What is the test for ADHD like?

ADHD Testing: What to Expect (and Do You Need It)

If you think you may have ADHD, the first step is ADHD testing.

Actually, the term “ADHD testing” is a bit misleading. The process of diagnosing ADHD is more of an evaluation based on interviews and a battery of neuropsychological assessments.

Fortunately, no matter your situation, your ADHD can be managed with proper diagnosis, therapy, and/or coaching.

A Bit about ADHD

There are three types of ADHD:

• Inattentive type
• Hyperactive-Impulsive type
• Combined type (this is most common)

Who can be tested for ADHD?

In my practice, I evaluate individuals aged 8 and up for ADHD.

Can you outgrow ADHD?

If you were diagnosed with ADHD as a child, the hyperactivity piece may have diminished over time, but that doesn’t mean you have outgrown your ADHD. Certain symptoms of ADHD can affect you for a lifetime.

What are the treatments for ADHD?

Keep in mind, ADHD is a spectrum disorder. The degree to which a person has ADHD may range from mild to severe. Treatments for ADHD include therapy, coaching, and medication where necessary.

ADHD Testing: What to Expect (and Do You Need It)

In my New York City practice, ADHD evaluations are very in-depth. They include:

• IQ Testing. There is a link between working memory, processing speed, and ADHD
• Psychoeducational Evaluation. This tests your ability to learn and uncovers learning impairments
• Neuropsychological Testing. This determines cognitive functioning — reasoning, memory, attention, language, etc.

Why do so many different tests need to be performed to determine if a person has ADHD?

Although you are trying to determine whether a person has an attention problem, other cognitive categories can be affected by ADHD, such as executive functioning (ability to plan, organize, and complete tasks), memory, and auditory learning.

ADHD testing generally takes around 3-4 hours.

Do I Need ADHD Testing?

Many of my patients are college and post-graduate students who are experiencing the following symptoms:

• Struggling academically — maybe even on academic probation
• Difficulty completing work in a timely manner
• Difficulty keeping appointments
• Disorganization
• Interpersonal problems — feel like they’re having trouble engaging, listening, and staying present in relationships
• Impulsivity

Many of these students were able to excel in high school with few problems, but with a more rigorous schedule — and less structure — it becomes much harder to ignore the symptoms.

Why Should I Get Tested?

If you think you have ADHD, it’s important to be properly diagnosed for three main reasons:

Sometimes testing reveals other conditions as well. It’s not uncommon to see overlaps with other conditions.

To get the proper treatment plan. This means we have to determine your primary areas of concern and your goals, as well as where you fall on the spectrum of ADHD.

If you’re a student, you may qualify for extra time or other special accommodations during standardized tests.

Diagnosis — Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

If you’re worried about your child, it may help to speak to their teachers, before seeing a GP, to find out if they have any concerns about your child’s behaviour.

The GP cannot formally diagnose ADHD, but they can discuss your concerns with you and refer you for a specialist assessment, if necessary.

When you see a GP, they may ask you:

• about your symptoms or those of your child
• when these symptoms started
• where the symptoms occur – for example, at home, in school, college or university, or at work
• whether the symptoms affect your or your child’s day-to-day life – for example, if they make socialising difficult
• if there have been any recent significant events in your or your child’s life, such as a death or divorce in the family
• if there’s a family history of ADHD
• about any other problems or symptoms of different health conditions you or your child may have

Next steps

Children and teenagers

If the GP thinks your child may have ADHD, they may first suggest a period of «watchful waiting» – lasting around 10 weeks – to see if your child’s symptoms improve, stay the same or get worse.

They may also suggest starting a group-based, ADHD-focused parent training or education programme. Being offered a parent training and education programme does not mean you have been a bad parent – it aims to teach you ways of helping yourself and your child.

See treating ADHD for more information.

If your child’s behaviour does not improve, and both you and the GP believe it’s affecting their day-to-day life, the GP should refer you and your child to a specialist for a formal assessment.

Adults

For adults with possible ADHD, the GP will assess your symptoms and may refer you for an assessment if:

• you were not diagnosed with ADHD as a child, but your symptoms began during childhood and have been ongoing since
• your symptoms cannot be explained by a mental health condition
• your symptoms significantly affect your day-to-day life – for example, if you’re underachieving at work or find intimate relationships difficult

You may also be referred to a specialist if you had ADHD as a child or young person and your symptoms are now causing moderate or severe functional impairment.

Assessment

You or your child may be referred to 1 of the following types of specialist for a formal assessment:

• a specialist child or adult psychiatrist
• a paediatrician – a specialist in children’s health
• an appropriately qualified healthcare professional with training and expertise in the diagnosis of ADHD

Who you’re referred to depends on your age and what’s available in your local area.

There’s no simple test to determine whether you or your child has ADHD, but your specialist can make an accurate diagnosis after a detailed assessment. The assessment may include:

• a physical examination, which can help rule out other possible causes for the symptoms
• a series of interviews with you or your child
• interviews or reports from other significant people, such as partners, parents and teachers

Diagnosis in children and teenagers

Diagnosing ADHD in children depends on a set of strict criteria. To be diagnosed with ADHD, your child must have 6 or more symptoms of inattentiveness, or 6 or more symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsiveness.

To be diagnosed with ADHD, your child must also have:

• been displaying symptoms continuously for at least 6 months
• started to show symptoms before the age of 12
• been showing symptoms in at least 2 different settings – for example, at home and at school, to rule out the possibility that the behaviour is just a reaction to certain teachers or to parental control
• symptoms that make their lives considerably more difficult on a social, academic or occupational level
• symptoms that are not just part of a developmental disorder or difficult phase, and are not better accounted for by another condition

Diagnosis in adults

Diagnosing ADHD in adults is more difficult because there’s some disagreement about whether the list of symptoms used to diagnose children and teenagers also applies to adults.

In some cases, an adult may be diagnosed with ADHD if they have 5 or more of the symptoms of inattentiveness, or 5 or more of hyperactivity and impulsiveness, listed in diagnostic criteria for children with ADHD.

As part of your assessment, the specialist will ask about your present symptoms. However, under current diagnostic guidelines, a diagnosis of ADHD in adults cannot be confirmed unless your symptoms have been present from childhood.

If you find it difficult to remember whether you had problems as a child, your specialist may wish to see your old school records, or talk to your parents, teachers or anyone else who knew you well when you were a child.

For an adult to be diagnosed with ADHD, their symptoms should also have a moderate effect on different areas of their life, such as:

• underachieving at work or in education
• driving dangerously
• difficulty making or keeping friends
• difficulty in relationships with partners

If your problems are recent and did not occur regularly in the past, you’re not considered to have ADHD. This is because it’s currently thought that ADHD cannot develop for the first time in adults.

Page last reviewed: 24 December 2021
Next review due: 24 December 2024

ADHD Test

Kessler et al. (2005). The World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS): a short screening scale for use in the general population. Psychological medicine, 35(2), 245–256. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291704002892

The ASRS v1.1 has been validated for adults as well as adolescents ages 13 and up. For more information, click here.

Please note: Online screening tools are not diagnostic instruments. You are encouraged to share your results with a physician or healthcare provider. Mental Health America Inc., sponsors, partners, and advertisers disclaim any liability, loss, or risk incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of these screens.

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  • Mental Health Information
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    • Anxiety
    • Bipolar
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    • Addiction
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    • Get Help
    • Learn about treatment & recovery
    • Connect with others
    • Overcoming Negative Thoughts
    • Changing Thoughts with an AI Assistant
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