I (19) am really keen to know if the follow kind of test is a usal one from somone such as myself who was seeking diagnosis with symptoms I relate to ADD.

I am just not happy with the results in so many ways, (will explain this some other time but let me get this out before i forget!)


The test was performed between me and a neropsychologist, it involved...

- Discussing symptoms (lots of questions about if i was depressed?)
- Rearragning blocks with shapes on to match a give image (i was very bad at this)

- Looking at a sucession of faces, then looking again and seeing which ones i had "seen before" ( i did say how i was just guessing as i was so incapable at recognising them)

- word linking, word pairs being given then one out of each pair being said and i had to say which one it matched (was rather good at this)

- repeating a sucession of numbers, repeating them backwards

- getting told a story and having to desribe it back to the dr.

in the final report she concluded that I mentiond symptoms of ADHD, however remaind alert and not restless throughout the test.


I'm so not confident in the reusults or the test for that matter. I found it a bad envrioment to judge concerntration.

She did recognise that my poor memory and forgetfullness was down to not processing information at the "encoding" stage.

For me this only leave that i am having problems with the encoding stage most likley due to concertration (thinking about everything else but!)

Im considering a second opinion and was wondering what people think?

Cheers

I was tested probably 25 years ago, in Australia. What I do remember is:

Some type of brain scan thing where a rubber cap (like swimmers wear) with little holes that probes were put through. A little scratch was made on my scalp and some gel applied, for each probe. Once this was setup I was run through some tests like you described..... looking at pictures on a projector and do some type of memory tests...

It's all a bit vague, but I do remember the dried gel causing a dandruff like effect on the way home! :-D

I've done psychometric testing for jobs and completely stunned my bosses, especially at one place I'd already been working at for 11 months :-)

My diagnosis was simply me researching ADD, realizing it fit all the pieces of my life, talking for one hour to a therapist that was useless except for agreeing that I was right about having ADD, and then talking to my regular doctor.

My regular doctor prescribed Adderall and basically said, "if it's ADD, you'll feel great, if it's not, you'll be high".

*now, that's the very short version of actual events, but you get the idea, no formal testing."

[QUOTE=DeloresMelon]My regular doctor prescribed Adderall and basically said, "if it's ADD, you'll feel great, if it's not, you'll be high". [QUOTE]

I can just picture your regular doctor being like Dr Nick from the Simpsons :D


In Australia things are a bit stricter as far as I know, some testing is required.... I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong!

I'm in the US, and my diagnosis was much like Delores' in that I simply went through things with a psychiatrist who then concluded that I had ADD.

I didn't mention to him that I thought I had ADD in the beginning because I didn't want my thoughts to influence his diagnosis. He took me through a long series of questions and then we went through the DSM-V criterium just to verify his initial diagnosis.

I trusted him completely because he came VERY highly recommended from my therapist, who I have been seeing for three years.

All this testing stuff...is this more common outside of the US? It seems very strange to me. I feel that ADD can take on so many different forms depending on the individual that this sort of testing is a little too rigid for making a proper diagnosis. It sounds to me like cromwell's testing was almost completely based around inattentive ADD too, sort of ignoring the hyperactive and impulsive symptoms. You can be ADD without being inattentive. I'm sure I could have answered questions about that doc's story without a problem!

As for taking ADD meds and knowing you have ADD if you feel better and not just high...I'm not sure about that, either. I mean, meds affect people in all sorts of different ways. The first drug you try may not make you feel better at all, even if you do have ADD.

I was "diagnosed" when I was in kindergarten. I was on Ritalin for a few months before my mom took me off (she said it turned me into a zombie). Just recently I went through a lot of trouble to get some help. A few years ago I went through a few antidepressants, which did nothing for me. Then just a few months ago I was fed up and went back to the doctor to say something like "let's just assume it's ADHD and see where that takes us." I'm healthy in the physical sense so we all know it's mental. So then my doctor refered me to a psychiatrist. His "testing" lasted only a few minutes. All he did was ask me about my past, why I am seeing him, and what my life is like (what are my living conditions, how I do at work and school, etc). He obvserved me while I was talking and it didn't take him but just a few seconds to notice just how hyperactive I can get. I can be pretty relaxed but uneasy... but when I have the opportunity, I get VERY hyperactivive. My brain will try to speech words faster than my mouth can keep up with and I'll be looking around the room like I am watching out for ghosts or something (lol). My eyes dart all over the place. I couldn't keep eye contact with him.. at all. If I started losing track of my own thoughts (or forgot what I was even talking about), I had to look down at the floor to figure out how to proceed from there (this is because the floor is the least distractacting part of any room).

it seemed pretty obvious to the Dr. that I "have" something unlike most people. It's not an official diagnosis, but because we both note that the combinations of drugs he's prescribed me are helping me we aren't going to go through any sort of "official" testing unless needed.

And I don't remember if I ever mentioned to him about my impulive spending problems. I used to have a huge problem with overspending money and not saving. As soon as I was put on Concerta, my impulsive spending almost disappeared. On days that I don't take a dose (either because I forgot or because it's too late in the day) I get that feeling again that I need to spend money. In the last 2 or 3 days I haven't taken a dose, I easily spent a few hundred dollars on silly things that I didn't need to buy. I don't even remember what I bought :(

Hi Cromwell,

I can tell you that A PART of my diagnostic evaluation was very much like what you described. However - I had at LEAST four weekly 50-minute sessions with this particular psychologist also before receiving my diagnosis. Additionally, questionairres were sent out to people "who know me well" (for me that consisted of one of my employers, a best friend from high school, a sister and a parent) in order to gather more data about me. Plus - there was a questionairre that I had to fill out about myself.

I believe that I would NOT have received a positive ADHD diagnosis if I hadn't had the data reviewed in its entirety! Each portion (the "test" given to me by the doc in his office - like yours, AND the data gathered from the questionairres from people who know me well) did NOT STRONGLY indicate ADHD. However - taken all together with the addition of data received via our handful of sessions, my doctor (psychologist) did feel that an ADHD dx was appropriate.

What really intrigues me is how VARIED each of our responses are from those medical professionals with whom we first discuss our ADHD concerns. It took me much longer than I had hoped to get a dx AND treatment - a good TWO YEARS once I really gave it my most concerted effort. Then I read here that others have just walked in to see whatever medical professional they saw, said that they believe they have ADHD, and left that appt. with a rx for an ADHD medication.

(Also - many report being allowed the freedom to determine their own dose of medication, whereas it has taken me YEARS to get my psych to agree to increase my Adderall doseage to TWO 20mg IRs per day. And I don't dare leave to find another prescriber because it took several trials just to find any DOC willing to prescribe me a STIMULANT medication for ADHD!!!! FOR REAL!!! This may be because she also is an ADHDer - so she's a bit empathetic/sympathetic(??))

Sorry for that rant. But anyway - YES, Cromwell! There are others of us here whose journey to get effective ADHD treatment is a slowwwwww & difficult one. Hang in there!!!

Sincerely,
Sue

What really intrigues me is how VARIED each of our responses are from those medical professionals with whom we first discuss our ADHD concerns. It took me much longer than I had hoped to get a dx AND treatment - a good TWO YEARS once I really gave it my most concerted effort. Then I read here that others have just walked in to see whatever medical professional they saw, said that they believe they have ADHD, and left that appt. with a rx for an ADHD medication.

(Also - many report being allowed the freedom to determine their own dose of medication, whereas it has taken me YEARS to get my psych to agree to increase my Adderall doseage to TWO 20mg IRs per day. And I don't dare leave to find another prescriber because it took several trials just to find any DOC willing to prescribe me a STIMULANT medication for ADHD!!!! FOR REAL!!! This may be because she also is an ADHDer - so she's a bit empathetic/sympathetic(??))I hope you aren't mad at me http://addforums.com/forums/images/smilies/redface.gif

I failed to mention what else I have gone through in the past. My "journey" is a few years long, but that's because I would get frustrated enough that I didn't want to see a doctor again for a while (also because they were eating up my funds). Over a span of 3-4 years I have had blood tests, an MRI scan, and brainwave analysis. I never got the results back from the brainwave thing because I couldn't afford to go back to the doctor (neurologist) to discuss them. One day I am going to go back to see if he still has them. The neurologist offered me stimulants, but I turned them down because I had doubt they would work.

My GP doctor first assumed depression, then anxiety, then both at the same time. I was put on Paxil and then Effexor. He questioned my diet. He thought lack of exercise was the cause. I ate right and exercised for months and not a single thing changed. I got fed up and didn't see him again for a year or so.

When I came back in and said that I cannot stand feeling like (and looking like) an idiot when I know am not, he referred me to a psychiatrist.

Whether or not I actually do have ADHD, the meds I am on really help me. I also feel a great sigh of relief to feel like I fit in with a group of people that I can relate to on so many levels.

I decided to go see a therapist about adhd after it was recommeded by my normal care doctor. I sat with the therapist while he asked me some questions for about 40 minutes. The questions were basically along the lines of how I performed in school, what made me become off task, how long I could hold a task for, my anxiety, problems sleeping, and then he basically went through the list of symptoms asking if I felt like I had the problems. It was a lot more basic than what I had expected.

No executive function tests? (Tower of London test)
No headphones? (PASAT test; paced auditory serial addition test; usually ADDers have poor auditory memory/working memory ESP when you add the INTERFERENCE of adding digits one by one)
No 'connect the dots' pencil/paper tests? (Trails A and Trails B test) e.g. 1, a, 2, b, 3, c, 4, d

No executive function tests? (Tower of London test)
No headphones? (PASAT test; paced auditory serial addition test; usually ADDers have poor auditory memory/working memory ESP when you add the INTERFERENCE of adding digits one by one)
No 'connect the dots' pencil/paper tests? (Trails A and Trails B test) e.g. 1, a, 2, b, 3, c, 4, d


HOw does the Tower of London test work? I've not had much luck finding information online that would suit me. I was hoping to find a working example of the test but they want me to pay $200 for it.



And what's the "connect the dots" tests with Trail A and Trail B?

I told my doc I thought I had ADD. We started talking about the symptoms and something about my crinical story and then he told me I ended up talking about my aunt's cookies (which was totally true XD) and that my legs and shoulders, as well as my loud and loose mouth and my fast speaking are symptoms of my impulsive side. I told him about my problems about that and yep, I have it; then he started talking about...something... and then he told me even though I was looking at his face I wasn't there - "Am I right?" -"What did you say?", and then he LOL. He told me I smelled to ADHD from yards away. He found it interesting that it didn't give me problems until now, as well as how much I knew about the disorder when I went there (he told me he was pretty sure I read all that in a few "nights" lol, he was right).

Oh yeah, about physical studies I have some recient ones because I have an arachnoid cyst in the right side of my head so they weren't necessary. And he didn't made a memory test because I told him I suck, but the confirmed it when he asked me to take some paperwork for him and I forgot about it, as well as an appointment, etc. Hilarious.

Hi ... mine was similar to BethanyBez (http://member.php?u=15246)'. First hour: general history, family history.
Second hour: specific and quite in-depth towards ADD symptoms (now how exactly does it feel when you cannot concentrate on what the teacher writes on the blackboard) and talking about how I was in school (he asked me for 1 / 2 grade report card comments). Third hour: evaluating the ADD checklist that I had to fill in at home (plus anxiety / depression rating scales), some more ADD specific questions and then diagnosis.

From what I have read from - say - Ned Hallowell (Delivered from Distraction) all those neurological tests aren't really necessary at all to make the ADD (ADHD) diagnosis. In some cases they can help to determine areas that need attention i.e. learning problems .. I don't have a clue why they seem to be part of the normal ADD evaluation in so many cases.

My regular doctor prescribed Adderall and basically said, "if it's ADD, you'll feel great, if it's not, you'll be high". I find that a bit oversimpliefied as well.
For one thing, a lot or people would have a hard time distinguishing between high and great ... and a lot of ADD people initially feel a bit 'high' too when getting used to the meds, and not necessarily all that great right away. How you react to meds is very personal, and I find it even very depending on things like tiredness, what I am doing (sitting working on my computer, or walking downtown) etcetera.

It is often said that there is a difference in how add and non-add people react, but that that is more along the lines of that non-add people feel sort of "speedy" on ritalin or amphetamines, and we feel usually more calm - the opposite. And I can confirm that (well - half of it :) ).

Quote:
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="alt2" style="border: 1px inset ;"> Originally Posted by DeloresMelon
My regular doctor prescribed Adderall and basically said, "if it's ADD, you'll feel great, if it's not, you'll be high".
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
"I find that a bit oversimpliefied as well."

Mind you this was a conversation I had with my dr. about 4 months ago pre-ADD meds. She may in fact have said something with the word speed in it. She may have also stuck her finger in an electric socket in front of me and I'd likely forget 20 minutes after leaving the office.

But my "diagnosis" was simply this: I researched, realized, spoke to a therapist who did ask the typical ADD questions, "how were you as a child, in school, etc.". She agreed with me that I did exhibit traits associated with ADD.

I took that information to my regular doctor who upon hearing a brief synopsis of my research findings, agreed and said the best thing to do was try meds.

I honestly am saddened that so many people are left to suffer for such a long time, years even, while waiting for test results.

I honestly am saddened that so many people are left to suffer for such a long time, years even, while waiting for test results.Yes, I totally agree. That IS sad, even cruel.
Especially because a proper evaluation can usually be done in two weeks, heck, even in one day if no comorbidities or other factors complicate the picture.
And also becuase treatment often makes such a big difference.

My testing for ADHD involved a number of tests.
This was a formal evaluation so the testing was followed up with a written report and a diagnosis like this:

AXIS I 314.0 Attention-Defecit Hyperactivity Disorder- Combined Type
300.00 Anxiety Disorder - NOS
AXIS II No diagnosis
AXIS III Hyperacusis, tinnitis, absence seizure disorder by history
AXIS IV Psycosocial stressors - moderate
AXIS V Current GAF= 70

Here is the list of tests;

IQ testing (WAIS III)
grip strength tests
lateral dominance examination
head circumference measurement
grooved pegboard test (fine motor skill)
face recognition test
stroop color word test
paced auditory serial addition test
trail making a and b
Weschler Memory Scale
Wide range achievement test
Rey complex figure test
Judgement of line orientation
California verbal learning test
Category fluency
Controlled oral word association test
Current ADHD asymptoms self report
Childhood ADHD symptoms self report
Sentence completion test
Beck depression inventory
Beck anxiety inventory
an intrerview with the examiner


Me :D

On Ritalin at 7 years old. Off Ritalin because they weren't sure it was helping.

Psychologist performed extensive inventory--plus emperical observation in 1998. Diagnosed at 32. Back on Ritalin. Off Ritalin due to advice of sleep doctor (dumb move :mad::mad:). Back on this year after problems at job. My therapist marveled at the fact that I got a Master's degree--but understands that I have all the trouble in the world following instructions at times. :(

2nd Psychologist (who deals with workplace issues) observed me in Hawthorne-type experiment this past year. WAY over the top ADD at age 41. Taking Vyvanse and not looking back.

I did my first test today, which took about an hour. This is how it went:

1. Short term memory test: I had to read 5 words aloud, turn the page, make a simple calculation, turn the page again, and pick 3 words from the previous list that are in the new list of 5 words. I had to do this about 30 times, each time with different lists and calculations. It wasn't a disaster, but didn't go so well.

2. I got a page with hundreds of dots. There were three combinations: 3 dots (:., .:, etc), 4 (::, .:., etc) and 5 (::., :.:, etc). I had to go through the entire list and cross over each one with 4 dots. It was alright, but sometimes I drifted away and looked over them. I didn't cross one with 3 or 5 dots by mistake though.

3. She read aloud 15 words and I had to remember them. She did this 6 times and each time I had to say which ones I remembered. The first time I got 11 words, the 2nd-6th time I either got 14 or all of them. It was very easy, thanks to the simple words and my visual memory (I imagined a room containing all the objects/people).

3. I got a figure that I had to draw. While doing that I was observed how I did this. Basicly I drew the big lines first, and all the details last.

4. I got a page with names of colors I had to read, then a page with just the colours (no words), then a combination (for example the word "yellow" written in red and I had to read the colour instead of the word. This was the best one, I read them pretty fast without making a single mistake.

5. I was asked to draw the same figure again, but this time I couldn't look at it (so I had to remember it from last time). This went really good, all I forgot were 2 minor details.

That's it. It took about an hour total. Next month I have to fill in a personality test and do an IQ test, and the week afterwards she should be able to tell me wether I have ADD or not.

I had allot of issues I learn to crawl and walk at age 4 and at age 6 I learn to talk actuall words and then at age 6 I was all over the place I didn't focuss to nothing and mom took me to physcyotris and he did 2 hours having me in the room just talking with my parents and me and I did block tests diffrent tests and then they knew something is wrong and had to do a brain catscan in the M.R.I machine for other things they found I had adhd and learning disability and speach problems and motor skills with something else I forgot what else but I was taken of meds at age 17 cause it made me sick I went to physcotris and I have adult adhd still he says

@Stabby: no questions about your history? About similar problems in your family? No probing of your attention problems? She did not ask how you were as a child? Nothing of that?

@Stabby: no questions about your history? About similar problems in your family? No probing of your attention problems? She did not ask how you were as a child? Nothing of that?

Yeah, we discussed the symptoms and my history and such.

Anyway, when you look at how I did for those tests, do you think it might point to ADD? I did really great at the colors and the 15 words I had to remember. Wouldn't an ADD'er be bad at those?

Yeah, we discussed the symptoms and my history and such.

Anyway, when you look at how I did for those tests, do you think it might point to ADD? I did really great at the colors and the 15 words I had to remember. Wouldn't someone with ADD be bad at those?

Ah, ok :-)

About that test .. well, I wouldn't know because I did not do them.
I would guess that any test that challenges your working memory (like holding some info while having to do something else) would be really hard for someone with ADD .. like the first one you mention. But then again, i never know what to make of tests in general because there are so many factors involved .. like your IQ, whether you can hyperfocus on that given test ...

Thanks ;)

To everyone reading this thread: anyone have experience with any of those tests? Did you perform well? Like the test with 15 words. It doesn't involve working memory, so I figure it was necesarry to compare the result to the first test, which did involve working memory. Is that right?

Then the colours. Anyone played Brain Training? It had the exact same test, where you had to read the color of the word instead of the word itself. Was I supposed to perform bad on it if I had ADD?

edit: here's the color test, try it out:

http://www.pixalo.com/gallery/data/518/Color_chart.jpg

thx:)

edit2: apparantly it's called the Stroop-color-and-word test. It's a test for impulsivity, probably meant to make a distinction between the combined and inattentive type (since I'm not hyperactive).

In Australia things are a bit stricter as far as I know, some testing is required.... I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong!

Not for me. I spent maybe 10 - 15 minutes with a phychologist who asked me some standard questions about forgetfullness. He gave me a prescription for Dex. That was it. Niether he or my doctor told me anything about ADD. The Dex made me feel wierd for about 3 days, and after that it was like taking sugar pills. I don't know what to make of it. All i know is that when i read about ADD it sounds like me.
But i'm not going to suggest this is typical of testing in Australia - i'm pretty sure the phychologist was, in fact, an idiot. I don't know what other people's experiences have been.

mine was pretty much like Absane...I am sure he tried to confuse me...which he did :-)

Mine was a trial by fire. There wasn't any written test or stuff like that. After months of being on every medication known to man I came back saying it's not working. I read about add/adhd and described how I felt in relation to what I read. At first he was skeptical and was convinced that I was just purely OCD and that my desire to even look into add/adhd was classified as a simple "obsession".

When after a few more weeks he finally gave in and tried me on concerta. I think he was still very skeptical but wanted to figure out sooner than later which is why he put me on concerta me thinks.

When I came back the following week to tell him how I felt, I think he was a bit surprised and said "well, it actually sounds like you have adhd". It was that visit with him that things changed for the better - I could see the relief in his eyes knowing he now found out what medication I need to be on.

For months leading up to this I was put on almost every antidepressant he could think of, anti-psychotics and anti-anxiety medications. I was going loopy and only getting worse. I was lucky that he finally acquiesced (knowing we were coming to the end of the road medication wise) and struck gold.

i had to do alot of tests, but can't remember them all...i've got a huge packet with my test results in them...took a loooooong time (a whole day)!

there was a couple personality tests (MMPI, and some others not as long), IQ tests, something with headphones on the computer with numbers and stuff playing in my ears...i almost threw the computer mouse at the wall, ha! questionaires filled out by family, friends, and co-workers, blood tests, an MRI while being asked questions, and a long interview as well. i had to do the word repeat, drawing repeat to see how i process information, and...oh, i dunno. there were building blocks too...

my tests were pretty all encompassing...my doc said if we're gonna do it, let's do it right! apparently i have a learning disorder related to math (numbers, ugh!!) and general anxiety secondary to the ADHD. doc said that i basically did every test they have...if i had anything else (bipolar, borderline, depression, schizophrenia, etc.), it would have shown up.

so, if anything, i'm very confident that i've gotten the right diagnosis, hehe!

if it's ADD, you'll feel great, if it's not, you'll be high

Do non-ADHD people actually get "high" just from orally taking one 10mg tablet of Ritalin? I just can't see it, I've never experienced anything NEAR a high.... I've had my mood uplifted slightly, which is expected with anyone, but not any euphoria... I'm really skeptical...

Do non-ADHD people actually get "high" just from orally taking one 10mg tablet of Ritalin? I just can't see it, I've never experienced anything NEAR a high.... I've had my mood uplifted slightly, which is expected with anyone, but not any euphoria... I'm really skeptical...

Both ADD and non-ADD people can get a high from 10mg Ritalin. Slight euphoria and constantly talking point to that effect.