Assessing Adults for ADHD: A Systematic, Evidence-Based Protocol

Abstract

ADHD is a childhood disorder. However, recent research suggests that some individuals have challenges that persist well into adulthood. Some adults may have had ADHD during childhood but were not diagnosed at that time. The need to diagnosis ADHD in adults exists. This article presents a model for the assessment of ADHD in adults, based on the five criteria in the DSM and using documents and other pre-existing childhood information to make the diagnosis during adulthood. The counseling and disability services office at a local university has referred a first-year law student to you, with concerns about attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Sandra is 27 years old and she enrolled in law school after several years of doing secretarial work in a corporate office. Her first semester in law school was far more difficult than she expected. She failed two of her five courses and barely passed one of the others, despite studying harder than she ever had in college. She is now on academic probation. When she told her academic advisor that she had experienced severe difficulties concentrating on her classes, he referred her to a counselor who subsequently referred her to you. Now in the first few weeks of the spring semester, Sandra is seeking urgent help, including possible medication and academic accommodations if she does have ADHD as she suspects. How should you go about determining if ADHD is present when no diagnosis was made in childhood? Diagnostic Criteria for ADHD