I want get myself an official diagnosis on ADHD and an answer regarding whether I’m autistic.

Typically, a “10 minute test” takes me several hours. I spend a great deal of time contemplating the questions, filled with indecision. So I want to fill out the test before I even get to the psychologist’s office.

Which is why I plugged “official ADHD test” into a search engine, and got overwhelmed by the choices. And my main questions are:

  • do some websites offer a test they inaccurately describe as the official test? (If so, do those show up high on search results?)
  • do some websites offer the official test… and also augment the test with extra resources that help a cripplingly indecisive person answer more efficiently? (That would save me time.)
  • xkforce@lemmy.worldEnglish
    81·
    1 year ago

    I was officially diagnosed with ADHD three years ago.

    There is no one test to get diagnosed and you can’t self diagnose. Even your therapist can’t if they don’t have the training and experience to do so.

    ADHD diagnosis involves interviews with people that knew you when you were a child, any mental health professionals youve worked with and a series of tests measuring intelligence, executive function, self questionaires and how you interact with the tests and the people testing you. i.e that indecisiveness would be taken into account in a professional screening. You aren’t really being tested for ADHD or autism so much as trying to rule out alternative explanations.

    And its also why you shouln’t diagnose yourself with either of them despite what a lot of people think. Because sure it could be ADHD or autism but it could be a lot of other things that dont respond well to the same things that autism and ADHD do and you need people that actually know how to rule those things out or if it happens that you arent in the ADHD/autism tribes, figure out what tribe you actually belong to.

    • OwenEverbinde@lemmy.myserv.oneOPEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      that indecisiveness would be taken into account in a professional screening

      These words have been helpful to me. I kind of stopped worrying about it after reading this, and just started focusing on getting myself a referral and appointment. It’s ridiculously slow getting any kind of appointment through my healthcare provider (and I still haven’t seen them yet) but I appreciate not having to worry about “should I be preparing for this?” in the interim.

      • xkforce@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        I am glad that helped. But yes it also took quite a bit of time for my own assessment (months) just hang in there and hopefully youll get some answers and whatever support you need.

  • blackrox1411@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    1 year ago

    This is for autism While there isn’t am actual diagnosis test online, this is the one commonly used by psychologist as a prescreenimg tool in the diagnosising process https://embrace-autism.com/raads-r/ https://embrace-autism.com/autism-tests/ This site lists a bunch of them as autism can present differently in different people. It can be a very expensive (thousands of dollars) process to get officially diagnosed, this is why self diagnosis is pretty well acceptable in the community

  • lupie__blue@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    1 year ago

    I don’t think there is any one specific ADHD test. My testing process was 3 zoom appointments. An introduction/get to know you,why are you here appointment. The second one was testing. The third was the results of testing, explanations, an overall summary with recommendations and I was given the day when a written summary would be online in my psych records that I requested to be sent to my primary doctor.

    The testing sections were picked by the doctor. There were a few different tests. Some tested functional memory, some how your brain handles a complex thing, some were answering questions using a scale, some were true false. I had to draw an abstract picture after looking at it for a period of time. There were some odd questions too which the psych told me would possibly be in there. Those were there to see if you were reading and comprehending the test. They were obvious like Robert Thomas is your spouse. True or False. (I don’t know anyone named Robert Thomas and I don’t have a spouse.)

    My suggestion is to not worry about the test. You just answer questions the best you can. There isn’t a right or wrong answer. It just gives the psych some understanding of how your brain functions.

    I have no experience with testing for autism.