ADHD Assessment

ADHD rarely occurs on its own. Often other mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and learning disabilities are also present. It is important to get a complete picture when being assessed. However, if attention problems are the primary concern and it is very clear that academic skills or mental health are not impacted, there may not be a need for a full psychoeducational assessment. In this case, a thorough ADHD assessment would be recommended, which rules out cognitive, medical, or mental health reasons for attention concerns.

Reading, writing, and math skills would not be assessed in this type of assessment, which reduces the time and cost of the process, while still offering the most informative and clear diagnostic picture. If learning needs to be differentiated, a psychoeducational assessment will be more appropriate and would be recommended.

Symptoms of ADHD may be reassessed at any time in one’s life, to determine the effects of treatment, age-related change, and other interventions, or to offer updated recommendations and accommodations (e.g., high school goals, post-secondary accommodations, workplace accommodations).