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.