Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder In Adults

Attention Deficit Disorders among adults make it more difficult for them to:

• Achieve academic goals.
• Succeed in sorting and evaluation tests before starting a new job.
• Communicate with their partners and with people in positions of authority.
• Communicate with people, and maintain social relationships.

Attention Deficit Disorders are common among adults (around 4% of the population over the age of 18)

Most of the adults who feel that they are suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder or identify themselves as having the disorder noted the symptoms during their childhood and they are no strangers to the difficulties. Among adults, attention disorder does not pass but Hyperactivity Disorder can become less intense.

According to research, adults who have an Attention Disorder also tend to present the symptoms of other psychiatric/emotional disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and Anti-social Personality Disorder. They may also find dangerous “solutions” by getting addicted to drugs, alcohol, and sugar.

• Low ability to concentrate: adults testify that they cannot concentrate for a long time on reading, having a meaningful conversation, or focus on a lecture that they attend.
• Lack of order: adults who suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder tend to have a disorganized workstation, a table full of paperwork, and many files on the computer’s desktop, that are not filed or organized.
• High level of distractibility: an adult who suffers from Attention Deficit Disorder gets distracted by anything in his or her work environment, including noises and movement.
• Impulsive reactions: they feel that they need to react quickly, without any initial filtering. The impulsivity can be characterized by verbal reactions or by fleeing the place where they now feel pressured and distressed.
• Procrastination: they tend to postpone everything, in order not to deal with the assignment. Procrastination can lead these people to incur legal problems since they have not paid their bills, have not met their obligations to the bank, did not pay their fines, etc.
• Lack of interpersonal communication: Attention Deficit Disorder among adults can cause difficulty with social/couple relationships. Procrastination might be interpreted by society or by their partner as light-headedness, laziness, or unreliability. Thus, the person suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder may find himself or herself isolated socially.
• Hyperactivity- some of the adults who have Attention Deficit Disorder have to be in perpetual movement. This can be physical (moving inside a room or when in front of the television) or responsive, characterized by impatience or a short and agitated manner of speech

Diagnosing Attention Deficit Disorders (ADD\ADHD)/Learning Disabilities among Adults

MATAL: this is a diagnostic test designated for candidates for higher education studies. It is a set of computerized tests, meant to diagnose learning disabilities such as Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, or Dysgraphia, as well as Attention Deficit Disorder. Its purpose is to establish whether a candidate is entitled to receive adjustments when taking academic and Psychometric examinations and to offer recommendations for assistance during the studies. It is accepted by all higher education institutes in Israel, as well as for candidates taking the Psychometric examination.

Attention Deficiency diagnostic tests suitable for children and adults

There are two kinds of computerized tests that are accepted by The Ministry of Education:

• T.O.V.A. test
• BRC test

What is the T.O.V.A. test for attention examination?

It is a computerized test that checks prolonged attention functions. The test evaluates the examinee’s attention functions compared to the accepted norm for his or her age.

The purpose of diagnosing attention- T.O.V.A. test

The test is intended to assist the diagnosing doctor in choosing the right medicine. Once the various diagnosing processes were concluded, the material was collected by the doctor and a diagnosis of Attention Disorder has been given, the doctor has to examine treatment methods. The doctor may choose the slow monitoring method or the T.O.V.A. test in order to observe the patient’s response to the medicine (usually Ritalin).

Examines the learning skills and capabilities of the examinee in language, memory, reading, writing, and calculus. It is conducted by a didactic examiner who specializes in learning disabilities. Following the diagnosis, the examinee receives recommendations for learning and for remedial teaching. It is recommended that candidates for academic studies take the MATAL test.

Complements the didactic diagnosis and is therefore conducted after the first. The psychological diagnosis weighs the psychological/emotional aspect in addition to the didactic abilities and is conducted by an educational psychologist or a clinical psychologist. The examiner integrates both the didactic and the psychological diagnoses, and the results are forwarded to the educational institutes to grant the examinee adjustments and complementary treatment in the various schools.

This is a special diagnosis that is conducted via a series of computerized structured questionnaires. It is conducted by a neuropsychologist who suggests psychological and behavioral interventions. This diagnostic tool identifies a non-verbal learning disability.

This is not a common diagnosis, but it is conducted if there is a suspicion of a personality disorder or a mental illness. This evaluation includes a series of psychological tests and reported questionnaires that are meant to rule out or confirm the existence of a severe mental disorder. It is performed by a psychiatrist.