Living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can pose certain challenges but gaining a better understanding of the condition and receiving an accurate diagnosis are the first steps towards effective management and support. To this end ADHD testing is critical in evaluating the presence of ADHD symptoms and determining appropriate treatment strategies. Before undergoing ADHD testing, it is important to recognize common symptoms that may indicate its presence. Some of these symptoms can include difficulty sustaining attention, impulsivity, hyperactivity, forgetfulness, as well as challenges with organization and time management. It is crucial to keep in mind that everyone experiences ADHD differently and that symptoms can vary in terms of severity and presentation. 

ADHD testing is essential for receiving an accurate diagnosis and developing a customized treatment plan. A comprehensive evaluation typically entails various assessments and interviews with caregivers/teachers for information gathering on behavior patterns among other factors regarding cognitive functioning and overall well being. It can determine if there are underlying causes contributing to the experienced symptoms like ADHD or other factors like anxiety or depression through the results of ADHD testing. 

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ADHD Testing

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There are several purposes to ADHD testing. These purposes include:

• to determine whether the symptoms your child or you are experiencing indicate ADHD,
• to understand if these symptoms are severe enough and cause enough problems that warrant a diagnosis of ADHD,
• to ensure there is no other condition that explains the symptoms better,
• to determine if there is more than one condition at the same time.

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ADHD testing is appropriate for anyone four (4) years old and older. The entire appointment typically does not last more than an hour. At the appointment, I will have you complete some intake paperwork for your child or yourself (or you can download and complete the forms provided on this page). This paperwork takes about five (5) minutes to complete. I will answer any questions you may have about the paperwork or the ADHD testing process. I will then ask questions about what problems your child or you are experiencing; how things are going at school, work, and home; about any leisure, recreational, and social activities; and about any medical issues.

 

If the ADHD testing is for your child, I will have you complete some questionnaires regarding your child while he or she is completing questionnaire(s) with me. I will also give you some questionnaires for your son’s or daughter’s teacher to complete. Once completed, you can either mail these questionnaires back to me or drop them off at my office. If the ADHD testing is for an adult, I will have you complete some questionnaires. It takes about two (2) weeks to write up the results of the ADHD testing once I have all the questionnaires. I will email/mail the ADHD testing to you when completed. We can discuss the results via email, phone call, video conferencing, or in person.

 

The results of the ADHD testing can be shared with your child’s school for possible inclusion in an IEP/504 Plan for your son or daughter. Or the results could be shared with the Social Security Administration for the determination of a disability. Additionally, the results of the ADHD testing could be shared with your child’s pediatrician or your physician for possibly being prescribed medication for and medication management of ADHD.

 

ADHD Symptoms and Overview

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Do you notice your child or yourself:

• having a short attention span or being easily distracted,
• making careless mistakes,
• forgetting or losing things,
• difficulty listening to or carrying out instructions,
• difficulty organizing activities,
• difficulty sitting still,
• fidgeting constantly,
• difficulty waiting for their/your turn,
• talking excessively.

These are symptoms of ADHD.

 

I work with children and adults with attention and executive function issues. Many mental health issues have attention problems as a symptom (e.g., depression, anxiety, and trauma). It is important to get a thorough assessment to determine if your child or you have ADHD. You may be asking yourself what is executive function? Executive function are skills that help people with school and work—inhibiting, self-monitoring, shifting, emotional control, initiating, working memory, organizing, and task monitoring. Having efficient executive function skills is necessary to be successful in school and most jobs/professions.

 

ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. It is typically diagnosed in childhood and may last into adulthood. Some adults have ADHD but have never been diagnosed. Symptoms may look different in adults as opposed to children (e.g., hyperactivity may appear as extreme restlessness in adults).

 

There are three (3) different types of ADHD. These three (3) types include:

• predominately inattentive type where it is difficult for the person to organize or finish a task, difficulty paying attention to details, or difficulty following and/or carrying out instructions.
• predominately hyperactive-impulsive type where it is difficult for the person to sit still for long, fidgets and talks a lot, interrupts others when speaking often, or being impulsive and having accidents or injuries more than other people.
• combined type where symptoms of the above two types are present.

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Co-Existing Conditions With ADHD

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People with ADHD may also be at a greater likelihood of having other issues:

• Learning disabilities (25-50%)
• Tourette’s (11%)
• Sleep difficulties (25-50%)
• Autism Spectrum Disorders (22%)
• Substance Abuse (20-30%)
• Oppositional Defiant Disorder (11 times more likely)
• Depression (28%)
• Anxiety (40-50%)

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Executive Function

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Some professionals in the mental health field believe that ADHD is an executive function disorder. Executive function is a set of mental skills. We use these skills at school, at work, and to manage our daily life. Executive function can be viewed as the management system of the brain. Executive function skills include:

• inhibiting-controlling one’s impulses,
• self-monitoring-the awareness of the impact of one’s behavior on other people,
• emotional control- ability to manage one’s emotional responses,
• initiating-starting and activity or coming up with an idea(s),
• working memory-ability to hold information in one’s mind to complete a task,
• planning/organizing-ability to manage current and future tasks/orderliness,
• task-monitoring-noticing mistakes in one’s work.

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People with ADHD often struggle with executive functioning. As with most skills, executive function skills and strategies to deal with executive function deficits can be taught.  I assess your child’s or your executive functions skills as part of the ADHD testing that I do.

 

Cost

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ADHD testing costs $250 and is not covered by insurance.