Adult adhd assessment

Adult ADHD assessments occur for a variety of reasons. Sometimes college students are seeking accommodations and need an ADHD evaluation to determine if they are eligible for them. Other times adults may benefit from ADHD medications like Vyvanse but they are unsure if they qualify for an ADHD diagnosis. An ADHD evaluation will yield a definitive diagnosis and treatment recommendations. Dr. Tarescavage has published several peer-reviewed research articles on psychological assessments. 

Prior to your assessment with Dr. Tarescavage, you will complete a brief history questionnaire and psychological testing.  These will take about two hours. All of these questionnaires are completed at least 48 hours prior to the appointment. This testing generally includes the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3), a widely-used and well-validated psychological test. The NEO personality inventory is also administered to see how your personality might be causing some of your problems. This testing provides a comprehensive and objective foundation for a well-informed and impartial clinical interview. To get personalized results out of the evaluation, you will also provide up to three questions you want answered about yourself. These questions can be about anything related to your personality, cognitive ability, or mental health! 

The in-person component of the evaluation lasts approximately 2.5 hours. First, a cognitive testing battery is administered. This battery measures every major area of cognitive functioning, including IQ, memory, language, executive functioning, and most of all attention. Dr. Tarescavage will examine these test scores to see if your attention is a weakness to your other areas (in other words, to see if you have an attention deficit). A true diagnosis of ADHD cannot be made without this sort of cognitive testing, which is too commonly skipped in other psychological assessments!

Afterwards, Dr. Tarescavage begins the interview which is mostly focused on determining the root causes of the your problems and identifying the correct diagnosis, which may include ADHD plus additional mental health problems. Also, you may be suffering from mental health problems that mimic ADHD, such as anxiety disorders. Getting an accurate diagnosis here is very important because some treatments for ADHD can make other mental health problems worse if the person does not have ADHD. For example, those without ADHD who are prescribed stimulant medications for it will likely see an increase in anxiety (which will increase concentration issues!)

After the in-person evaluation is completed, Dr. Tarescavage will write a 5 to 8 page report detailing his findings and opinions. You will receive the report within five business days of the evaluation (assuming additional records do not need to be requested). The report is written so that you can share it with future treatment providers. This way you are placed on the correct medications and/or receive the correct counseling. 

One to two weeks after receiving the report, your will meet again with Dr. Tarescavage for a 15-30 minute (virtual) feedback session, where he will review the report, answer questions, and provide treatment recommendations.