Screening for ADHD in Yourself or Your Child

00:00 Introduction to the Topic
02:08 Introduction to the screening for ADHD: Creating your written lists
03:30 Reviewing each symptom of Inattention comprising ADHD
09:22 Reviewing each symptom of Hyperactivity and Impulsivity comprising ADHD
15:00 Comments on the diagnostic thresholds for ADHD symptoms
15:49 Reviewing the requirement for pervasiveness of symptoms across several settings
17:38 Reviewing the requirement that symptoms product impairments in major life activities
19:20 Reviewing the alternative criteria for adult ADHD developed by Barkley
24:01 Conclusion



This video is intended to take the viewer through a self-screening (if an adult who may have ADHD) or a child screening (if a parent of a child who may have ADHD) in order to determine if they have a high likelihood of having ADHD. It is not intended to be a professional diagnosis. It is just an initial step at screening someone to see if they may have ADHD. If they do surpass the criteria reviewed in this video, then they have a high probability of having ADHD and should therefore seek a professional evaluation for this condition to more definitively determine if the disorder is present.

To use this interactive video, please have a sheet of lined paper ready to write down your answers to the questions that I will pose to you about the symptoms of ADHD and whether or not they are leading to significant impairment in functioning in major life activities.

Note that I do not ask when the symptoms may have arisen (onset) because people usually cannot reliably recall the onset of their symptoms with any degree of accuracy or reliability enough to be part of the diagnostic criteria.

I am reading the symptoms of ADHD from my books, listed below:

Taking Charge of ADHD: The Complete Authoritative Guide for Parents (4th ed.) published in June 2020)

Taking Charge of Adult ADHD (4th ed.) (Published October 2021)

Treating ADHD in Children and Adolescents: What Every Clinician Needs to Know. (Published May 2022)

When an Adult you Love Has ADHD. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association Press.

The official diagnostic criteria for ADHD can be found in:

American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and stsatistical manual for mental disorders (5th ed.) (DSM5). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.