ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders, with approximately 10 million adults diagnosed in the US. Common characteristics of ADHD include:
ADHD presents in a few variations:
Adults with ADHD can struggle in academics and in their careers, which can lead to feelings of lost potential. Their symptoms may also affect their friendships and romantic relationships. Without proper diagnosis, adults with ADHD have a greater risk of developing anxiety, depression, or substance abuse.
ADHD does not look the same for everyone. Our psychologists are experts in diagnosing ADHD of all types. An evaluation is a key first step to understanding and managing your symptoms.
The tricky part about ADHD is the symptoms that make up ADHD can be extreme examples of what we all experience as humans.
Inattentive type symptoms might include:
► Forgetfulness
► Difficulty listening
► Challenges with organization
Hyperactivity / Impulsive or Combined type symptoms might also include:
► Impulse control problems like frequent interrupting
► Frequent, rarely-stopping physical motion and activity
Insomnia, depression, and anxiety are all more likely to co-occur for individuals with ADHD as a result of these symptoms.
While most people identify with these behaviors and signs on occasion, especially when running low on sleep or high on stress, people with ADHD have experienced these consistently since an early age, and the symptoms have contributed to problems or significant difficulty with work, school, or relationships.
What’s important to know is that we have real ways to diagnose ADHD and treatments that can work, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and medication options. It’s important to rely on evidence-based approaches to diagnosis and treatment and to avoid relying on popular memes or social media, however tempting those may be!
With our assessment service, we provide Therapy Lab's targeted, science-backed approach in order to offer you diagnostic clarity, recommendations for next steps, and documentation necessary to move forward.
Understanding ADHD and how the symptoms uniquely affect you can provide clarity about how to secure proper accommodations and how to tap into your own personal strengths to overcome your specific ADHD-related challenges.
Why do I do ? Why is so challenging for me, when it seems so easy for everyone else? ADHD and its accompanying unique symptoms may be the answer.
Undiagnosed and untreated ADHD has been linked to later risk for anxiety and mood disorders, as well as behavioral, social, academic, and vocational problems.
Knowing more about yourself and the differences in experience you may have from the neurotypical world can lead to more self-acceptance. With further understanding of your identity, we hope you will experience higher levels of self-compassion.
We will help you determine what may meet your specific needs best: individual therapy, social skills groups, connecting with others with executive functioning challenges, support for daily living skills, ADHD coaching, etc.
We know that people with ADHD often have different strengths and weaknesses in the workplace than their neurotypical coworkers. If you wish to disclose your diagnosis to your boss and/or HR, you may be able to access accommodations that would not otherwise be offered (e.g., quiet workspace, wearing headphones during your work day, accessing written instructions for projects, movement breaks).
Our diagnostic assessments for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) consist of three appointments, including an in-person visit to our office in downtown Los Angeles, a telehealth interview, and a feedback session. We aim to schedule one appointment per week, which means you should receive results about a month after your first appointment.
The order of appointments is flexible, allowing you to begin the testing process even if you can’t get to our office in L.A. for a few weeks.
Our Comprehensive Evaluation for ADHD evaluation includes in-person cognitive testing, that provides detailed information about your learning abilities, and a computer-based measure of ADHD symptoms (e.g., impulsivity, inattention).
These assessment techniques provide an in-depth understanding of your cognitive and executive functioning (planning, organizing, initiating, and regulating goal-directed behavior) and whether your pattern of abilities is consistent with ADHD.
Assessments may include:
► Differential Ability Scales™, 2nd edition (DAS™–II) Cognitive Assessment
► Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) - Parent and Teacher Forms
► Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, 3rd Edition (ABAS-3)
► Behavior Assessment System for Children, 3rd edition (BASC-3)
In the second appointment, we will gather information from you via interview (by telehealth) and questionnaires to learn more about your childhood and adolescence, family background, current behaviors, interests, executive functioning, sensory issues (difficulties with touch, taste, smell, sight, sound, movement, and balance), anxiety or mood symptoms, sleep issues, and more.
If you agree, we may also want to contact a family member (parent or caregiver, sibling) for information about your early development. If you have a current romantic relationship or close friendship, we may ask for permission to get their input as well.
Your last appointment of the assessment process is the feedback session, during which we review results, including any diagnoses that are warranted, and discuss next steps. If we think you should consider medication management, we will refer you to appropriate medical providers who can help.
A few weeks after your feedback session, we will provide a comprehensive report that includes assessment results, diagnoses, and recommendations.
The recommendations we provide will help guide you if you receive a diagnosis. If you meet the criteria for ADHD, the report includes a medical diagnosis of ADHD and specifies what type (e.g., combined presentation, predominantly inattentive presentation, or predominantly hyperactive-impulsive presentation). The report may be shared with other medical or behavioral health professionals.
Clients have used the report and accompanying medical diagnosis to qualify for resources through their local government as well as to seek support at their workplaces.
Our comprehensive, ADHD-specific testing includes:
► Cognitive testing (measure of learning abilities)
► Computer testing of attention
► Interview
► Measure of ADHD-specific symptoms
► Measure of daily living skills
► Measure of emotional issues to screen for co-occurring problems like anxiety, depression
► Input from others who know you well
We offer comprehensive ADHD assessments for adults starting at $4,000. The cost of the assessment is determined by your specific needs.
For more information on pricing, contact us.
Regardless if you are given a diagnosis of ADHD, we are here to offer support and guidance. Should there be mental health concerns (e.g., anxiety, depression), we are likely to assess and diagnose these through our Comprehensive Assessment for ADHD. If we suspect your symptoms are more (or also) characteristic of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), we can offer this type of testing for an additional fee. If we think further neuropsychological testing is needed (e.g., suspected learning or intellectual disability), we can provide referrals for supplemental testing and collaborate with those providers.
Should you seek treatment related to other mental health concerns, we offer evidence-based therapy in person and via telehealth. Even if you do not meet full criteria for ADHD, you may still benefit from our ADHD plan to improve your executive functioning abilities. You can learn more about our therapy plans here.
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