Questions About Your ADHD Evaluation Report? This Should Help!

The Center for Neurocognitive Excellence provides ADHD evaluations as well as comprehensive evaluations. These evaluations help people know if they have ADHD or not, if they have other mental health issues or not, or if they have any other issues that might be making their lives unnecessarily harder. The purpose of this article is to provide clarity about what happens after you have completed the evaluation and how to interpret the final report.

One question we regularly receive is, “Why is my report taking so long to complete?” Since this one is so common, let’s answer this concern first and branch out from there.

Why Is My Initial ADHD Evaluation Report Taking So Long?

The short answer is that we spend time reviewing all the details of your evaluation to ensure an accurate diagnosis and clear treatment recommendations. It takes us time to check the results and ensure they are accurate. We have a process for doing that so that we can be reliable to you. Also, in some cases we discuss the results among the DCNE team members to ensure that the clinicians are all on the same page. It adds brainpower to the results so that clients get the best from DCNE.

ADHD Diagnostic Evaluation Report

Our ADHD Diagnostic Evaluation is used to determine if you or a loved one has ADHD or not and if there are other mental health issues that might be acting like ADHD, like depression, anxiety, or traumatic stress symptoms.

This report is usually between 8 and 12 pages long and has a number of sections. This report usually takes around two weeks to complete but may take up to two if it is particularly complex. Other centers take up to a eight weeks to get you a short report.

The report that we send the client after the evaluation usually includes the following sections:

1. Referral Reason – this summarizes why you or your provider requested the report as well as some relevant information about the client.
2. Evaluation Procedures – this details the procedure and questionnaires we used during the evaluation. This technical information is included so other providers will know our exact process. This is also a form of transparency.
3. Developmental History – this summarizes the most important events related to the evaluation and the diagnosis. This information is gathered from the client so that it is as accurate as it can be. If necessary, we also gather information from parents, teachers, partners, etc.
4. Behavioral Observations – this section summarizes how the evaluation went.
5. Findings – here we provide a summary of the findings from the questionnaires and the discussion we have with clients (e.g. structured clinical interview), as well as a diagnosis or information as to why we can’t provide a diagnosis. This gives clients relief and clarity.
6. Recommendations – Once the client has a diagnosis or clarity that their symptoms are not mental health related, we pride ourselves on providing clear and easy recommendations. These recommendations address the “what next.” We provide easy to follow treatment recommendations, like neurofeedback, counseling, and medication management as well as resources for more information.

As you can see, this is not the sort of report that’s created quickly or easily. It requires a lot of thought and work to compile so that it is accurate and takes away the “unknowns” that stress so many people out. The good news is that we do our best to leave no stone unturned and the end-result is something that serves our clients.

Comprehensive Evaluation Report

This report is similar to the ADHD evaluation report but is much longer and more detailed. It is usually between 20 and 30 pages long and has a number of sections. This report usually takes around three weeks to complete but may take up to four weeks if it is particularly complicated. Other centers take up to three months to write these reports, which is a long time.

The report that we send the client after the evaluation includes all the sections above and more. Refer to the above description for general information about each section. Below includes more information about how the sections differ for a comprehensive evaluation.

1. Referral Reason – same as above. This might also include more information about who is requesting the evaluation, such as a school psychologist, a testing agency that administers the SATs, GREs, LSATs, MCATs, etc.
2. Evaluation Procedures – same as above and many more questionnaires and computer based tests to evaluate for strengths and limitations.
3. Developmental History – same as above with more information and a higher level of detail. This can include information for many other sources, like parents, teachers, siblings, co-workers, etc. We never contact these people without first getting your permission. One reason reports can take longer to write is delays in these people getting their information back to us.
4. Behavioral Observations – same as above.
5. Findings – same as above and we are able to comment on many more aspects of your life depending on the goal of the evaluation such as, learning issues, IQ scores, personality traits, comprehension, executive functioning, etc.
6. Diagnostic Impressions –  here we provide a diagnosis and other strengths and challenges the client is facing. This gives clients relief and clarity.
7. Recommendations – same as above but we also offer more information tailor made about academic and/or workplace accommodations such as extended time, extra breaks, someone to help take notes, assistive technologies, resources for learning more, coaching, therapy, neurofeedback, medication management, and other helpful tips.
8. Appendices – in this section we provide interpretive reports on the questionnaires and scores so that the client and other providers have as much organized information as we can provide.  

As you can see, this report is highly detailed. Our team takes the treatment of our clients very seriously. We diligently work to ensure we have adequate background and diagnostic information. We work tirelessly and meticulously throughout this entire process.

In Summary

The report writing process is a time-consuming but necessary step in providing you or your loved one with superior treatment. That is why the ADHD report can take longer than anticipated in some cases.

Although we respect the fact that you need to experience symptom relief as soon as possible, this crucial step in the process simply cannot be rushed. Focused attention now will achieve the best-possible results later on.

Rest assured, once these tests are completed, you’ll be on the fast track to improving your life with the clarity and certainty of a professional report. As you await the results of your evaluations, our Neurocognitive Excellence team wants to wish you the very best outcome.

We enthusiastically look forward to assisting you in the near future! Contact us to set up a free consultation by booking a free consultation on-line or calling us at 202-998-ADHD (2343).