💊 Adult ADHD Diagnostic Assessment Simulator

Adult Presents With Attention Complaints

Placeholder: patient describes chronic focus and organization difficulty.

• ~4.4%: Adult ADHD prevalence (placeholder US estimate)
• ~50%: Undiagnosed in childhood (placeholder figure)
• Focus: Common chief complaint (placeholder summary)
• History: First assessment step (placeholder note)

Presenting complaint intake

Placeholder text: brief intake of attention, focus, and organization symptoms in daily life.

Why adult presentation is tricky

Placeholder text: adult symptoms overlap with many other conditions and life stressors.

Childhood Symptom Onset Before Age 12

Placeholder: DSM-5 requires several symptoms present before age 12.

• Age 12: DSM-5 onset cutoff (placeholder criterion)
• 3 types: Evidence sources (school, parent, self-recall)
• Moderate: Retrospective recall bias (placeholder caveat)
• High: Undiagnosed-then rate (placeholder figure)

Gathering childhood evidence

Placeholder text: school report cards, teacher comments, and parent recollection reviewed.

Undiagnosed does not mean absent

Placeholder text: many adults were never evaluated as children despite clear symptoms.

Impairment Across Work, Home, Relationships

Placeholder: at least two settings must show meaningful impairment.

• ≥2 of 3: Settings required (placeholder criterion)
• Deadlines: Work impact examples (placeholder summary)
• Organization: Home impact examples (placeholder summary)
• Follow-through: Relationship impact (placeholder summary)

Scoring each life domain

Placeholder text: work performance, household organization, and relationships each scored.

Single-setting symptoms are not enough

Placeholder text: impairment confined to one setting suggests another explanation.

Screening Anxiety, Depression, Sleep, Substance Use

Placeholder: mimicking conditions must be ruled out or flagged as comorbid.

• 4 types: Common mimics (anxiety, depression, sleep, substance)
• High: Comorbidity rate (placeholder figure)
• Frequent: Sleep disorder overlap (placeholder note)
• 2: Screen outcome states (clear or flagged)

Ruling out mimicking conditions

Placeholder text: anxiety, mood, sleep, and substance causes systematically screened.

Comorbidity versus exclusion

Placeholder text: a flagged cause may coexist with ADHD rather than replace it.

Diagnosis Confirmed or Alternative Addressed

Placeholder: all three criteria must align for a confirmed diagnosis.

• 3 of 3: Criteria required (onset, impairment, clear screen)
• Green: Confirmed outcome color (placeholder legend)
• Red: Alternative outcome color (placeholder legend)
• Treat first: Next step if flagged (placeholder note)

Combining the three criteria

Placeholder text: childhood onset, cross-setting impairment, and clear screen combine.

When alternatives take priority

Placeholder text: unresolved comorbidity is addressed before confirming ADHD.

Placeholder highlight: comorbid conditions are treated or stabilized first.