ADHD in Adulthood

One 90 minute discussion can validate your ADHD concerns, provide a diagnosis, and give you specific recommendations

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a mental health condition that develops in childhood. It can include functional challenges with attention and/or functional challenges with hyperactivity (excess energy and impulsivity). The symptoms of ADHD are considered problematic when they directly affect education/employment, social life, relationships, and recreational activities.

All of us have symptoms of ADHD. It's only ADHD when those symptoms occur often and disrupt your function.

TLDR (Summary)

I am a clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist with expertise in ADHD diagnosis.
I offer a 90 minute discussion that will determine whether you have ADHD, and give you both specific tools and recommendations.
The goal is to provide you clarity and validate your concerns.
The visit ($400) includes our time together, expert recommendations, answers to your questions, and a copy of the diagnostic worksheets.
A detailed written report can also be created ($300).
This evaluation is eligible for reimbursement under your FSA or HSA and the bill can also be submitted to your medical insurance for out-of-network reimbursement.
If you simply want stimulants, you've come to the wrong place.

Why should I bother to get checked for ADHD?

You are concerned about getting too easily distracted
You are underperforming at school, at work, or at home
Your partner thinks you have ADHD, and they're not kidding
You procrastinate too much
You get sidetracked too much
You keep forgetting appointments
You forget to respond to your friend's texts
You finish people's sentences
You are way too impatient
People who know you complain about these problems

How is this different than doing a free online evaluation?

The biggest difference is that you are missing an expert opinion. No online tool can provide you that.
Many online tools use a bait-and-switch scheme. You answer many questions, but have to then pay for additional services.
Most of the people that I see find these online resources suggestive, but seldom convincing. They sometimes end up delaying to get help.

How do you diagnose ADHD?

First, we identify if you had symptoms of ADHD in childhood and have symptoms of ADHD now.
Second, we identify if those symptoms were affecting your function in childhood and are affecting your function now.
We look at education, work, social life, free time, relationships, and home life.
Third, we rule out other factors that could explain your symptoms.

If it's not ADHD, what is it?

Some inattention, but not clinically significant
Worry, anxiety, depression
Your personality, perfectionism
Specific learning problems
Normal aging

I thought ADHD is only diagnosed with cognitive and neuropsychological tests.

Cognitive testing is time consuming and expensive.
If you are going to pay for it, there should be a good reason.
A good reason would be that you need accommodations for the SAT, ACT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, Bar exam, or university.

Wouldn't it be easier to go to an MD? You don't prescribe stimulants.

Not everyone with ADHD wants to take stimulant medication.
If I recommend that you consider stimulant medication, I will explain why that might make sense for you.
Note that any physician can prescribe stimulant medications (Vyvance, Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta, etc.)

What are some recommendations that you might make?

Take more time than you usually do to take breaks and do the activities that you love to do. Many people I see tend to start doing tedious and unrewarding work when they are feeling tired and lousy.
Reduce the number of ADHD tools you use to a minimum. It's hard for anyone to juggle more than one calendar or more than one to-do list.
Build a short list of the three biggest distractors in your life and take steps to reduce their effect on you.

Are you going to try and upsell me something when I see you?

No. I've designed these evaluations to be short and sweet, to confirm whether you have ADHD and provide support and some recommendations.
My practice is not dependent on selling you additional services. I decided to offer these brief diagnostic visits because I enjoy doing them and most of the people that I see find them helpful.
Sometimes, I may recommend therapy, coaching or further assessment. Those recommendations always include my sharing the names of other colleagues and services that are not affiliated with my practice. It's up to you to decide whether and when to make use of those recommendations.

What do those computerized tests show?

Those tests measure your attention.
This can include sustained attention, distractibility, divided attention.
A diagnosis of ADHD is not simply due to impairment in the type of attention evaluated in computerized tests.

My ADHD Story

I Love ADHD.

Nope, I don't have ADHD. My wife and kids don't have ADHD, either. I'm not approaching this with lived experience.

Every week, I conduct over a dozen ADHD evaluations for a large healthcare system. I enjoy these visits a lot.

I see anyone who is at least 18 and is concerned that they have ADHD. They may be referred by their primary care doc, their therapist, or themselves.

Some of the people I see were diagnosed in childhood and want to know if their problems now are due to ADHD. Many others struggled in school and are trying to understand why they are having challenges now. Sometimes, the person picked a highly stimulating career, is forced into an administrative role, which is where symptoms first appear.

More than half the time, the person I see has a diagnosis of ADHD. Others are having challenges with focus, but the challenges are due to something else. That something else might be some real-world stresses, or due to anxiety or depression or sometimes PTSD.

Positive feedback from the many people I have evaluated convinced me to offer this service in my practice, too.