Who should be assessed for ADHD?

​

Psychological assessments for ADHD are appropriate for clients who think they may have ADHD and want to know for sure. A firm diagnosis of ADHD (or ruling out of ADHD) can help you understand your experiences in life, guide treatment planning, and support strategies that can help you make your life work better for you. The good news about ADHD is that it has a very high treatment response rate so a diagnosis of ADHD can be very helpful in assisting you in getting the appropriate treatment if ADHD is present (Barkley, 2022). Please note, I only offer assessment for ADHD to adult clients at this time.

If you aren't sure if an assessment for ADHD is right for you, this screening tool may help. A copy of the screening tool has also been uploaded to the bottom of this page. You may find it helpful to talk to your family physician, treating psychologist, and/or therapist/counsellor about it as well. Your family members and friends may have helpful observations to offer you too. ​This website also provides useful information on ADHD.

​

Why is a thorough assessment for ADHD important?

​

As per Dr. Paul Conti, “all attention deficit is not attention deficit disorder.” There are numerous reasons we may be experiencing issues with attention/focus/concentration and hyperactivity/impulsivity/restlessness. Depression, anxiety, stress, poor sleep, poor diet, and trauma can all have these effects as can physical health concerns such as low blood sugar. 

ADHD assessments are often used with the intention of confirming (or ruling out) a diagnosis for ADHD so that an appropriate treatment plan can be developed. If you plan to work with your physician or a psychiatrist, this is likely to include a stimulant medication as an option for treatment as these medications are typically highly effective in treating ADHD (Barkley, 2022). However, stimulant medications can have negative effects when taken by individuals who do not have ADHD, as per Dr. Conti, such as sleep issues, addiction, heightened levels of anxiety, impulsivity in decision-making, impaired judgement, psychosis (rarely), and a suspicious or defensive outward view of the world. Further, pharmacological and psychological treatment for ADHD is very different than, for example, treatment for anxiety or trauma. It is important that we identify the concerns you are facing correctly so that your medical and/or mental health providers can ensure that they are providing you with the best treatment plan for your specific needs.

Further, although briefer assessments which consist of a clinical interview taking approximately an hour can  accurately diagnose some individuals with ADHD, they may miss or incorrectly diagnose others (Loh et al., 2022). ADHD symptoms occur across a wide spectrum and ADHD assessment is considered a rule out assessment (Preston et al., 2021). This means that other mental health and medical disorders which can present with symptoms similar to ADHD must be effectively ruled out for an ADHD diagnosis to stand.  As a result, a thorough assessment is important to accurately identify your individual medical and mental health concerns so that you can receive appropriate treatment.

​References

Barkley, R. A. (2022). Taking charge of adult ADHD: Proven strategies to succeed at work, at home, and in relationships (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press.

Huberman, A., & Conti, P. (Hosts). (2022, June 6). Dr. Paul Conti: Therapy, Treating Trauma, & Other Life Challenges (No. 75) [Audio podcast episode]. In Huberman Lab. Scicomm Media LLC. https://hubermanlab.com/dr-paul-conti-therapy-treating-trauma-and-other-life-challenges/

Loh, H. W., Ooi, C. P., Barua, P. D., Palmer, E. E., Molinari, F., & Acharya, U. R. (2022). Automated detection of ADHD: Current trends and future perspective. Computers in Biology and Medicine, 146.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.105525

Preston, J. D., O’Neal, J. H., Talaga, M. C., & Moore, B. A. (2021). Handbook of clinical psychopharmacology for therapists (9th ed.). New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
 

What can I expect from an ADHD assessment?

​

An assessment for ADHD includes the following: 
​

• Appointment 1: A clinical and diagnostic interview; the clinical interview gathers your relevant history and the diagnostic interview has been researched as being effective at identifying ADHD based on the DSM-5 criteria. This appointment is typically 2 hours.

• Questionnaires which you will take home and send back completed; some will be completed by you and others will be completed by a person or two who are close to you. Your school report cards will also be reviewed if available.

• Appointment 2: Psychometric measures to assess for  symptoms of ADHD, issues with executive functioning, and common mental health issues which may be impacting your functioning and quality of life: This appointment is typically 1 - 2 hours

• Appointment 3: A detailed report and debrief of the findings. This appointment is typically 30 - 45 minutes.

​

*Note - Appointments 1 & 2 can be done in one 3-4 hour session with breaks if preferred and our schedules align to make this happen

This may seem like a lot of work but taking all of these steps is what is recommended and is considered to be best practice based on the current research on assessing ADHD. It helps us be as certain as possible so that the best recommendations can be provided to you.

All appointments at this time and for the foreseeable are being booked virtually. To qualify for a virtual ADHD assessment, you must be located in Alberta at the time of the assessment appointments, will require a computer or tablet with a reasonable sized screen, need to be proficient enough with technology that you can login to a virtual appointment independently, and have a private space with a stable internet connection from which you can conduct the assessment.  
​
What will an assessment for ADHD provide? 

At the end of the assessment you will receive a report of the findings which is yours to keep and share with whoever you want (e.g., your family physician or treating psychologist). Your assessing psychologist will not give anyone access to the report but you, however, you can choose to share the report with whomever you see fit. Your assessing psychologist will also debrief the report and findings with you as well. If ADHD is present and there are no limitations to the assessment, a diagnosis likely. If there are any other common mental health concerns which may also be present, a diagnosis or recommendation for further assessment/resources may be provided for those as well. The report will also provide recommendations for next steps/treatment and answer any other questions that your assessor has agreed they can answer based on the information they have collected.

What are limitations?

Human beings are messy as a group and each person is unique. As a result, there is no perfect means of ensuring we can get all of the information we want at the degree of accuracy we require 100% of the time. If a potential source of inaccuracy (called validity) is flagged, your psychologist will discuss this with you at the debrief and provide recommendations for next steps. Sometimes clients may feel like they have to exaggerate their symptoms because they feel desperate to be heard and to get help but this can cause a flag for potential inaccuracy/validity concerns. Other times clients may be ashamed of their functioning so they may try to portray themselves in a better light, however, this can cause problems with the assessment too. Coming to the assessment prepared to be honest is your best bet at helping to ensure it goes as smoothly as possible.

Further, this assessment for ADHD does not include a psychoeducational assessment. While questions will be asked to screen for learning disabilities, it does not rule out the possibility of a learning disability conclusively. It also is not a measure of intelligence so will not provide detailed information regarding academic strengths and weaknesses.

​

How can I be prepared to get the most out of my assessment?

​

1. As human beings, we often are not the best observers of our own behaviour and/or challenges. Having at least one other person attest to your symptoms gives the greatest likelihood of diagnosis if ADHD is present. It is ideal to have at least 1 person who knew you well in childhood (and was especially familiar with your performance/experience in school) and at least 1 person who knows your day-to-day struggles well in adulthood (i.e., someone who lives with your ideally). It can be the same person for both or two different people if needed. If you don't have this, don't panic. We can still complete the assessment without it.

2. If available to you, review documentation from your school-aged years (especially before age 12) to refresh your memory of what being in school was like for you. Keep an eye out for any indicators of difficulty – academically and behaviourally. If there is a particular example that stands out to you, bring it to your clinical interview. This could be report card comments from teachers or having had to repeat a grade in school, for example. This is especially important if you don’t have someone close to you and who knew you in childhood who can fill out some questionnaires or attend the clinical interview appointment with you. However, we can still proceed with the assessment even if you don't have your school reports or a person close to you who can support the assessment.

3. If you are looking into being assessed for ADHD for a specific reason (e.g., to receive accommodates at work or school), it is best to confirm what type of assessment you require with the person referring you for assessment (e.g., family physician, academic advisor, human resources representative). Ask them what they need and clarify if they require a psychoeducational assessment as well. If so, YEG Psychology and other private practices in the areas can offer psychoeducational assessments which include measures for ADHD.

4. As some medical concerns can cause ADHD-like symptoms (e.g., low blood sugar or issues with blood sugar regulation), it is best to speak with a physician to rule out any of these possible issues prior to receiving a psychological assessment. 

​

What are my options for covering the costs?

​

Benefits

If you have benefits, check with your benefits company to gather the following information: 

• Do they cover psychological assessment? 

  • If so, what is the total amount of coverage you have? 

  • Does the coverage have limitations? (e.g., only a certain amount covered per session, per hour, or per day)

  • Does your plan allow for direct billing for psychology services?

• If they do not cover psychological assessment specifically, do they cover general psychology services which assessment could be billed under? 

  • If so, what is the amount of coverage you have? 

  • Does the coverage have limitations? (e.g., only a certain amount covered per session, per hour, or per day)

• If you've used your benefits already, what is the date that your benefits renew? (e.g., often January 1, July 1, or September 1)

• Do you have a health spending account?

  • Can psychological assessment be covered under your health spending account?

  • What is the total dollar amount allocated to your health spending per year? 

​​

Direct billing for psychology services is most commonly offered by AB Blue Cross, Medavie Blue Cross, Greenshield, Claimsecure, ASEBP, Veterans Affairs/RCMP, and Canada Life. You should double-check if your specific plan offers direct billing for psychology.

Out of Pocket:

Any expenses paid for out of pocket, whether it be the full amount or just the remaining amount not covered by benefits, can be claimed on taxes as a health expense – save your receipts! I offer credit or e-transfer for out of pocket expenses.

Grants 

If you are a student and your symptoms interfere to a degree that makes it impossible to both work and attend school, you may qualify for a grant such as this grant yearly and this grant which may reimburse assessment costs once you are approved.

​

What's next?

​

If you would like to pursue an assessment for ADHD or have more questions about assessment for ADHD, feel free to contact me.