and ADD (older adolescents and adults)

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder, meaning that aspects of brain development are different. There are two key sets of symptoms.  One involves hyperactivity and impulsivity; the other poor attention.  One or the other, or both sets of symptoms may be present.  The inattentive variety is sometimes referred to as ADD.

An older adolescent or adult with ADHD typically has trouble maintaining their interest and concentration on a project. They may not easily hold in mind what they need to remember.  Often they cannot motivate themselves to start work; or they have a poor sense of time and fail to meet deadlines.  In addition, they may be easily frustrated and intolerant of others.

Assessment:

This involves:

1. An individual interview (1-2 hours).  This will cover your current concerns, what you recall from growing up as well as a screen for comorbid mental health problems.
2. An interview with someone who knows you well, ideally a parent or partner.
3. Completion of a symptom rating scale by yourself and by another person who knows you.
4. Psychometric testing-this may be a brief screen for attention or a more comprehensive assessment of cognitive abilities.
    
   Please note the assessment does not include a trial of prescription medication. Medication for ADHD needs to be prescribed by a psychiatrist. We can make a referral to psychiatrists we work with, however as Clinical Psychologists we do not prescribe medication. If you are clear you want to try medication you may want to consider going directly to a psychiatrist.

Cost:

This assessment normally takes 4-5 hours and including a short report can cost $900-$1000.  With more comprehensive testing it may take 6-8 hours, and cost is $1200-$1500.00.

Follow-up:

At the completion of the assessment we should be in a position to recommend treatment options, as well as provide advice on how to live an optimal life with ADHD. We may be able to provide some treatment components at South Auckland Psychology, make an appropriate referral for other approaches.

These assessments are undertaken by Dr Mark Sinclair

Mark has over 20 years’ experience in clinical psychology in New Zealand and Canada. He has worked in a variety of mental health services within the public and private sectors, specializing in developmental disorders and challenging behaviour. He is a registered psychologist (clinical scope) and a member of the New Zealand Psychological Society.

He currently works with children and adolescents assessing developmental and educational difficulties, using psychometric testing where appropriate. This includes assessment of ADHD, ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorders), Intellectual Disability and Dyslexia. Mark provides CBT to children (eg., for anxiety, OCD), and parent management training, as well as working with adults on a range of clinical issues.