Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Assessment for Children
Even if you’ve heard from a pediatrician, caregiver, or teacher that your child is exhibiting signs of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), you may feel hesitant to seek out support or a formal diagnosis. There are numerous misconceptions related to ADHD diagnosis, such as a fear of medicating or stigma. On this page, you can learn more about ADHD is and what you can expect from ADHD assessment at Connected Minds NYC.
What Is AD/HD?
AD/HD, often referred to as ADD or by its full name, Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, is a neurodevelopmental disorder that effects attentiveness and executive functioning. Executive functions are the skills that individuals use to organize their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to set and reach goals. Children who have trouble developing effective executive functions struggle to create a sense of stability, which makes completing daily activities, succeeding academically, developing meaningful relationships, and achieving professional potential more difficult.
While parent may start to think about AD/HD in the preschool years, a formal diagnosis is often deferred until elementary school years. Many symptoms of AD/HD are natural and even expected from young people, but the intensity or frequency can vary from person to person. This is why it’s important to work with a professional.
Symptoms of AD/HD in children may include:
Difficulty paying attention when at home, school or with friends.
Difficulty remembering details, especially if they lack interest in a subject.
Difficulty controlling energy levels, leading to fidgeting, excessive talkativeness, interrupting others, difficulty taking turns, and other issues. Often described as being in constant motion.
Difficulty developing impulse control.
Difficulty completing tasks.
Difficulty controlling emotions.
Difficulty maintaining friendships.
How Is ADHD Assessment for Children Performed?
We’ll begin our assessment with an intake where we will ask you about your child’s behaviors, strengths, and experiences. We will also speak with any relevant outside professionals, likes teachers or tutors.
For those children that we think an assessment would be helpful, we provide a thorough assessment battery to rule out other conditions that may present similarly. While some tests aren’t specifically related to AD/HD, they will help us understand your child’s skills, strengths, and areas of struggle. Each child’s ADHD symptoms vary, so it’s important for us to fully assess them to ensure we understand exactly how ADHD impacts them.
As we continue to develop a complete picture of the child’s symptoms and abilities, we’ll utilize achievement testing, neuropsychological evaluations, and even observations of the child at play, in classroom settings, and other situations as needed. Academic evaluations and other forms of educational documentation may be requested, especially for older children. We’ll be working to identify any comorbidities and distinguish symptoms between diagnoses. When we write our final report, we’ll include the full range of results, including the child’s strengths and areas of potential struggle. The goal is to ensure children receive an accurate diagnosis and the correct ongoing support and treatment.
Get Started with ADHD Testing for Children
We’ll begin with a free, 15-minute consultation to discuss assessment options and ensure you feel completely comfortable moving forward working with the Connected Minds NYC team in our Park Slope or Financial District location. Simply take a few moments to complete our contact form to get started today.