Written by Erin Smith
“Do I have ADHD?”
As a psychologist, I hear this question a lot. Sometimes it is because someone saw a TikTok or Reel describing signs and symptoms associated with ADHD and recognized themselves in the content. Other times, it is because a friend, teacher, partner, or loved one has made a comment about their concentration, memory, motivation, organization, or restlessness.
Wondering whether ADHD might explain some of your experiences can be an important first step. However, recognizing yourself in a list of symptoms is not the same thing as receiving a diagnosis. This is where a comprehensive ADHD assessment can help.
When an ADHD Assessment Can Help
A diagnosis can be helpful for some people because it provides language for experiences they have struggled to explain. Knowing whether you experience symptoms associated with ADHD can be useful, but it’s not the full story. Most people forget things from time to time. Most people become distracted by their thoughts or by what is happening around them. Many people struggle with organization, procrastination, or staying focused, especially when they are stressed, tired, or overwhelmed.
An ADHD assessment can be helpful when difficulties are:
Persistent: They have been present for some time.
Pervasive: They occur in more than one area of your life, such as at home, school, work, or in relationships.
Significant: They interfere with your ability to function effectively or cause meaningful distress.
How an ADHD Assessment Can Help
One of the most valuable aspects of an ADHD assessment is the opportunity to better understand yourself or your child. A thorough ADHD assessment considers an individual's history, current functioning, experiences across different settings, and the information gathered through interviews and assessment instruments. Sometimes the results support a diagnosis of ADHD. Other times, the assessment may suggest that another explanation better accounts for the concerns. In either case, having a clearer understanding of what is contributing to your or your child’s difficulties can help you make more informed decisions about what supports may be helpful.
An ADHD assessment should also be practical. The final recommendations are intended to help you better understand what supports, strategies, or accommodations may improve your or your child’s ability to cope and function. Depending on the individual and the assessment findings, recommendations may relate to:
Coping strategies
Environmental modifications
Evidence-based treatments
Further assessment or consultation with other professionals
How an ADHD Assessment Cannot Help
While an ADHD assessment can provide useful information, it is important to understand its limitations.
An ADHD Assessment Does Not Guarantee A Diagnosis
The purpose of an ADHD assessment is to carefully examine the available information and develop a clearer understanding of your or your child’s experiences. Sometimes that process leads to an ADHD diagnosis. Sometimes it leads somewhere else.
An ADHD Assessment Does Not Guarantee Medication
Psychologists in Alberta cannot prescribe medication. Even if an assessment confirms an ADHD diagnosis, there is no guarantee that a medical professional will prescribe medication to help manage ADHD symptoms. If medication is an important part of what you are hoping to explore, discuss your concerns with your family doctor or another qualified medical professional first. They can help you understand whether medication may be appropriate and what information they would require when making that decision.
An ADHD Assessment Is a Snapshot
Assessment results are based on information collected over a limited period of time and may not provide a complete understanding of an individual. Assessments also rely, in part, on self-report and informant-report measures. Like all sources of information, these can be influenced by factors such as inaccurate recall, subjective interpretation, or differences in how people perceive and describe experiences. Other situational factors can also influence assessment results. Fatigue, stress, motivation, and environmental distractions may affect how someone performs or responds during interviews and assessment activities. Cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic factors may also influence how assessment findings are interpreted. Finally, assessment results and recommendations should be considered alongside other relevant information and may need to be revised as new information becomes available. An assessment can provide valuable insight, but it is one piece of a larger picture.
What to Expect During an ADHD Assessment by an Eclipse Psychologist
If you are considering an ADHD assessment, you may be wondering what the process actually involves. Although every assessment is individualized, the process generally follows several steps.
1. Initial Consultation
The assessment process begins with a free 20-minute phone consultation with the psychologist. This is an opportunity to gather relevant background information and clarify the specific concerns that the assessment is intended to address. These concerns are often referred to as the referral question.
A referral question is essentially what you hope to have answered through the assessment. It helps the psychologist understand what information they need to gather, determines which interviews, measures, and assessment tools may be appropriate, and ensures that the final report addresses the concerns that led you to seek an assessment. “Do I have ADHD?” is, essentially, a referral question. Other questions might include:
Why am I struggling to stay organized and manage my responsibilities?
Could ADHD be contributing to my child's difficulties at school?
Are my difficulties with attention consistent with ADHD?
The consultation is also an opportunity to discuss practical and professional considerations, including the psychologist’s qualifications and approach, assessment fees, and scheduling, so you can determine whether the assessment feels like a good fit for your needs.
2. Developing an Individualized Assessment Plan
Based on the referral question and the information gathered during the consultation, the psychologist develops an assessment plan. This includes selecting assessment instruments and procedures that are appropriate for the individual's age, experiences, and specific concerns. At Eclipse, an ADHD assessment does not include formal testing of cognitive or academic abilities. If your concerns also include learning challenges or giftedness, a psychoeducational assessment may be worth considering.
3. Completing Online Intake Questionnaires
You will be sent links to online intake questionnaires. These questionnaires are completed by the individual being assessed or, in the case of a minor, by a caregiver. The purpose of these questionnaires is to help the psychologist gather important background information and develop a better understanding of your or your child’s concerns, experiences, history, and goals for the assessment. Each questionnaire takes approximately 10–20 minutes, although the time required may vary depending on your circumstances and the amount of information you wish to provide.
It is important to take your time and answer the questions as honestly and thoroughly as you are comfortable. There are no “right” answers. The information you provide helps guide the assessment process and ensures that the assessment session focuses on the areas most relevant to your concerns.
4. Attending Assessment Session(s)
Next, the individual attends one or more assessment sessions. For children, caregivers may also be involved in the process. The session(s) generally focus on gathering information through conversation and observation. Session length generally ranges from approximately one to two hours.
4. Completing Psychometric Assessment Instruments
After the assessment session(s), the individual and/or their caregivers will be asked to complete one or more psychometric assessment instruments. In an ADHD assessment, psychometric assessment instruments are standardized, research-backed tests, questionnaires, rating scales, or inventories used to explore areas such as cognitive emotional, and behavioural functioning. These tools provide structured information about an individual’s experiences and patterns of functioning and can help the psychologist understand how the concerns may be affecting different areas of life.
5. Gathering Information From Others
ADHD affects functioning across environments, which means it can be helpful to gather information from people who know the individual in different contexts. After the assessment session(s), parents, partners, family members, and, in some cases, teachers may be interviewed and/or asked to complete questionnaires. This helps identify patterns, differences, or consistencies across settings.
6. Analyzing and Interpreting Results
Once all of the assessment information has been collected, the psychologist analyzes and interprets the findings. This process involves reviewing information gathered from interviews, questionnaires, observations, and standardized measures. The psychologist considers patterns that emerge and evaluates how the findings relate to the referral question. A written assessment report summarizing the results, diagnostic impressions, and recommendations for support is also prepared.
7. Receiving Feedback and Recommendations
The final step is the debrief session. During this session, the psychologist reviews the assessment findings with you. You will have an opportunity to ask questions and clarify anything you do not understand. For many people, this is one of the most meaningful parts of the process. Whether or not the assessment leads to an ADHD diagnosis, the goal is to leave with a better understanding of what is going on and what steps may be helpful moving forward.
Is an ADHD Assessment Right for You?
It is understandable to recognize yourself in ADHD-related content and begin asking questions. Increased awareness of ADHD has helped many people recognize difficulties they may have previously dismissed or misunderstood. At the same time, social media checklists and symptom descriptions cannot capture the full complexity of an individual's experiences.
If you have been wondering whether ADHD may explain some of the challenges you or your child are experiencing, an ADHD assessment can be an opportunity to explore those questions in a structured and comprehensive way.
Contact us at info@eclipsepsychology.ca to get more information or to book a free phone consultation.
