Psychological testing for ADHD in adults
The testing of adults for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) representing three possible types (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominantly Inattentive Type/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Combined Type) is important even if the diagnosis went without identification during one’s childhood/adolescent developmental period.
The Importance of ADHD Testing in Adulthood
A common question about ADHD evaluation is, what difference does it make? After all, I was able to get through school, start a career, and raise a family with my partner/wife/husband without it being detected, so why address the issue now in my adulthood?
Common Misconceptions About Adult ADHD
Other comments/questions commonly asked are: It seems pointless now, and certainly does it warrant the time, energy, and expense of looking into testing at this phase of my adult life where I have competing priorities for my time, including my family time demands, career and workload management, and community-based commitments that have already been promised or made firm in terms of priority? What difference will it have even if it is revealed or determined that I have an ADHD diagnosis into adulthood? Doesn’t everyone in society, especially adults, have ADHD with our busy schedules, social media consumption, and need to multi-task and juggle the complex world that we adults frequently find ourselves operating in? Isn’t ADHD just a childhood/adolescent phenomenon, anyway, not necessarily applicable to adults? Don’t you ‘outgrow’ ADHD after all as an adult? I groove on my ADHD; why would I ever want to address it, even if it was determined to be a diagnosable condition, if I feel it is not a problem and more importantly is an asset (perhaps in conjunction with thinking it presents a positive impact on multi-tasking performance in the workplace or among family commitments?
The Benefits of Diagnosing ADHD in Adults
The following are reasons why testing does in fact make sense even upon arriving into adulthood without ever having had the diagnosis determined by a mental health professional during the early developmental period of life.
Psychological Testing for ADHD provides peace of mind for adults especially if the concerned individual has long suspected that they have the diagnosis. It would validate the concern or suspicion and provide research-driven solutions/interventions to address the diagnosis.
Adult ADHD evaluations would allow for the possibility of providing accommodations in the workplace and scholastic endeavors such as advanced education (graduate school, extension courses, professional development, and or licensing examinations required for work/school).
Testing for ADHD would allow an adult who has children to look into possible early detection and identification for their children/adolescents who may have a biological predisposition for the diagnosis of ADHD. Important note: not every child/adolescent born to a parent diagnosed with ADHD will automatically have ADHD themself.
Testing for ADHD permits one with the newly informed diagnosis with the ability to seek treatment in the form of psychotherapy and medication management of the symptoms if they so elect to do so.
The Impact of ADHD on Adult Life and Productivity
Testing for ADHD allows an adult to get on with the management of the condition so that time is maximized in an already hectic schedule that they are likely juggling and are asking themselves why can I not get more done in a day?
Psychological testing can lead to clarification as to what problems one encounters are attributed to ADHD and which might be the result of other considerations so that the deployment of a solution is targeted to treat conditions that have attributable symptoms with aligned interventions that are proven to be effective in minimizing their adverse impact.
