What is an ADHD assessment for adults?
ADHD in adults cannot be diagnosed by a single test. Instead, doctors usually rely on several pieces of information to assess whether a person meets the diagnostic criteria for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Many doctors find it useful (and some may even request) to have information from a psycho-educational assessment to help them make their diagnosis.
Why getting a diagnosis is important
ADHD cannot be treated if it is not diagnosed. When ADHD is not diagnosed and is left untreated, it can have severe psychological, financial, academic, and social ramifications for the individual.
In addition to impairing social and occupational functioning, untreated ADHD increases the risk of developing comorbid disorders like anxiety, depression, personality disorders, or antisocial behavior.
At Blake Psychology, ADHD assessment services for adults with a licensed psychologist consist of:
1. Clinical Interview
- To gather information on the symptoms (current and past), and assess their severity and duration,
- To help understand the impact of your symptoms on your life (functioning at school or work, relationships, etc),
- To review whether there is a potential family history of ADHD,
- to help rule out other possible explanations for your difficulties (e.g., anxiety, bipolar disorder).
2. Evaluation
- To assess both current and childhood symptoms of ADHD (filled out by you),
- To assess current symptoms (filled out by someone who knows you well currently),
- To assess childhood symptoms (filled out by someone who knew you well during childhood – a parent or sibling),
- To assess other psychological/cognitive/emotional issues you might be experiencing, like depression or anxiety disorders.
3. Diagnosis
After all the data has been collected, a final diagnosis is made by a licensed psychologist based on the evaluation results.
4. Feedback session
Once testing, scoring, and report writing are complete, you will receive a report synthesizing all of the information from the interview, questionnaires, and school documentation.
The diagnostic assessment will contain the psychologist’s impressions and opinions on the underlying cause of your difficulties and will outline recommendations tailored specifically to you.
At the feedback session, the psychologist will go through the report with you to help you understand it and answer any questions that you might have.
They will also spend time explaining any recommendations and new strategies that can help you with your difficulties. If the recommendations include psychotherapy, we will be happy to refer you to one of Blake Psychology’s practitioners.
For more information on pricing and services, please take a look here.