ADHD Assessment
Child and Adolescent ADHD Assessment Sydney
Have you noticed that your child may struggle to stay on task? Or that they can become so intently focused on a particular thing that other things fall by the wayside? While these aren’t uncommon occurrences in young people, if they happen frequently enough or affect a child’s learning and daily life, they may be signs of ADHD.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder that affects around one in 20 Australian children. Many people think of a child with ADHD as one who can’t sit still, is always talking, or causing disruptions. This may be true for some people with ADHD, but ADHD also often occurs under the surface.
Whether your child is hyperactive physically, in their mind, or both, this may cause issues at home and school. As such, it’s important to recognise why they may be acting this way and to assist them in navigating these challenges, starting with an ADHD assessment.
What is an ADHD Assessment?
An ADHD assessment involves gathering information from parents or carers and other important people in a young person’s life to provide information about a child’s behaviour in a range of settings such as at home and school. We also include assessments of a child’s cognitive abilities and learning to rule out or determine the influence of other diagnoses, ensuring your child receives an accurate diagnosis.
This assessment typically includes a combination of age-appropriate interviews, questionnaires, and tests that evaluate attention, impulse control, and executive functioning. We also review your child’s medical history and developmental milestones in an effort to identify any underlying factors that may be contributing to their symptoms.
What to Expect During an ADHD Assessment
A comprehensive ADHD assessment at The Young Mind Clinic involves multiple components. Initially, a thorough clinical interview with caregivers provides insights into symptoms and their impact on the child and the family. Further information is gathered from school and the home environment via questionnaires aimed to capture the broader picture of a child’s functioning, whilst also honing in on relevant areas where necessary.
In addition to information gathering from the child’s environment, it is generally recommended that the child undergo psychometric assessment (cognitive and achievement testing) to understand how the young person is coping with learning and identify whether any specific learning conditions are contributing to their presentation.
We provide a comprehensive and specific report for your child which is an important tool to access help at school and interventions where necessary to support their mental health and well-being.
Why Choose The Young Mind Clinic?
Expertise
The Young Mind Clinic psychologists use and are highly trained in the use of internationally recognised gold-standard assessment tools.
Our experience with these tools can provide accurate and reliable evaluations, ensuring that each assessment is both comprehensive and tailored to the unique needs of every individual.
Experience Working With Young People
Our psychologists are skilled in addressing the unique needs of young people, offering assessments that utilise well-thought-out methods to synthesise relevant information gathered during the assessment into concise and personalised reports.
With this, we can provide well-thought-out recommendations for families, young people and their schools where appropriate.
AHPRA Registered Psychologists
Our clinicians are all psychologists registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
Your ADHD Assessment Questions Answered
What is ADHD?
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can look like many different behaviours. At its core, there is a significant difference in the way the young person’s brain processes information in their environment and this leads primarily to difficulties with impulsivity, attention, sometimes hyperactivity and executive functioning.
Symptoms such as these typically affect a child’s ability to succeed at school and manage daily activities. Strategies aim to assist in these areas.
What are the signs and symptoms of ADHD?
There are 3 subtypes of ADHD: Combined presentation (inattentive and hyperactive symptoms), predominantly inattentive presentation and predominantly hyperactive/impulsive presentation.
Individuals may only present with inattentive symptoms, hyperactive/impulsive symptoms or a combination of both. Each individual with ADHD will present uniquely, however, showing some of the symptoms below may mean that further assessment is worthwhile.
Symptoms of inattention include:
- Careless mistakes
- Difficulty staying focused on a task
- Seeming not to listen when spoken to
- Failure to follow instructions or starting tasks and not finishing them
- Problems sequencing tasks and keeping track of belongings
- Reluctance or dislike of tasks requiring sustained mental effort
- Losing things eg keys, glasses etc
- Easily distracted by non-essential things in the environment or their head (eg thoughts)
- Forgetful in daily activities
Symptoms of Hyperactivity/Impulsivity include:
- Fidgets/ squirms in seat
- Leaves seat when expected to stay seated
- Runs or climbs in inappropriate situations or feeling restless in older adolescents
- Unable to play or engage in leisure activities quietly
- On the go all the time
- Talks excessively
- Blurts out answers
- Difficulty waiting for their turn
- Interrupts or intrudes on others.
While many people may experience these symptoms, a psychologist can determine how pervasive they are. By assessing the impact these symptoms may have on a young person’s social or academic functioning or development a psychologist can determine if they need additional support.
What causes ADHD?
ADHD is a neurobiological difference that may be the result of a number of factors that impact the child prior to birth. ADHD is highly heritable, which means that there is a strong genetic basis (basically this means that ADHD often runs in families but this may not always be evident). There may also be other environmental factors that impact on a child’s neurobiology whilst they are still developing in the womb.
What are the positives of ADHD?
While much of the focus on ADHD is centred around its challenges and difficulties, for some there are also several positive aspects associated with it. For instance, some people with ADHD have high levels of creativity, energy, and enthusiasm. They may use their hyperfocus to influence their passion and drive, leading to impressive achievements.
Meanwhile, those who are spontaneous and adaptable tend to thrive in fast-paced, dynamic environments, while some people with ADHD can think outside the box, which can lead to innovative answers and novel ideas.
The Young Mind Clinic
Enquire About an ADHD Assessment at The Young Mind Clinic
Early assessment, diagnosis, and intervention may make a significant difference in assisting children to manage their symptoms and discover their potential. At The Young Mind Clinic, our ADHD assessments focus on the positive while aiming to find techniques to assist them in both the home and school environments. To find out more or to book an appointment, contact us today.
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