ATTENTION-DEFICIT/
HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD)
Dr. Christine Schuster, Psy.D. is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in Roseville, MN, providing psychological and educational testing for children and adults. Dr. Schuster has over 20 years of experience in ADHD evaluations and providing comprehensive reports that clients can benefit from in daily life. Dr. Schuster currently accepts Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, United Healthcare, Aetna, and Medica insurance plans and offers self-pay services.​
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ADHD involves a variety of symptoms related to hyperactivity and/or inattentiveness. Individuals with ADHD may have difficulty completing everyday tasks, such as chores or homework. They may have difficulty controlling their impulses and may act before thinking things through. Some individuals with ADHD have a hard time managing anger and tend to get into trouble for not following directions.
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Even though an individual with ADHD may be able to sustain attention on video games or social media, if they do not have something to entertain them, they are likely to get bored and impatient. ADHD is most often diagnosed in childhood, but the symptoms of ADHD frequently continue on into adulthood and cause problems in college, work, or relationships. There are many adults with ADHD who “slipped through the cracks” and have not been formally diagnosed. It is possible to be diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood, even if never diagnosed in childhood, as long as the symptoms have been present since childhood.
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ADHD Myth vs. Fact
Myth: If you have ADHD, you are less likely to be successful.
Fact: Having ADHD is not a barrier to achieving success. In fact, having ADHD is an asset to being successful. Individuals with ADHD tend to be more intuitive and creative. They also tend to have the ability to hyperfocus, which allows them to work well under short deadlines and time pressures.
Myth: Individuals with ADHD tend to have lower IQs on average.
Fact: Individuals with ADHD have similar intellectual abilities as those without ADHD. In fact, bright individuals are often able to compensate for executive functioning difficulties, which can result in an ADHD diagnosis being missed in childhood.
Myth: If you did well in school and were not diagnosed with ADHD in childhood, you cannot be diagnosed with ADHD as an adult.
Fact: Many individuals diagnosed for the first time in adulthood with ADHD were able to perform adequately in school due to a variety of factors. There are many adults with ADHD who were never previously diagnosed and were able to fly under the radar. According to NCHS, in 2023, an estimated 15.5 million U.S. adults (6.0%) had a current ADHD diagnosis based on self-report; approximately one half received the diagnosis at age ≥18 years.
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​Evaluation Process
The evaluation process is typically completed in 2-3 sessions. The 1st session is completed online and involves gathering basic information as part of the diagnostic interview. The subsequent in-person session is completed with the indicated testing/measures. If the individual being tested takes psychotropic medication, it is important to ensure that they take their medication as prescribed on the days prior to and including the days of the sessions, in order to better ensure accuracy of the test results.
The feedback session occurs a few weeks after testing. The feedback session is usually completed online or by phone. You are provided an electronic copy of the report so that you can then give one to whomever you think needs a copy, such as school or the pediatrician for children, or work, college, or primary care physician for adults. Dr. Schuster will give a diagnosis or diagnoses, if any are present.
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Ideal age for testing
It is possible to complete testing for ADHD on children as young as 3. However, it is important for you to know that testing children 5 and under is unlikely to provide clear, stable, and specific results. If your child is too distracted or hyperactive, some testing may be invalid and may not be able to be completed in those situations. There is no upper age limit for an assessment for ADHD.
