ADHD ASSESSMENT AND TESTING

ADHD assessment at Andersonville Behavioral Health is available to children, teens, and adults; and this service is aimed at understanding issues of inattention, impaired concentration, hyperactivity, and restlessness. These problems are not by definition a sign of ADHD but instead can indicate depression, anxiety, or some other mental health condition entirely. Sometimes these symptoms may be altogether subclinical and simply reflect normative shifts in cognitive functioning.

ABH clinicians ensure a proper diagnosis to determine the source and nature of the attention deficits that individuals experience and guide them towards the proper treatments. Our clinicians also work with each client to individually tailor the treatments and therapies, which may include cognitive-behavioral psychotherapies, learning time-management strategies, and learning appropriate self-care.

Undiagnosed ADHD that has not been treated properly often complicates a person’s relationships. For those clients, interpersonal psychotherapy is also advisable to address relational patterns that render the individual feeling “stuck.”

FOR THOSE WITH A PREVIOUS ADHD DIAGNOSIS

A rush to diagnose ADHD without a systematic review of all of the pertinent information can lead to an improper diagnosis. Our clinicians are experts in the differential diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. In collaborating with individuals to clarify the nature of their difficulties, we work to construct and implement only the most effective interventions.

Those who may have received an ADHD diagnosis from their primary care physician, but who have never consulted a psychologist, are strongly encouraged to do so. An inaccurate ADHD diagnosis can result in the wrong treatment being implemented, which may lead to serious consequences. As primary care physicians are limited in the expertise required to conduct a comprehensive mental health assessment, it is essential for mental health consumers to be well informed about which health care providers are best equipped to help when ADHD is suspected.

The mere presence of attention problems is not indicative of ADHD. Attention problems may point to other mental health conditions rather than ADHD or may suggest ADHD complicated still further by a secondary diagnosis. A systematic and thorough assessment will be necessary to target treatment options and to prevent the potential misuse of psychostimulant medication, which may lead to many other complications in the future.