Do You Have ADD/ADHD?
Chances are you are having significant difficulties with concentration and attention. You may have even been to your doctor to ask what is going on. Well, these days a formal assessment is needed to help diagnose why you are having trouble with distraction.
Distraction can happen for many reasons. Often, it is the result of increased stress/anxiety/depression. It can also occur during significant life transitions like getting a new job, having a baby, moving, etc. Because of this, we belive that testing is the best way to make sure that your medical team is accurately treating the origin of your difficulties. The last thing we want to do is to misidentify the cause and provide the wrong intervention. For instance, those with an acute onset of anxiety often experience the same difficulty with concentration as those with ADD/ADHD. But, if we were to use a medical intervention focused on treating ADD/ADHD rather than the more appropriate intervention for anxiety, it is very likely that the concentration difficulties would worsen. Things are already difficult enough. The last thing we want is for these difficulties to worsen even more.
The process is very approachable and can be done quite quickly as well.
A thorough ADHD evaluation is usually needed to determine where the nature and origin of your attention difficulties lay. The understanding of the your current difficulties is helpful for treatment planning, making decisions about whether or not medication is appropriate, and developing accommodations for school or work.
How ADHD Evaluations Work at Kalmazoo ADHD
Dr. Barnes’s ADHD evaluations for children and adults involve several components. First, he will meet with you to collect information about your medical history, current functioning, and review the development of your, or your child’s, symptoms. During this interview, he will help you identify what questions you would like answered as a result of an ADHD assessment. Children are typically not needed during this first session.
Next, Dr. Barnes will meet with the person to be assessed for one or two assessment sessions. During these sessions, he will conduct IQ testing, Personality testing, a Continuous Performance Test, and at times, Academic Achievement testing as well. If necessary, other assessment tools will be used as needed.
The final step in the ADHD evaluation process is to discuss findings. Dr. Barnes will share his conclusions, make treatment recommendations, and answer your questions. He will provide you with an assessment report and copies of your data to assist you and other professionals involved in your care. Some of our clients may want more detailed psychoeducational or neuropsychological testing following our evaluation, and we are happy to help coordinate this for you as well.
We hope you leave this session feeling confident you have the right strategies to move forward and change you or your children’s future.
