ADHD can often times share common traits with other disorders, including anxiety, depression, auditory processing disorders, or learning disorders. Additionally, it is highly comorbid with multiple conditions seen in children and adolescents, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tourette’s Syndrome, and prematurity. A comprehensive evaluation that examines an individual’s performance across different domains of attention and concentration can help to identify if there is a true issue with attention, or if another condition or factor is occurring. Rating scales and checklists can be helpful screeners or adjunctive sources of information for clinicians to diagnose ADHD but caution should be used in relying solely upon their use for diagnosis and treatment planning. As the only professionals who receive extensive training in psychological and cognitive testing, psychologists are in a unique position to provide a proper and thorough evaluation and ensure an accurate diagnosis.

We utilize TOVA as part of our ADHD evaluations, in addition to other common neuropsychological instruments and measures. Read more about TOVA here: https://www.tovatest.com/