Diagnosing ADHD
Goal
To understand how ADHD is evaluated and what common ADHD symptoms are.
ADHD Diagnosis (Hinshaw & Scheffler, pp. 35-36)
Determining if someone has ADHD often begins with an evaluation of everyday behaviors, particularly when organization, planning, and high levels of effort are required. Developmental history, such as if the individual had any delays in meeting developmental milestones like walking, is also taken into consideration. Computer-based measurement of attention span and activity levels may supplement this other information. It’s important to keep in mind that ADHD reveals itself when tasks are routine rather than new, when there are things competing for your attention, and when work or school gets difficult. Therefore, a 15 minute appointment without prior evaluation is unlikely to be sufficient to determine the appropriateness of an ADHD diagnosis.
ADHD Symptoms (Barkley, p. 57)
Here are common symptoms of ADHD often observed in children:
| Inattention | Hyperactivity | Impulsivity |
|---|---|---|
| Easily distracted and tendency to daydream | Fidgety/squirms/hard to sit still | Difficulty waiting for their turn |
| Difficulty following directions and completing tasks | Difficulty playing quietly | Blurts out answers before questions have been completed |
| Forgetfulness and lack of organization | Always moving, running, or climbing on things | Frequently interrupts others |
| Avoids activities that require sitting still or sustained effort | Excessive talking | Often acts without consideration for consequences |
Here are common symptoms of ADHD often observed in adults:
- Easily distracted
- Making impulsive decisions
- Difficulty stopping activities or behavior
- Starting a project or task without reading or listening to directions carefully
- Showing poor follow through on promises or commitments
- Trouble doing things in a particular order or sequence
- Driving a motor vehicle much faster than others (excessive speeding)
- Difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or leisure activities
- Difficulty organizing tasks and activities