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THREAD:
Hey kids, looking for an ADHD diagnosis but don’t know where to begin? Wondering if you have ADHD, but can’t tell if vague words like hyperactive, inattentive and poor impulse control apply to you?
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Hey kids, looking for an ADHD diagnosis but don’t know where to begin? Wondering if you have ADHD, but can’t tell if vague words like hyperactive, inattentive and poor impulse control apply to you?
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Well look no further, here are my tips for seeking diagnosis, and some possible guiding questions that you might find helpful to answer when you’re preparing for it.
Before diagnosis:
Prepare a list of suspected traits, ideally going back to childhood.
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Before diagnosis:
Prepare a list of suspected traits, ideally going back to childhood.
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To begin, I prefer to throw the words “hyperactive, inattentive and poor impulse control” out the window. Instead, I prefer to talk about
1) energy management
2) executive dysfunction
3) poor working memory
4) time blindness
5) interest driven attention
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1) energy management
2) executive dysfunction
3) poor working memory
4) time blindness
5) interest driven attention
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Definitions:
ENERGY MANAGEMENT: needing constant physical/mental stimulation, which can lead to burnout or low energy without it.
EXECUTIVE DYSFUNCTION: trouble completing tasks, getting started, getting organised or prioritising.
WORKING MEMORY: poor short term memory
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ENERGY MANAGEMENT: needing constant physical/mental stimulation, which can lead to burnout or low energy without it.
EXECUTIVE DYSFUNCTION: trouble completing tasks, getting started, getting organised or prioritising.
WORKING MEMORY: poor short term memory
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TIME BLINDNESS: inability to keep track of, or anticipate time
INTEREST DRIVEN ATTENTION: hyperfocused when interested/motivated, inattentive when bored or unmotivated
The following questions are meant to help come you consider examples of these, not serve as a diagnosis.
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INTEREST DRIVEN ATTENTION: hyperfocused when interested/motivated, inattentive when bored or unmotivated
The following questions are meant to help come you consider examples of these, not serve as a diagnosis.
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1) ENERGY MANAGEMENT
Do you speak, write, or move faster than you think?
Do you constantly shake your leg or fidget with your hands?
Do you have trouble falling asleep because your mind becomes more hyperactive at night?
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Do you speak, write, or move faster than you think?
Do you constantly shake your leg or fidget with your hands?
Do you have trouble falling asleep because your mind becomes more hyperactive at night?
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Do you take part in multiple recreational activities are physical/strenuous?
Would you describe your inner monologue as constant and/or rapid?
Do you often feel restless and feel the need to get up if you’ve been sitting too long?
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Would you describe your inner monologue as constant and/or rapid?
Do you often feel restless and feel the need to get up if you’ve been sitting too long?
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Do you find that you can come up with many ideas rapidly?
Does moving around a lot help you think more clearly?
Do you get impatient waiting in queues?
Do you feel that you’d rather walk than wait for a bus/train/car?
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Does moving around a lot help you think more clearly?
Do you get impatient waiting in queues?
Do you feel that you’d rather walk than wait for a bus/train/car?
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Do you find that you are extremely high on energy one moment then exhausted the next?
Do you find that you have persistently low energy for certain periods?
(note: this can be physical/mental energy,
extreme highs or lows)
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Do you find that you have persistently low energy for certain periods?
(note: this can be physical/mental energy,
extreme highs or lows)
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2) EXECUTIVE DYSFUNCTION (trouble starting/stopping tasks)
Do you have to work up willpower to do everyday tasks, like eating, showering or going to the toilet?
Do you snack compulsively or shop impulsively?
Do you have trouble planning or prioritising tasks?
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Do you have to work up willpower to do everyday tasks, like eating, showering or going to the toilet?
Do you snack compulsively or shop impulsively?
Do you have trouble planning or prioritising tasks?
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Do you struggle with keeping your room clean?
Do you find that you have to react to things in your environment (or online) when they catch your attention?
Do you lose interests in tasks and leave them unfinished?
Do you leave things until the last minute to do?
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Do you find that you have to react to things in your environment (or online) when they catch your attention?
Do you lose interests in tasks and leave them unfinished?
Do you leave things until the last minute to do?
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Do you find that you sometimes want to engage in your hobbies or activities you are interested in but can’t work up the motivation that day?
Do you have trouble stopping yourself from saying whatever is in your head?
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Do you have trouble stopping yourself from saying whatever is in your head?
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Do you have trouble stopping yourself from engaging in activities you find stimulating but you know are either bad for you or engage in them excessively?
Do you struggle to manage your emotions?
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Do you struggle to manage your emotions?
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3) WORKING MEMORY
Do you frequently lose things or have to check to make sure?
Do you need to have all your belongings/possessions laid out visibly so you can see them?
Do you forget where things are if they are hidden?
Do you often forget what you are saying mid-sentence?
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Do you frequently lose things or have to check to make sure?
Do you need to have all your belongings/possessions laid out visibly so you can see them?
Do you forget where things are if they are hidden?
Do you often forget what you are saying mid-sentence?
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Do you often walk into a room and forget what you were doing there?
Do you start a task, forget about it and wander off to do something else?
Do you have to check and recheck instructions because you keep forgetting what they were?
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Do you start a task, forget about it and wander off to do something else?
Do you have to check and recheck instructions because you keep forgetting what they were?
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Do you forget people’s names, or the words that you are looking for?
Do you occasionally do things on auto-pilot and make mistakes because you were supposed to do something different? (e.g. travelling to a place or cooking etc.)
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Do you occasionally do things on auto-pilot and make mistakes because you were supposed to do something different? (e.g. travelling to a place or cooking etc.)
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Do you frequently forget to do your homework, or tasks that you were supposed to complete?
Do you find that you can easily lose your train of thought and that your ideas tend to jump from one thing to another?
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Do you find that you can easily lose your train of thought and that your ideas tend to jump from one thing to another?
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4)TIME BLINDNESS
Do you easily lose track of time?
Do you have trouble estimating how much time a task will take?
Do you put aside an entire day to complete a five minute task, or try to complete a week of work in two hours?
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Do you easily lose track of time?
Do you have trouble estimating how much time a task will take?
Do you put aside an entire day to complete a five minute task, or try to complete a week of work in two hours?
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Do you have trouble remembering dates, including birthdays and other important events?
Are you frequently late because you had trouble estimating time needed to prepare, got sidetracked or have trouble getting started on leaving the house?
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Are you frequently late because you had trouble estimating time needed to prepare, got sidetracked or have trouble getting started on leaving the house?
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5) INTEREST DRIVEN ATTENTION
Do you only find it possible to pay attention to things are very stimulating or interesting?
Do you find that motivation and attention are all or nothing? You are either so interested you lose track of time, or cannot sustain interest for long.
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Do you only find it possible to pay attention to things are very stimulating or interesting?
Do you find that motivation and attention are all or nothing? You are either so interested you lose track of time, or cannot sustain interest for long.
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Are you motivated only by interest and anxiety (e.g. pressure from a deadline)?
Do you find it difficult to pay attention to what someone is saying if it is not interesting?
Do you find yourself paying more attention to what’s happening in the background?
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Do you find it difficult to pay attention to what someone is saying if it is not interesting?
Do you find yourself paying more attention to what’s happening in the background?
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Do you tend to daydream constantly if you’re not interested in what’s happening?
Do you read entire paragraphs without absorbing anything because you were not interested in the content?
Do you often have to reread sentences or what you wrote to check for errors?
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Do you read entire paragraphs without absorbing anything because you were not interested in the content?
Do you often have to reread sentences or what you wrote to check for errors?
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Do you make frequent spelling mistakes despite knowing how to spell the word?
Do you find that your academic results depended heavily on which subjects you were motivated for and/or interested in, rather than how much effort you put in?
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Do you find that your academic results depended heavily on which subjects you were motivated for and/or interested in, rather than how much effort you put in?
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Do you frequently make careless mistakes in examinations or your work?
Do you frequently rush through a task to get it over and done with?
In order to complete a boring task, do you find that you have to compensate with a stimulating activity, before or during the task?
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Do you frequently rush through a task to get it over and done with?
In order to complete a boring task, do you find that you have to compensate with a stimulating activity, before or during the task?
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Do you find that playing music or watching a show as you work helps you focus?
Do you find that the music/show can often end up distracting you from your work?
Does multi-tasking and jumping from task to task rapidly improve your chances of completing some of the tasks?
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Do you find that the music/show can often end up distracting you from your work?
Does multi-tasking and jumping from task to task rapidly improve your chances of completing some of the tasks?
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Do you sometimes fail to complete all of them?
Do you get so engaged in an activity that you forget to eat, use the toilet or to sleep?
Do you find it difficult to follow a prescribed schedule or lesson plan because you had to decide on what interested you most/least?
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Do you get so engaged in an activity that you forget to eat, use the toilet or to sleep?
Do you find it difficult to follow a prescribed schedule or lesson plan because you had to decide on what interested you most/least?
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Some final notes:
Uh "kids" in that first sentence was meant to be ironic. I forget my irony is lost on people sometimes.
These were the questions I found helpful to ask and answer during my diagnosis as I was compiling examples. Again, try to use examples from childhood.
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Uh "kids" in that first sentence was meant to be ironic. I forget my irony is lost on people sometimes.
These were the questions I found helpful to ask and answer during my diagnosis as I was compiling examples. Again, try to use examples from childhood.
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I think it's also worth saying that if you may use coping mechanisms for some of these issues, e.g. arriving too early because of time-blindness. We can use anxiety to overcompensate for deficits. If you're autistic, some traits might cancel out as well.
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I organised the traits this because I think hyperactivity, inattention etc are stigmatising and vague. I also think that executive dysfunction + working memory + stimulation seeking is a better explanation of most ADHD traits.
29/29 FIN
29/29 FIN
Also please note:
(I'm not a doctor)
(I'm not a doctor)
