Who can diagnose adult adhd and how do they do it?

Adhd: Psychiatrist thru careful assessment can diagnose adult adhd.

Usually, psych: Psychiatrists diagnose and provide medication management for adults with adhd. Neuropsychologists assess attention, memory, processing & other brain functions that can be impacted by adhd. This type of evaluation is needed when applying for accomodations at work or school. Psychologists do therapy as well as testing. All require referral from primary care doctor. Chadd.Org has great info.

Psychiatry: Most psychiatrists & many family doctors are able to diagnose and treat adhd in adults. It is best to ask specifically about the doctor's experience when making an appointment. Neurologists also treat as do nurse practitioners in many states. The experience of the practitioner is important.

ADHD: Clinical and school psychologists can also diagnose adhd through obervations and psychometric tests such as the wechsler intelligence scales, connor's, achievement tests, and various inventories and neuropsychological tests.

Anyone.: Any physician or mental health provider can diagnose adult adhd. Psychiatrists recieve specialized training to diagnose and treat adhd. Adhd is diagnosed based on a comprehensive evaluation by a psychiatrist. In addition, rating scales may be compiled to get a picture of symptom severity in different situations like work, home, school, etc. Sometimes further neuropsychological testing is done.

Adult dx. & how done: For adults, an ADHD diagnostic evaluation should be provided by a licensed mental health professional or a physician. These professionals include clinical psychologists, physicians (psychiatrist, neurologist, family doctor, or other type of physician), or clinical social workers. here is no single medical, physical, or genetic test for ADHD. However, a diagnostic evaluation can be provided by a qualified mental health care professional or physician who gathers information from multiple sources. These include ADHD symptom checklists, standardized behavior rating scales, a detailed history of past and current functioning, and information obtained from family members or significant others who know the person well. ADHD cannot be diagnosed accurately just from brief office observations, or just by talking to the person. The person may not always exhibit the symptoms of ADHD in the office, and the diagnostician needs to take a thorough history of the individual's life. A diagnosis of ADHD must include consideration of the possible presence of co-occurring conditions.