Testing & Assessment Services

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) cannot be diagnosed with a blood test or an X-ray, rather a psychologist uses various assessment processes to diagnose ADHD. At Heritage, our ADHD assessment is available for children as young as six (6) years old, adolescents and adults.

Common symptoms of ADHD may include:

• Excessive activity/ restlessness

• Poor time management

• Fails to finish tasks/ trouble multitasking 

• Short attention span

• Mood swings

• Impulsiveness

• Often loses track of important items 

• Low frustration tolerance

• Forgetfulness

How are you tested for ADHD? 

The testing instruments we use at Heritage consist of both subjective and objective measures of attention and concentration.

• The Conners 3 ADHD Rating Scales are subjective questionnaires that are filled out by the client in question, their parents/observers, and also their teachers. The subjective questionnaires give a well rounded look at the issues in question from multiple contexts in the client’s life (self, home, school, social). 

• The objective based testing comes from the CNS Vital signs, a computerized testing resource that offers additional information into the neurological underpinnings of the clients symptoms. The CNS Vital Signs measures key domains that comprise the majority of ADHD symptomatology including: Simple Attention, Complex Attention, Processing Speed, Executive Functioning, and Cognitive Flexibility. The scores from the CNS Vital Signs matched with subjective reports from those closest to the client give a clear picture of any deficits that may be present.

• The psychologist will then generate a report to review with the parents and/or client during the feedback session and hold a one hour feedback session that will cover results as well as clinical and academic recommendations. Parent(s) and/or clients as well as the referring physician will receive a copy of the report. 

• The ADHD assessment takes 1.5 hours to administer the assessment and interview the client. The client will receive 2 additional questionnaires to be completed by 2 other individuals in their life (self, home, work, school, social, etc.). Once the questionnaires are completed, the feedback session will be scheduled. 

• *Please note it takes the psychologist 2 weeks to complete the report.

What should I expect during the assessment for my child?

• In the first hour, the parent and child will each be given a form to fill out that pertains to the child’s focus, impulse control, social skills, time management and energy level. The therapist will gather information from the parents and the child individually to gain a better understanding of the child’s functioning. Then the child completes the objective portion with CNS Vital signs.The parent can wait in the waiting room while the child completes the objective portion or is free to leave and pick up the child at the end of the appointment. The parent will be given a separate form to take to the child’s homeroom teacher to fill out and send directly back to the therapist. 

• During the second visit the parents will meet with the therapist to go over the results and get feedback and recommendations pertaining to the child and the results of the assessment.