are often the first thing doctors recommend to children with ADHD. These drugs can improve concentration and reduce hyperactive and impulsive behavior but they aren't a cure. Parents and children often require different types of therapy in addition to prescription medications to treat their symptoms. Therapy may include family education as well as behavioral training. Children and parents can benefit from learning how to communicate more effectively with teachers and other staff members who can provide important information about the child's performance at school.
Finding adults suffering from ADHD is more difficult, as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fifth Edition (DSM-V) symptom guide is geared more towards diagnosing children than adults. For adults, a doctor might ask about their medical history, current mood, and past experiences to determine if these triggers could be causing symptoms that are similar to ADHD. They usually conduct an interview with a clinician using one of the standardized ADHD rating scales.
A physical exam is also vital, since certain medical conditions, such as thyroid disorders or seizure disorders can trigger symptoms similar to those of ADHD. A health care provider will typically also look for head injuries and other neurological issues.
Some experts believe that a comprehensive health history is the most effective way to determine whether a person has ADHD. This will include information about the person's lifestyle and eating habits, any family history of substance abuse or mental illness issues at school or at work and other social issues that might affect behavior. A health care provider is likely to want to know how long the symptoms have been present for, what else has been tried and what medicines are being used.
The majority of people with ADHD use a mix of medications. The most common medication prescribed to treat ADHD is stimulant drugs. However, nonstimulant drugs can be used in lieu of stimulants, or in combination with them to increase their effectiveness. These medications may interact with other medications. It is essential to inform your doctor of the medications you and your child are taking. Different dosages of medication are frequently tested before the best one is identified.