Guide · 14 articles
Getting Tested for ADHD: The Complete Guide
Getting a correct ADHD diagnosis is harder than it should be. Fifteen-minute screenings hand out diagnoses that do not hold up; other clinicians miss ADHD entirely in women, in adults, and in anyone whose anxiety or trauma looks louder. These posts explain what a thorough evaluation actually involves and how to tell one from a checklist.
You will find the cost and insurance breakdown for testing in Grand Rapids and Byron Center, a walkthrough of what a comprehensive evaluation includes, and several pieces on the conditions that imitate ADHD: anxiety, trauma, sleep disorders, and depression.
If you are asking "do I have ADHD?", start there. If you have already decided to get tested, read what a real evaluation includes, then the cost post, then call.
Updated
Screening, evaluation, and diagnosis are three different things
A screening is a questionnaire that says "worth looking into." An evaluation is a multi-hour clinical process with interview, standardized testing, collateral input, and differential diagnosis. A diagnosis is the conclusion of an evaluation. Many people who "have been diagnosed" have only been screened, and that is why schools, universities, and some insurers ask for the report itself.
What a comprehensive evaluation contains
A one-hour clinical interview across developmental, medical, academic, and emotional history. About two hours of standardized testing including the TOVA and validated rating scales completed by the patient and by others who know them. Scoring and interpretation. Differential diagnosis for anxiety, depression, trauma, sleep disorders, and learning differences. A written report and a feedback session. Anything shorter is a screening with a signature.
What it costs and how insurance works
Both of my offices bill insurance directly when the plan covers psychological testing. Byron Center accepts BCBS, Anthem BCBS, MESSA BCBS, Blue Care Network, ASR Physicians, and Aetna; Grand Rapids accepts Aetna, BCBS, Blue Care Network, and ASR. Self-pay rates come from each office, and a superbill is available for out-of-network reimbursement. The full cost breakdown covers the four questions to ask your insurer before you book.
Start here
Unsure whether to pursue it: Do I have ADHD? How to actually find out, then the free screener. Ready to schedule: What a real ADHD evaluation includes and the appointment packet. Worried it might be something else: ADHD or anxiety and ADHD vs. trauma.
