ADHD Assessment
Are you wondering if you might have ADHD? Finding out for sure will result in either gaining peace of mind that you do not or help you to find the best treatment if you do.
You may have read conflicting stories in the news. Some experts say ADHD is over-diagnosed and some say it is over-diagnosed. What is driving this conflict of opinion? The biggest problem is that up until now, there hasn’t been a reliable way of diagnosing ADHD.
ADHD symptoms can be similar to other kinds of issues, like anxiety, depression, or trauma-related responses. The test used in most doctor’s offices is a checklist, sometimes called the Brown’s checklist or it’s a similar test. This self-report checklist is highly unreliable. Most medical doctors take the approach of prescribing ADHD medications, and if they work then the conclusion is you have ADHD and if they don’t work, the conclusion is that you don’t have it. This approach can result in confusion, a waste of time and money, and at worst can be dangerous.
Fortunately, there is a highly reliable method of diagnosing ADHD. I use a computer program known as the IVA-2 to assess ADHD symptoms. The test takes 15 minutes, and I conduct a clinical interview to find out what symptoms you have noticed in yourself. The whole process takes about 1 hour. At the end of that hour, you will know definitely if you meet the criteria for an ADHD diagnosis.
The test is amazing! It measures 34 subscales of attention and focus in both the Visual and Auditory areas. Sixteen pages of data will reveal exactly what kinds of situations are creating problems. After testing over 100 individuals, I have not yet seen any 2 people with ADHD symptoms who are exactly alike. This is valuable information! With the data, I can provide you with an explanation of your symptoms and what kinds of accommodations or adjustments could be made in your environment to increase your ability to focus.
On test day, I can tell you in general, yes or no to an ADHD diagnosis. We can then discuss ways that you can move forward. After the test day, I spend a lot of time going over the data and analyzing it. I write a follow-up letter that explains in greater detail what the test results mean and the specific ways your unique symptoms may be impacting your ability to work, learn, or socialize. If you do have a diagnosis, I write another letter that you can share at your discretion with your doctor if you decide to seek medical treatment. I also write a separate brief letter that lists the accommodations that would be helpful to you. You can take that letter at your discretion to your place of employment or to your academic institution to request those accommodations. They are required by law to do so.
If you suspect you have ADHD, give me a call. I have specialized in assessment for many years and can give you the benefit of my experience and knowledge whether it turns out that you do have a diagnosis or not. You will be relieved either way, just to have an answer to your questions.