Procrastination Scale
Testing for Adult ADHD – Rating Scales
Adult ADHD is one of the few conditions where there are no tests that can consistently and reliably identify adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Nevertheless, there are tests for adult ADHD which can help your medical professional peel back the many the many layers in route to making a diagnosis. In this article we will briefly explore what are known as rating scales, of which there are three different types; screening tests which identify adults that are at risk for adult ADHD, self assessment scales that are generally administered or given by a doctor, and formal diagnostic scales.
What are rating scales?
Rating scales are considered by most to be the most accurate method for diagnosing ADHD. While this may be the case, as you now know no test is 100 accurate. This type of test is an exercise in memory, having the patient recall childhood symptoms in an attempt to prove symptoms have lingered since childhood. Without evidence of early childhood symptoms a diagnosis of adult ADHD cannot be confirmed. Rating scales are of the greatest value when combined with physician patient interviews, developmental histories, and other corroborating evidence.
Screening tests for adult ADHD
Imagine walking into your doctor’s office in hopes of being diagnosed with ADHD only to be greeted with a set of 18 questions to fill out followed by a wait as your doctor sifted through your answers. You say this seems a bit arcane. I couldn’t agree with you more. But would you believe screening tests like the one above currently the most popular type of test for adult ADHD.
The type of test described above is a type of screening test know as a self report scale. Patients are asked questions to rate on a scale from one to five relating to completing tasks, remembering appointments, fidgeting or squirming, procrastinating, making careless mistakes, having trouble paying attention, misplacing things, being distracted, talking too much in social situations, interrupting people or butting in, and having problems winding down or relaxing.
Another type of rating scale is a symptom assessment scale. Questions revolve around mistakes in the workplace or at school, struggles to be detail oriented, difficulty staying focused while reading or attending lectures, and how well you are able to wind down and relax. Assessment scales are generally administered in office by your physician.
And finally, our third type of evaluation is known as a diagnostic scale. This is a two part scale whose goal is to establish and document the presence and severity of childhood symptoms and the severity and impact of adult ADHD symptoms.
In conclusion, rating scales are no more than a clinical way of delving into a person’s past and present self regulation issues in an attempt to ferret out enough information to confirm a diagnosis of ADHD. What becomes fairly obvious is how easy it would be to use selective memories to slant the tests in a favorable direction. For this reason your doctor will likely use rating scales as no more than the first stop on the long road to arriving at a diagnosis.
What else? Once a diagnosis has been reach you will be faced with many different treatment choices including prescription statin medications, behavioral therapy, or natural remedies for ADHD. The fact of the matter is no one treatment is 100 effective all of the time, thus paying special attention to your results is a very important part of achieving mastery over ADHD symptoms.
About the Author
Rob Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of natural health products and natural living with over 10 years experience in the field.
Learn more about natural remedies and natural health at purchase remedies.com
Abraham-Hicks Procrastination
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