Adult ADHD Evaluations
“I was diagnosed as a kid, but never really followed up with it as an adult…”
“Everything has just fallen apart since having kids. None of my old coping skills work anymore.”
“I’ve always wondered, but everyone always told me my grades were too good to have it.”
If these quotes sound familiar, you’re in the right place. Whether you were diagnosed as a kid and need a re-evaluation, or you’ve always wondered but coped pretty well up until now - clarification is only a video appointment away.
I approach each evaluation with empathy, honesty, and support. I know firsthand that receiving a diagnosis you have suspected for so long can be incredibly validating for the difficulties you have been experiencing. For many, it is relief that they’re “not just lazy” and there’s a reason they’re are chronically late to work. And, not receiving that diagnosis can be crushing, leaving you feeling like all the negative things you’ve internalized about yourself over the years are true.
I want you to hear me when I say that I honor neurodivergence here and a lack of diagnosis does not mean you are not struggling in a neurodivergent and challenging way.
No matter what I do - or do not - diagnose, I will always provide practical and specific treatment recommendations targeted to alleviate the symptoms you are reporting. Neurodivergence is a spectrum with a multitude of factors impacting how you function in the world at any given time.
My Approach
ADHD testing has historically been expensive, lengthy, and time consuming. In addition to a full clinical interview, testing would involve many hours of complex assessments in a variety of areas (intellectual, achievement, self-report questionnaires, collateral questionnaires, etc.). However, recent research has shown that cognitive testing is not as reliable as we once thought it was in diagnosing ADHD. As such, many psychologists are moving to assess ADHD through a comprehensive and targeted clinical interview along with select inventories. This allows for quicker and less expensive testing (for both client and clinician!) and allows for a fully virtual format. I am thrilled to offer such accessibility for ADHD evaluations, as it is much needed.
What to expect:
The Evaluation
1. Schedule the the assessment by contacting me - or, if you have questions prior to booking, schedule a free 15-minute consultation. I will answer any questions you have and explain the process. After all questions are answered and you want to proceed, we can schedule the evaluation.
2. Complete the clinical interview and assessments at our appointment. This usually takes a couple hours. I will ask specific questions about your life from childhood to present to get a thorough history of your experiences, symptoms, strengths, and struggles. Occasionally I will request collateral information if available - talking with a partner or family member who knows you well, records request from previous testing - to help complete the picture in a comprehensive way.
3. Data integration and report writing. Taking all sources of data into account, I write a report including all data provided in the clinical interview, assessment results, behavioral observations, a conceptualization summary of what I think is going on, any relevant diagnoses I have the data to support, and very specific and individualized treatment recommendations.
4. Feedback session to discuss my findings and recommendations. This usually lasts 30 minutes to an hour. In addition to discussing my conceptualization of what I think is going on, I hold this space for processing of the diagnoses - or lack of diagnoses - and how that might feel for you. I will also go over the specific recommendations, allowing space for questions and troubleshooting of how to enact these recommendations.