ADHD Assessment

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If you want to attend an ADHD assessment

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What is ADHD and why is an ADHD assessment necessary?

Some symptoms might not be pertinent enough to warrant a diagnosis.

Think you or someone you love is in need of an ADHD assessment? Reach out to our specialists at Educational Assessments for help. For now, here’s why it’s good to spot it early: ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition in which there’s a difference in the way the brain has developed and functions. This condition is more common in some families than others and owes a lot to genetics. Research suggests it’s about 75% inherited. That doesn’t mean that if you have five children, they will ALL have ADHD, but if you know it is in your family, you may have more than one child with symptoms. Some symptoms might not be pertinent enough to warrant a diagnosis. Yet, given the associated difficulties, it’s clear that the child will have a tough time. Therefore, allowances should be made.

What do we know about gene research?

It’s not one gene that causes ADHD.

ADHD is also associated with other conditions, and we’ll show you some more about that in a while. ADHD is associated with autism, dyslexia and anxiety, and it is a disability. It can be a bit strange to think of it being a disability when the child seems to be – in many ways – just like everybody else. However, it’s a disability that means that the child may need support to assist them throughout their lifetime. At the end of the day, that’s all that disability support is. It’s about helping people have an equal chance in life.

Are you an adult considering dyslexia testing near me?

Here’s some often overlooked dyslexic traits in the workplace

Terrible at remembering names but can remember a face?

Ever slip and use the wrong word when speaking or writing?

Are you a poor speller who relies on spellcheck when writing?

Do you occasionally use capital letters in the wrong places?

Ever overreact when making mistakes or develop extreme work habits?

Is there a discrepancy between your writing and what you know or do?

Rely on others for correspondence in meetings to avoid frustration?

Are you ever overwhelmed by paperwork or sequential processes?

Struggle staying on task or estimating how long a job will take?

Has your lack of confidence resulted in being overlooked for a promotion?

If you have at least 5 or more of these characteristics, you might have dyslexia.

Looking for an ADHD assessment in Australia? If so, contact Educational Assessments. We carry out cognitive assessments across Australia. These can help isolate and determine whether you or your loved one are struggling with something in particular. Our team also offer home visits to assess your needs in an environment you’re comfortable in.

Myths about ADHD that can be dispelled by an ADHD assessment

There are several myths about ADHD, and you might see some of these in the media or have heard them spread at the playground gate.

Often, people think that children with ADHD are naughty

Now, that’s because they don’t understand what ADHD is and how it happens.

However, they’re also just making a general comment about children’s behaviour. With this in mind, a majority of parents tend to feel that other people think THEY have CAUSED the ADHD symptoms in their child. Yet, what you’ll learn is that – although poor parenting CAN make ADHD symptoms worse – even the best parenting WON’T get rid of all the symptoms.

Does ADHD disappear as the child grows up?

Hyperactivity MIGHT be replaced by an internal restlessness.

ADHD is a LIFELONG diagnosis that can become more apparent at different periods of a person’s life. The support of a structured environment – like a classroom – can mean that symptoms are less obvious in school. This is because the child is actively engaged all day long doing their work and getting on with their school tasks. Put simply – they’re kept BUSY, and often children with ADHD are great at keeping busy and being busy. You see, problems occur more often when they’re LESS busy, with less structure. So playtime may be more difficult, but the classroom might be okay with a clear system for behaviour and encouraging good work from children.

People might think that young children DON'T have ADHD . . .

However, research indicates that ADHD symptoms DEVELOP as the child grows.

Signs of ADHD are LESS obvious when the child is little – but do exist. For example, what you might see as a version of the Terrible Twos might continue for MUCH longer than expected. The child might experience some difficulties playing or engaging in activities, which means they have to stay in one place. Therefore, when they’re little, they may just be considered an active child. Yet, it’s not until they go to school that people realise that their activity level is an issue in the classroom.

People might think that children with ADHD are NOT clever

That they will ALWAYS have learning difficulties.

There are many children with ADHD who don’t have any other problems – they only have ADHD. However, ADHD symptoms WILL affect the way they engage with school and the work achieved in the classroom. With this in mind, they may achieve less because of their ADHD but not because they’re inherently any less clever than everybody else.

The media can be scary for someone with ADHD

One need only look at their stance on the prison population.

For example, the media might talk about the prison population, “Have you seen the number of inmates with ADHD?!” Now, that may be true. Plenty of those people won’t have been diagnosed with ADHD at the right point in their lives – which means they have lived their life WITHOUT the right kind of SUPPORT. Otherwise, they’ll have had an upbringing fraught with difficulties – and that’s the route to prison rather than ADHD. Conversely, people can sometimes think that medication is the ONLY treatment as this is something the media likes to hype up. Bitter headlines like, “How many of our children are on medication?” In actual fact, only a minority will need to take medication, and they may not be on medication for their whole lifetime.

Teachers at the moment are NOT always trained in ADHD

Nor do they know the specifics of the strategies needed to manage a child.

So, when you’re talking with your school, it’d be worth asking your teachers what training they’ve had on ADHD. Their basic teacher training may NOT have included much about ADHD at all. If ADHD was included, sometimes people feel that a “Special School” is the only environment that can support a child with ADHD. That ISN’T the case. The vast majority of children with ADHD go into mainstream school. They’re educated in ordinary classrooms alongside everybody else, and that is much better for them – if they can manage that.

More and more people with ADHD crop up in unemployment reports

It can seem as though having ADHD leads to unemployment.

What ADHD does is causes difficulties in finding work for some people. Yet, it depends on the job that the person chooses. If they can find a role that means they can be very active – they’re likely to do a LOT better. If they don’t have academic skills or are unable to learn about strategies themselves, they may have MORE difficulty at work. Rather than being unemployed, people with ADHD may be underemployed BECAUSE of their ability. So they’ll take a job which suits their need for activity. Yet, they’re intellectually capable of doing something MORE. This links to our next point about university.

People with ADHD can go to university

That’s right. Just like any other student.

Better still, they can access support to ENSURE the university experience works for them. Without support, they may find organising work and getting essays in on time difficult. Not to mention following through with all the career paths that become available options after that! Fortunately, support is provided to put them on an equal footing with other students.

ADHD comes with THREE main difficulties

Restlessness

Inattention

Impulsivity

An ADHD assessment and the subsequent diagnosis of ADHD focus on three main problem areas. The first one is being restless, and parents often describe that as being constantly on the go. The second is inattention, and the third is impulsivity. The latter means acting before you’ve thought something out and decided whether it’s sensible.

Restlessness

Restlessness can often be more obvious in boys than girls.

Strictly speaking, restlessness can be both internal AND exhibited. Therefore, an inability to REMAIN thinking about a topic when physically on the go. When it comes to the physical side of things, ADHD patients might be inclined to fidget or get up out of their seats at inconvenient times. This might be when they are at the cinema or watching TV at home, or in the classroom and fiddling with objects.

Speaking of which, fiddling is used by people with ADHD to HELP them pay attention.

Alongside this, you have those who talk too much. This could either be too quickly or just having TOO much to say, which can prove difficult should they be waiting for a theatre performance to start. They also might find it hard to keep quiet. So being at a funeral or a wedding, they might find it hard to keep quiet. They might not recognise that EVERYBODY around them is making a BIG effort to keep quiet and that they need to follow suit. The same can be applied to standing in queues. More often than not, people in queues tend to be pretty quiet. So, if you’ve got a problem standing still you’re more likely to need to do something and it may be that talking CONSTANTLY is your only option.

Some young people with ADHD might resort to eating all the time as a way of keeping their hands occupied.

So, in order to keep their concentration on their games console, they might find they need to eat at the same time. Obviously, this can lead to children and young people becoming overweight. In the past, people used to think that children with ADHD were always going to be slim. Yet as children have played inside more and more and are sitting down to play, they’re getting less exercise so their weight might be piling on.

Inattention

Inattention means not paying attention.

Well, it doesn’t necessarily mean NOT paying attention. You might have a child who is REALLY not listening to you – or you may have a child who is LOOKING like they’re not listening to you. Yet, just because they’re not focusing on your face, it doesn’t mean they CAN’T hear what you’re saying. Likewise, they may not be hearing what’s unfolding because they’re so busy TRYING to keep their attention on a task UNTIL said task is fulfilled.

Inattention can happen even if it's something they find interesting . . .

They’re likely to LOSE concentration or have to make MORE effort to maintain it – which is tiring – so they tend to make careless mistakes. It might be things like schoolwork or even when you ask them to go and get something for you. They only remember PART of what you’ve said, so things that might seem obvious are forgotten. For example, for them to remember, they’ve got to keep it in their head – so they have to focus on holding that info nugget up in there. Yet, to do this, they keep replaying it in their head. This can be so far as they’re walking or going upstairs to go and get the things you’ve asked them to fetch.

Children with ADHD are VERY prone to forgetting parts of instructions.

With this in mind, it’s very much worth learning to have a routine to pack bags or prepare for activities. Children who don’t have a set routine might not complete tasks. They may get SO distracted that they CAN’T get themselves back on track because they can’t work out where they were in the midst of a task. So, instead of continuing, they might start all over again. However, if you keep on starting over, you’ll never get to the end.

Typically, those with ADHD are easily distracted.

This can be due to noises, such as people nearby, things going on, or something happening outside the window. Yet, it can also be from the very thoughts harbouring inside their head. Let’s say something happens during the day that is an important event and something they need to think about and process. That might be very distracting during the day, and they may not be able to attend to the tasks they need to. Such a thing can be a particular issue in school. There could have been an unusual event, like a fire alarm going off in the morning. Such stimulus could cause a child to remain unsettled well into the afternoon. The event has ignited a spark in their noggin that has made it difficult for them to think about what that alarm might mean for them:

 

? | What should they do next time?
? | They need to follow fire drill instructions
? | Okay, so did they do it right?
? | Oh god, what if they didn’t do it right?
? | And so on, and so on . . .

Children with ADHD are prone to losing equipment.

This might be their coats, their shoes – maybe even one shoe. Things that other people would make a point of keeping safe and organised are FIGURATIVELY thrown out the window and very easily mislaid. If they don’t have a list of what to compare their belongings with – and what should be in their bag – then it’s very likely they won’t be able to remember the list. Therefore, they will just stuff ALL OF THE THINGS back in and THINK they’ve gotten everything. One of the most common complaints from parents is the number of school jumpers they have had to buy – or shirts, or even underwear! You might think it’d be quite hard to lose your underwear, but some kids manage to do it. They might go swimming and misremember where they’ve put the pants and then – briiing briiing – the bell rings, and it’s time to go – so they quickly pull up their trousers and – well – go. You might wonder how they managed to NOT know where their pants last were, but it can (and does) happen.

Impulsivity

Impulsivity is where you act before thought – or on impulse.

This is apparent in situations like waiting for their turn in a queue. Let’s say you’re at the zoo – it’s taking you AGES to reach the front – how do you manage yourself during that time? It can take a tremendous amount of concentration to do nothing. In this regard, children with ADHD are often much better at games with quick turns – like Snap or Jenga – than they are with things like Monopoly. This is because waiting too long makes them feel agitated and frustrated.

They might find it hard to keep quiet during conversations.

They might talk over people and interrupt the flow of the conversation. Often, they will say, “I NEED to tell you something because I’ll forget otherwise”, and so their nugget of info may be connected – but not obviously related – to what was said. This can be indicative of autism, yet those things aren’t necessarily autistic things. Therefore, it can be quite hard when you’re looking at the social interaction of children with ADHD and the way they relate to people.

ADHD and autism may have some similarities.

Each certainly has a LOT of difficulty with controlling themselves in terms of safety, for example:

 

? | Being able to ride a bike or scooter safely
? | Crossing the road whilst holding their parent’s hand
? | Being able to remain close by in a shopping centre

 

Deviations of these things would be counted under dangerous behaviour, and – as they get older – they may make some risky choices. They may run into the road thinking they’re going to be able to cross – only to get knocked down. They might ride their bike across a bumpy piece of ground – not thinking for a minute that they might fall off.

They're not so good at evaluating risk, and that applies to people as well.

They may not be good at working out which people make good friends and ensure that those people will not lead them astray. Often, the other children who are attracted to children with ADHD are those who like a good laugh. It may be that the child with ADHD is the fun guy and always the one who’s selected to play the prank or do the thing. Yet, as they’re not so socially skilled, they are perhaps more likely to get caught.

Being able to control your emotions requires your thinking skills to be working really well. Often in ADHD, this alone is a BIG effort to keep going. Individuals might get irritated and annoyed – but also silly and excitable – so emotional control can be a big issue.

 

Likewise, coordination can be an issue. They might not be able to tie their laces, put their clothes on easily and quickly or engage in other ordinary, everyday skills. When applied to things like riding a bike, this increases the risk of an accident. So, if you’re miss coordinated, but you need to put your brakes on FAST, that can be quite hard.

Autism is also associated with ADHD. Children with autism are also more likely to possess ADHD symptoms and vice versa. Yet, sometimes it may be related, and there might not be enough clarity to make a separate diagnosis. Therefore, children with ADHD may have some social communication difficulties but not of the nature seen in autism.

 

Sleep is a common issue. Parents often talk about children with difficulties settling and relaxing into sleep. Worse still, they tend to get up VERY early in the morning and don’t seem to need as much sleep as the rest of the family. This can be disruptive to family life, so the key is to teach your child how to quietly occupy themselves with things that WON’T make them stay awake. Keeping off computer screens and TVs is essential, but having something to do is suitable. This could be reading books, playing very quietly in bed or even drawing. It’s a toughie because if parents don’t get enough sleep, it increases their stress. Which leads us to . . .

Low self-esteem can be a consequence of all the difficulties discussed above. If you often get in trouble and have your behaviour corrected a lot, it can lead to you feeling you must be a bad kind of person . . . Improving your child’s self-esteem is the one BIG THING any parent should strive to achieve with their child. Yet, there are behaviour problems with ADHD, and that’s how children are diagnosed. Unfortunately, children aren’t usually seen if all they have is this attention problems side. Therefore, once their behaviour causes worry for others, they’ll be referred. Such behaviour problems can be varied, but often include:

 

? | Not doing as they’re told
? | Being disruptive in lessons
? | Repeatedly being told the same things

 

If defied, people will begin to think they’re deliberately going against the norm; rather than find it difficult to do what they should do. ADHD is common in children with learning difficulties, such as dyslexia.

What affects ADHD symptoms?

Everything from feeling cooped up to dealing with deadlines.

There are some things that can make symptoms of ADHD worse, and generally, that’s ANYTHING that increases stress. These may be different things for different children, but these are some common ones.

1. Being cooped up indoors all day is not ideal for those with ADHD

Children with ADHD are often much better off if they can have REGULAR time outside. Somewhere they can run around and burn off some energy and feel more settled. Once they return inside, they probably have some difficulty doing many tasks at a time. So it’s much better to give them instructions one at a time. Otherwise, things will be missed or forgotten. Why is this?

2. Sudden deadlines are a DEFINITE stress inducer (for everyone)

If someone suddenly said, ‘We need you to do this now.’ Young people with ADHD will often take a while to process what that really means for them. You might have better results if you say, ‘Right, we’re going out, and we’re going in 10 minutes.’ Better still, SUPPLY them with a plan on how to achieve that. If you say, ‘Right, we’re off in 10 minutes; get ready and let’s go,’ they’re likely to feel panicked. They might clap back and refuse. This might be because they’re busy doing something else and are unsure how to end that and start the next thing.

3. Another stress inducer for ADHD is criticism

People can understandably become irritated by the kind of things that a child with ADHD is doing, for example, disobeying a parent or putting a sibling in harm’s way. However, these aren’t typically things within their control either. In fact, most are really difficult for them TO CONTROL. Therefore, telling them off for getting annoyed and expecting that to mean that they will do better doesn’t really work. If anything, it can exacerbate matters.

4. Boredom can be a bothersome issue

Not having anything to do will probably increase the fidgetiness and agitation aspect of ADHD. As such, you may need to provide them with something to keep them occupied for a longer period than you would most children. Whenever attending appointments, we suggest bringing stuff for the child to do in the waiting room. If you’re going on a train journey, ensure they’re occupied during the journey. If you’re going in the car on a trip, ensure that you’ve got a number of things that they can do so they don’t get bored and therefore stressed.

5. Giving too many instructions at a time can be a problem

The working memory problem of ADHD is not just being able to remember what you’re told to do. It’s also being able to HOLD the order in your head whilst getting on with walking or something else that might be considered simple to achieve. Something so *simple* can be an absolute stressor. Therefore, it’s VITAL you keep your instructions short and sweet and don’t give too many at a time.

6. Harsh discipline can work to your disadvantage

Contrary to popular belief, harsh discipline is unlikely to lead to the child being able to control themselves. The reason for this, is that it will INCREASE stress; as such, the effect of harsh discipline is likely to be WORSE rather than better. The parent or teacher may intend that by having a good telling off, the child will learn to avoid that situation in the future – it may do the opposite. Instead, it may increase stress, and therefore their symptoms of ADHD will become more difficult to control.

Possible ongoing issues of ADHD

Whether practical, emotional or social – there’s a lot to take in.

Practical problems

There are some ongoing issues that may affect somebody with ADHD across their lifetime. These might be some practical things, such as being able to get things done on time, like . . .

 

? | Paying bills
? | Applying for a job
? | Filling out all the forms
? | Making appointments, e.g. their GP

 

These require you to keep your attention sharp and complete a task. Therefore, all the above are considered a difficulty by those with ADHD.

Emotional Problems

Another issue is emotional problems. People with ADHD get stressed, can feel very anxious or have a low mood or depression. Dealing with ADHD for some can be an extremely difficult and take a tremendous amount of energy. So, when other things come along which make them MORE anxious or miserable, it can have a devastating effect.

Another issue over their lifetime is the ability to MANAGE everyday stressors, such as . . .

 

? | Making holiday arrangements
? | Generally dealing with children
? | Deviating from their typical routine

ADHD in the Workplace

All these sorts of things can be very stressful for somebody with ADHD. They might also find it harder to hold down a training placement or a job or a course. To do that, they’ve got to be able to keep up with the work. To function with society, we as a people are required to get everything done at the right times and in the correct way. Yet, when supported with their ADHD symptoms, things can become a WHOLE LOT easier for them. Therefore, it’s crucial they understand when applying for jobs, they need to think about what support may be available.

ADHD in Social Circumstances

Social relationships and friendships can be an issue. Some people with ADHD find it quite hard NOT to say things that come into their head, so they may offend people without necessarily intending to. They may find it more difficult to keep friends or keep hold of boyfriends or girlfriends. Plus, they may find it hard in a group of friends without either being too loud or behaving inappropriately from the norm. Due to this, they can find it harder to uphold relationships.

 

Some people can find that energy and vigour VERY attractive, which is neither a negative nor positive.

 

However, they may attract relationships with people looking for somebody they can manipulate. They might find them entertaining and may encourage them to perhaps act in a way that it might be a bit wiser not to. In this regard, adults with ADHD certainly have a HIGHER rate of ordinary accidents. If you look at bike riders or car drivers, they’re more likely to have incidents more frequently than your average person. This is due to impulsivity and attention requirements, and the ability to think of multiple things simultaneously.

ADHD and Organisation

Those with ADHD might also have difficulties in organising themselves for activities. They might end up missing things that they actually would enjoy just because they struggle to get themselves organised. They might have some difficulties with money and being able to plan, save and separate themselves from thinking of being only in the moment. They may jump to what they’d like to do with the money this weekend when they’ve just been paid.

 

They might also find it harder to find the right job for them. One that gives them enough time and space to be themselves, BUT also enables them to perform well.

 

Some are more vulnerable to getting into trouble. So, in a crowd, they become the person who will always do the daring thing. Yet, as they didn’t see trouble coming, they could accidentally get into trouble without intending to end up in trouble. This can be with teachers or the police or anything like that – all because they didn’t realise any potential consequences.

 

The same applies to looking after their health and well-being.

 

They are not so good at making appointments to see the doctors or keeping them and then getting to treatment appointments. So in terms of health outcomes, people with ADHD show worse outcomes, as they’re not so good at getting regularly checked. Therefore, if they also have some additional health problems, that’s an added problem. Plus, the systems in place in this country mean you have to sit and wait for your appointment – and must wait quietly. Quite often, there isn’t anything to do; other than maybe read a paper? This is understandably quite a terse situation for somebody with ADHD to wait in for an indefinite amount of time. Due to this, they may feel irritated, and then if somebody speaks in the wrong kind of way or isn’t very helpful about it, they may come across as very rude.

Looking for an ADHD assessment? Get in contact!

We test children, adolescents, adults, and we can test YOU . . .

At Educational Assessments, our psychologists carry out full cognitive assessments. These provide essential learning and performance data to bolster support for individuals. If you believe that you or a loved one is struggling, get in touch. We have extensive coverage in Australia. Our team of expert consultants conduct home visits to assess you or your child and evaluate the patient’s learning needs to succeed.

We evaluate an extensive range of learning, social and emotional issues. The knowledge gleaned from our assessments and subsequent report permit you to make informed choices. So, if you want to find the best way forwards that’s suited to you or your child’s learning needs, then this is the answer.

 

Looking for an ADHD assessment? We offer clear, jargon-free advice, consistent personal support and offer valuable expertise. So, if you need advice, don’t delay. Simply get in touch today.

We can test if you or your child has:

Dyslexia

ADHD/ADD

Autism

Learning Disorders

Emotional and Behavioural Disorders

And more