You recognize yourself in what you read about ADHD. It might explain why keeping up with ordinary life takes so much effort. But is it worth getting a diagnosis?
There are some good reasons to find out.
What a diagnosis can do for you
Help you get support, now or later. A diagnosis can support requests for accommodations at work, school, or on exams such as the SAT or LSAT. Even if you are managing now, understanding and documenting your difficulties may help when your circumstances change. You may need updated documentation when you apply.
Help you find approaches that fit. ADHD has three presentations, often called types: predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, and combined. Understanding your presentation and particular difficulties can help you find relevant strategies, treatment, and other people whose experiences you recognize.
Give you some peace of mind. An assessment may help explain difficulties you have been torturing yourself over for years. If ADHD is part of that explanation, you have somewhere more useful to start than “Why can’t I just do this?” If it is not, a careful assessment can help clarify what else needs attention.
Who can assess ADHD?
Several kinds of licensed professionals can assess ADHD. Their experience with adult ADHD matters as much as their title. For children and teens, look for someone experienced with that age group.
| Provider | Why you might choose them | Can prescribe? | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary care doctor | Often the simplest starting point if you already have a doctor. Can assess ADHD and consider other medical explanations. | Yes, although some refer ADHD medication care to a specialist. | Can provide medical documentation; detailed reports and accommodation letters vary by practice. |
| Psychiatrist | Useful for assessment and medication treatment, especially when other mental health conditions also need attention. Look for ADHD experience. | Yes. | Can provide medical documentation; ask whether the practice offers assessment reports and accommodation letters. |
| Psychologist or neuropsychologist | Useful for a detailed assessment, particularly when learning difficulties or other cognitive concerns also need exploring. Look for an assessment specialist. | No in California. | Can provide assessment reports and recommendations. Widely recognized, subject to the receiving program’s requirements. |
| Licensed psychotherapist with ADHD expertise | Useful if you want assessment connected to ongoing therapy for everyday difficulties, relationships, and adjustment. | No. | Can support accommodation requests. Some programs require diagnostic evidence or certification from another type of clinician. |
| Psychiatric nurse practitioner or appropriately trained physician assistant | Another option for assessment and medication care in a psychiatric or primary care practice. Look for ADHD experience. | Yes, within licensing rules and practice arrangements. | Can provide clinical documentation; report services and acceptance depend on the practice and program. |
Insurance: Any of these services may be covered, depending on your plan, provider, and the assessment involved. Some providers are private pay, and extensive testing may have different coverage from office visits. Referral requirements also vary.
A careful assessment matters whichever provider you choose; an extensive testing battery is not necessary for every ADHD diagnosis. No professional title guarantees that every organization will accept a particular report. So if you have something specific in mind, check with the organization to see what they require and make sure you find a provider who can meet that requirement.
You can keep the first inquiry simple: “I think I may have ADHD. Do you assess adults, and what does that involve?”
If accommodations are part of your goal, add: “Can you help with the documentation?” The provider can help you work out whether their assessment fits what you need.
What accommodations are often available?
Depending on your needs and the setting, options can include:
At work
- A quieter workspace or noise-canceling headphones.
- Written instructions and clear priorities.
- Breaking larger assignments into steps, with scheduled check-ins.
- Protected focus time and modified break schedules.
At school
- Extra time on tests or a setting with fewer distractions.
- Note-taking support or permission to record lectures.
- Breaks and support with organizing assignments.
On standardized exams, including the SAT and LSAT
- Additional testing time.
- Additional or longer breaks.
- Testing arrangements that reduce distractions, where offered and approved.
Accommodations are based on your needs and require approval. School accommodations do not automatically carry over to standardized exams, but you can ask your evaluator or school disability services office to help with the request.
Then there is making sense of it
Getting a diagnosis can change how you understand your life. You may revisit school, work, relationships, and all the times you wondered why you could not just do what seemed so straightforward for other people.
There may be relief. There may also be anger or grief about how you were treated, or the help you could have used. You might feel hopeful and still be unsure what to do next.
Therapy gives you somewhere to work through that. We can look at the expectations you have been trying to meet, the conclusions you have drawn about yourself, and what would make your life more manageable now.
At Sessions Therapy, we’ll help you make sense of what you are learning about yourself and work out how to use it in your everyday life.
Sources and further reading
More support: ADHD therapy in California →