Now that you’ve learned the basics of pursuing an evaluation for ADHD (in this post below), are you still wondering if it’s the right thing for you to do? Here’s a wise idea: Take a screening test — a set of preliminary questions that can say that yep, you’re a worthy candidate for a full professional evaluation.
Here is one of the best interactive guides I’ve seen, featuring well-known Canadian ADHD expert Umesh Jain MD, PhD, MEd., Just click on the image above, and you’ll be taken to The Virtual Doctor Interactive Test at the website for TotallyADD. Once you’ve finished the quiz, definitely take a look around the site. You don’t even need to have ADHD to appreciate the high-quality videos created by the team in charge, including two professional entertainers who are….TotallyADD.
From the Totally ADD website:
Our History
Totally ADD was founded in 2009 by Rick Green, Dr. Umesh Jain, and Ava Green, and is a division of Big Brain Productions, a privately-owned company based just west of Toronto, in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Canadian writer/director/actor Rick and video story editor Ava (no surprise they’re married!) created Big Brain Productions in 2008 and together produced the GlobalTV documentary ADD and Loving It?!, featuring Canadian actor Patrick McKenna. The film is an inventive and often hilarious look at adult ADHD – not a surprising approach considering Rick and Patrick worked together on one of Canada’s longest-running and most popular comedy television series, The Red Green Show. Both Rick and Patrick have been diagnosed with ADHD (Rick several years ago after his son was diagnosed, and Patrick in the course of making the documentary) and they share candid stories of life while untreated and undiagnosed, and how they’re successfully coping now.
As one expert points out in the documentary, ““No other diagnosis brings with it so much good news and possibility for treatment.” For his work as the film’s creator, writer, and director, Rick was honoured with the prestigious ‘Celebrity Changing Lives’ award from the CAMH Foundation.
The reason why people being successfully treated for ADHD are going to have false positives on the interactive test is because the instructions state, “If it HAS EVER happened click YES.” “If it HAS NEVER happened, click NO.” So, people who have ADHD and are being treating are going to test positive because they cannot honestly answer no, as before they were treated, the symptoms in the test applied to them, albeit a while ago.
I use a questionnare with gradients, “Not at all”, “Somewhat”, “Often”, “Always.” When I was started treatment I was given a tquestionnare that I answered every week for a while. It gave me a good idea of how I was I doing over time. Not like I couldn’t tell, myself, but it was interesting seeing improvement like that. I improved every week and after a month it was amazing. Now I take it every month. The questionnare I use is just to measure symptom severity and is not a screener or remotely dignostic.
Ah, I see, Lisa. Makes sense.
You mean you actually checked the rating scale every week? Wow! That’s what folks are supposed to do when they’re titrating medication in the beginning — and what I’m always nagging them to do — but few actually DO it! So, kudos! 🙂
The interactive test told me I have ADHD-combined type (which, for the record, is my diagnosis). I took another screener and tested no ADHD, which is what I’d expect because I’m taking medication and seeing a psychologist. I’m getting a handle on many of my issues…things are much better, so I’m not sure what’s up with that interactive test. There are no gradients. It’s either “yes” or “no.”
HI Lisa,
I’m not sure I understand your question. The interactive quiz with Dr. Jain correctly screened you for ADHD, indicating possible ADHD-combined-type. And that’s what you have been diagnosed as having, you say.
So, it seems to have been accurate, right?
But remember, it is a screening tool, not a diagnostic tool. It helps people who want a better idea if they might have ADHD so they can learn more about pursuing an evaluation. I wouldn’t expect it to work for someone who is already pursuing treatment. But yet, you said it did.
As for the other screener, there are many pseudo-screeners out there — not based on the research. And many are biased against detecting ADHD in women. So, it might not have screened accurately for you even before you pursued treatment.
Gina