ADHD Testing (Conners Testing)
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What Is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders diagnosed in children. This mental health condition can affect a person’s attention span, behavior, and concentration.
It has been reported that 9.8% of children around the world are diagnosed with ADHD. This condition usually affects boys more than girls, with a percentage of 13% compared to only 6% for girls.
In most cases, children who are under the age of 12 are usually affected by the condition. Signs and symptoms are usually noticed when a child starts school.
Children with ADHD are usually characterized by being overly active, having trouble paying attention, and making impulsive decisions. We will be talking about the specific signs and symptoms of ADHD in the next section.
On the other hand, adults with ADHD are often diagnosed with the condition since childhood because this mental disorder tends to manifest its symptoms even in adulthood.
ADHD Symptoms
Before diagnosing ADHD, it is important to remember that symptoms may vary from child to child.
The following are the most common symptoms of ADHD:
Inattention:
- Short attention span
- Having difficulties listening to other people
- Gets easily distracted
- Forgetful
- Having difficulties in putting attention to details
- Poor organizational skills
- Below average study skills for his/her age
Hyperactivity:
- Needs to be constantly moving
- Difficulty to stay seated
- Constant fidgeting
- Excessive talking
- Poor concentration on tasks
Impulsivity:
- Usually interrupts other people
- Trouble waiting
- Acting according to impulse without thinking
- Makes careless mistakes
Different Types of ADHD
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are currently three types of ADHD. The diagnosis would depend on particular dominant characteristics a child may possess:
Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type
People with this type of ADHD are usually characterized by impulsive actions and hyperactivity. For younger kids, they may jump, climb, and run around constantly.
For older children and adults, you would notice that they may fidget every now and then, and would talk constantly.
Predominantly Inattentive Type
An individual may have difficulties paying attention to details and organizing their tasks. Additionally, people with this type of ADHD usually have issues following instructions, forget daily routines, and can get easily distracted.
Combination Type
Both symptoms of the two types of ADHD mentioned above can be equally present in a person.
Causes of ADHD
According to experts, the exact causes of ADHD are unknown, but current research shows that genetics play a significant role in being diagnosed with the condition. As of the moment, scientists are still looking for better ways of managing ADHD symptoms and preventive measures to lessen the chances of getting ADHD.
The following are possible risk factors and causes of ADHD:
- Genetics. Families with histories of ADHD can pass down the disorder to their children. About 25% of children diagnosed with ADHD usually have a family member diagnosed with the same condition.
- Poor nutrition. Malnutrition can also be one of the causes of ADHD. Infants who lack proper diets are usually diagnosed with ADHD.
- Brain Injury.
- Premature birth. Children who are born before the 37th week of pregnancy have higher chances of developing ADHD.
- Low Birthweight. Low birth weight is characterized by babies who are born weighing less than 5 pounds.
- Smoking and/or drug abuse during pregnancy. Pregnant moms who smoked cigarettes and used drugs possess heightened chances of their baby getting diagnosed with ADHD.
Conners Testing for ADHD
The Conners rating scale is the test we use in diagnosing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This is an ADHD rating scale that measures symptoms such as inattention and a lack of impulse control. The results from this ADHD testing can also be used to diagnose other attention-related neurological conditions that resemble ADHD.
What happens during an ADHD screening using Conners Test?
The Conners scale asks questions about behavior, schoolwork, and personal life. These answers will help your doctor determine if you or your child has ADHD symptoms and how severe they may be.
Aside from the Conners scale, our PNS providers follow the diagnostic and statistical manual from the American Psychiatric Association to accurately diagnose ADHD.
Additionally, this diagnostic tool is applicable to individuals aged 8 years and older. Conner’s Testing efficiently provides reliable data regarding the child’s performance ratings in certain attention tasks. Conner’s Testing can also be used to check signs and symptoms of other mental disorders such as dyslexia, aggression, or depression.
ADHD testing would only take 14 minutes to complete, and the computer would automatically generate the results to help assessors interpret the data and efficiently diagnose ADHD. The results are compared using updated normative data that consists of 1,400 cases from all over the United States of America.
The Conners ADHD rating system assesses symptoms like the following:
- Hyperactivity
- Difficulty in paying attention
- Relationship difficulties
- Emotional issues
- Eating and sleeping problems
- Impulsiveness
- Language or math problems
- Temper tantrums
- Compulsiveness
- Fears of being alone
There are two reports processed by Conner’s Testing:
- Assessment Reports: This report provides graphical and numerical data from the scores gathered from a single administration. The patient’s score is compared to the normative data that consists of 1,400 cases from the United States of America population.
- Progress reports: These reports provide information about the comparison between two to four test administrations for the same patient. The results from these reports can be used to identify changes in behavior to assess the effectiveness of treatment plans and interventions.
Benefits of Using Conner’s Test:
- Accurate Diagnosis: The results are compared from CPT normative samples collected based on the latest USA population census.
- Comprehensive Evaluation: The evaluation comes with an introduction to an auditory attention test.
- Easy Interpretation of Data: Reports based on T-scores would display easy-to-understand results with the following categories: very high, high, moderate, or minimal. Data also includes graphical and numerical data visuals, including summarized results.
- Enhanced Program Visuals: The program has less glaring and reflection on laptop and computer monitors for a more comfortable ADHD testing experience.
Contact Us
Please contact us with questions
or requests for an appointment.