ADHD testing at Stedfast Psychiatry is a clinical evaluation: a structured interview, rating scales such as the ASRS or Vanderbilt, history from a parent, partner or teacher, and screening for sleep disorders, anxiety, depression and thyroid problems that mimic ADHD. We do not run full neuropsychological batteries unless a referral is needed. Stimulant and non-stimulant treatment follow a confirmed diagnosis.
Stedfast Psychiatry evaluates ADHD in children, adolescents and adults at offices across Florida and South Carolina and by video. Our evaluations follow the DSM-5-TR criteria and the practice guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association. If the diagnosis is confirmed, treatment can begin at the same visit or the next; if it is not, you leave knowing what is actually going on.
Who it is for
Adults who have struggled their whole lives with focus, organization, procrastination, forgetfulness or restlessness, and who may have been told they were lazy, scattered or underachieving. Adults who were diagnosed as children, stopped treatment, and want to revisit it. College students failing to keep up despite ability. Parents who recognize themselves while their child is being evaluated. Children and teens whose teachers report inattention, impulsivity or hyperactivity, or whose grades have dropped without an obvious reason.
It is also for people who are not sure. Inattention has many causes, and a good evaluation is as valuable for ruling ADHD out as for confirming it. We see adults of any age and children from age four with some providers, six with most; our scheduling team matches you to a clinician who evaluates your age group. Patients transferring from another prescriber with an existing ADHD diagnosis are re-evaluated before controlled medication is continued.
How it works
The evaluation starts with a structured clinical interview covering the nine inattentive and nine hyperactive-impulsive symptoms of ADHD, when they started, how many settings they affect, and how much they impair work, school, relationships and daily life. DSM-5-TR requires that symptoms were present before age 12, so for adults we take a careful childhood history and, where possible, ask a parent or review old report cards. We then screen for the conditions that produce the same picture: anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, sleep deprivation and sleep apnea, substance use, learning disabilities, trauma, and thyroid disease.
Rating scales give structure and a baseline. Adults complete the ASRS (Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale) and often a longer instrument such as the Conners or the DIVA interview; a partner or parent completes an observer version. For children, parents and teachers complete the Vanderbilt or Conners scales, and we require input from at least two settings, usually home and school. Collateral history from someone who sees you daily is strongly encouraged for adults and required for children.
Medical screening matters. Untreated sleep apnea, hypothyroidism, anemia and B12 deficiency all cause poor concentration, and we order labs when there is no recent panel. We also ask about sleep in detail, since chronic short sleep is the most common ADHD mimic in adults. What we do not do is lengthy neuropsychological testing. Computerized attention tests and multi-hour cognitive batteries add cost without improving diagnostic accuracy for ADHD in most cases, and they are not required by any guideline. We refer for neuropsychological testing when a learning disability, intellectual disability, brain injury or dementia is in question.
An estimated 7 million US children aged 3 to 17 (11.4 percent) have ever been diagnosed with ADHD.
Source: CDC, National Survey of Children's Health, 2022
About 4.4 percent of US adults have ADHD, and fewer than 20 percent of those are diagnosed and treated.
Source: Kessler et al., American Journal of Psychiatry, 2006; National Comorbidity Survey Replication
Stimulant medication produces a response in roughly 70 to 80 percent of children and adults with ADHD, making it one of the most effective treatments in psychiatry.
Source: Cortese et al., Lancet Psychiatry, 2018 network meta-analysis
Roughly two thirds of children with ADHD have at least one co-occurring condition, most often anxiety, a learning disorder, or oppositional defiant disorder.
Source: CDC, Data and Statistics About ADHD
What to expect
Plan on 60 minutes for the evaluation, in person or by video for patients in Florida and South Carolina. Complete the rating scales through the portal beforehand, and arrange for your partner, parent or child's teacher to complete the observer forms before the visit. Bring prior records if you were diagnosed or treated before, including old school records if you have them. For children, bring report cards and any school testing.
If ADHD is confirmed and medication is appropriate, your clinician discusses stimulant and non-stimulant options and the controlled substance policies that apply. A stimulant is often started at the evaluation for adults when the diagnosis is clear, but state telehealth rules may require an in-person visit before Schedule II medications are prescribed; we tell you this at scheduling. Follow-up is in two to four weeks to set the dose, then at least every three months while on a stimulant. If the diagnosis is not ADHD, you leave with the actual diagnosis and a plan for it, which is often the more useful outcome.
Benefits
- Guideline-based clinical evaluation in a single 60-minute visit
- Validated scales (ASRS, Vanderbilt, Conners) with observer input
- Sleep, anxiety, mood, substance and thyroid causes screened before diagnosis
- No unnecessary neuropsychological batteries or computerized tests
- Stimulant and non-stimulant treatment started promptly once confirmed
- School documentation and workplace accommodation letters when needed
- Available at 13 offices or by video in Florida and South Carolina
Risks and side effects
The main risk of an ADHD evaluation is a wrong answer in either direction. Over-diagnosis leads to stimulant treatment that will not help and may worsen anxiety or sleep; under-diagnosis leaves a treatable condition untreated for more years. Our safeguards are the childhood history requirement, two-setting evidence, systematic screening of mimics, and a willingness to say "not yet" and gather more information.
If treatment follows, stimulants (methylphenidate and amphetamine products) commonly reduce appetite, delay sleep, and raise heart rate and blood pressure, and they carry a risk of misuse and dependence that is why they are Schedule II controlled substances. We screen for cardiac history and substance use before prescribing and monitor vitals at each visit. Non-stimulants such as atomoxetine, viloxazine, guanfacine and clonidine avoid the misuse risk but take weeks to work and have their own effects, including sedation and, for atomoxetine, a boxed warning about suicidal thinking in young people. In children, growth is tracked at every visit.
Cost and insurance
An ADHD evaluation is billed as a psychiatric diagnostic evaluation, which most commercial insurance plans and Medicare cover under behavioral health benefits at your specialist copay or coinsurance. Because we do not bundle in neuropsychological testing, there is no separate testing fee; the rating scales are included. The self-pay rate for a new-patient evaluation is $185, with lower rates for follow-ups.
Stimulant medications are covered by most pharmacy plans; generics are inexpensive, while some long-acting brand products require prior authorization, which we handle. Non-stimulants are also mostly generic now. Where neuropsychological testing is needed for a learning disability question, we refer to a psychologist, and that testing is billed separately and often requires prior authorization; we explain this before referring.
What the DSM-5-TR requires
A diagnosis of ADHD requires at least six of nine inattentive symptoms or six of nine hyperactive-impulsive symptoms (five for adults and older teens), present for at least six months, beginning before age 12, occurring in two or more settings, clearly impairing functioning, and not better explained by another condition. Each of those clauses is a check on over-diagnosis, and each is something an evaluation has to establish rather than assume. The childhood onset requirement is the one most often skipped in adult evaluations, and it is the one we are most careful about.
Adult ADHD
Hyperactivity usually fades by adulthood; inattention, disorganization, poor time management and impulsive decisions do not. Adults with undiagnosed ADHD often have a history of job changes, unfinished degrees, financial disorganization, relationship strain and a long-standing sense of underperforming relative to ability. Many have been treated for anxiety or depression, which are frequently present, without anyone asking about attention. Women in particular are under-diagnosed because their symptoms were quieter in childhood. An adult evaluation looks for this pattern across the lifespan rather than relying on a snapshot.
Children and adolescents
For children the evaluation leans heavily on parent and teacher ratings, because a child in a quiet one-on-one office visit may show nothing. We require scales from home and school, we ask about sleep, screen time and family stress, and we look for the learning disabilities, anxiety and oppositional behavior that commonly accompany ADHD. In children under six, behavioral parent training is the first-line treatment and medication is reserved for severe cases. From age six, stimulants are first line with strong evidence, and we monitor growth, appetite and sleep at every visit.
The mimics
Sleep is the big one. An adult sleeping six hours a night with untreated apnea has the attention span of someone with ADHD, and no stimulant will fix it. Anxiety produces distractibility through worry; depression produces it through slowed thinking and low motivation; bipolar disorder produces it through racing thoughts; cannabis produces it directly. Hypothyroidism, anemia and perimenopause all impair concentration. Several of these can coexist with ADHD, but each needs to be identified and, where present, treated first or alongside, because stimulants can worsen anxiety, sleep and mood instability if those are driving the picture.
Why we do not run neuropsychological batteries
Continuous performance tests, computerized attention tasks and multi-hour cognitive batteries are sometimes marketed as objective ADHD testing. They are not. Their sensitivity and specificity for ADHD are modest, they do not change the clinical criteria, and no major guideline requires them. They can cost several hundred to several thousand dollars. We use them, through referral to a psychologist, when there is a real question about a learning disability, intellectual functioning, brain injury or dementia, or when an institution insists. For the ordinary question of whether a person has ADHD, the clinical evaluation is the standard of care.
After the diagnosis
Treatment is individual. Some adults want medication immediately; some want to try structure, coaching and CBT first; some have a reason to avoid stimulants. We lay out the options, start low, and follow up in two to four weeks to adjust. Stimulant prescribing follows the controlled substance policies described on our medication management page, including state database checks and follow-up at least every three months. The goal is not just better focus on a rating scale but a job kept, a degree finished, a household that runs.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an actual test for ADHD?
Not a single one. ADHD is diagnosed clinically, by matching symptoms, history and impairment against DSM-5-TR criteria. Rating scales such as the ASRS and Vanderbilt structure the process and give a baseline, and collateral history from a parent, partner or teacher adds evidence from a second setting. Computerized attention tests and brain scans are not required and do not improve accuracy for most patients.
Do you do neuropsychological testing?
No, not as part of a standard ADHD evaluation, because guidelines do not require it and it adds hours and cost without improving the diagnosis. We refer for neuropsychological testing when a learning disability, intellectual disability, brain injury or cognitive decline needs to be characterized, or when a school or employer specifically requires it.
How long does the evaluation take?
About 60 minutes for the visit, plus the time to complete rating scales beforehand. If collateral information or prior records are not available at the first visit, a brief second visit may be needed before controlled medication is started. Most adults with a clear history leave the first visit with a diagnosis and a plan.
Can ADHD be evaluated by video?
Yes, the interview and scales work by video for patients in Florida and South Carolina. Prescribing a stimulant by telehealth is subject to federal and state rules that may require an in-person visit; Florida in particular restricts telehealth prescribing of Schedule II medications. We will tell you at scheduling whether an office visit is needed before medication can start.
What else could be causing my attention problems?
Short or poor-quality sleep, sleep apnea, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, substance use including heavy cannabis, thyroid disease, anemia, menopause, chronic stress and some medications all impair attention. Several of these frequently coexist with ADHD. Part of the evaluation is checking each one, because treating anxiety or sleep apnea often fixes the focus problem without a stimulant.
What are the treatment options after diagnosis?
Stimulants (methylphenidate and amphetamine families, in short and long-acting forms) are first line for most patients and work within days. Non-stimulants (atomoxetine, viloxazine, guanfacine, clonidine) take several weeks but avoid controlled substance issues and suit people with anxiety, tics, substance history or stimulant side effects. Behavioral strategies, coaching and CBT for adult ADHD add to either.
I was diagnosed as a child. Do I need to be re-evaluated?
Yes, briefly. We confirm that the childhood diagnosis was sound, that symptoms and impairment persist, and that nothing else has emerged since. Bring any records you have. This usually fits within a standard evaluation and allows us to continue or restart treatment responsibly, including the controlled substance checks required by law.
Will you provide documentation for school or work accommodations?
Yes. After a confirmed diagnosis we provide letters supporting 504 plans, IEP eligibility, college disability services and workplace accommodations under the ADA. Some institutions require specific forms or, occasionally, psychoeducational testing; we complete what we can and refer for the rest.
Where this treatment is offered
- Boynton Beach, FL
10301 Hagen Ranch Rd, Suite D720 and Suite B710 - Palm Beach Gardens, FL
11641 Kew Gardens Ave, Suite 209 - Stuart, FL
729 SW Federal Hwy, Suite 104 - Royal Palm Beach, FL
420 South State Road 7, Suite 112 - Jacksonville, FL
2950 Halcyon Lane, Suite 605 - Port St. Lucie, FL
266 NW Peacock Blvd, Suite 203 - Melbourne, FL
6300 North Wickham Road, Suite 110 - Fort Lauderdale, FL
3107 Stirling Road, Suite 107 - Jupiter, FL
3893 Military Trail, Suite 3 - Goose Creek, SC
118 Springhall Drive, Suites B and F - Lexington, SC
120 Brookside Parkway, Suite C - Bluffton, SC
25 Clarks Summit Drive, Suite F201 - Hilton Head Island, SC
19 Shelter Cove Lane, Suite 202
Conditions this treats
If you are in crisis, call or text 988 or go to the nearest emergency room. Educational content; individual results vary. Reviewed by Dr. David Husted, board-certified psychiatrist.