Women often reach out for assessments after important people in their lives suggest that they have ADHD or due to recognizing themselves in online descriptions of ADHD. They have trouble focusing, initiating and following through, and staying on top of everything. Sometimes that recognition is accurate. Other times what seems like inattentive ADHD is the accumulated effect of poor sleep, perimenopause, or too much asked of one person at once.
Online checklists don’t distinguish ADHD from common life struggles with similar signs. Someone who needs treatment for ADHD and someone who needs less on her plate are dealing with different problems, even if the day-to-day experience looks similar. A comprehensive assessment helps you make sense of what you’re dealing with and how to go forward.
Women are more likely than men to have inattentive ADHD. In childhood, such girls tend to appear distracted rather than hyperactive or impulsive, the more overt presentation often seen in boys with ADHD. A girl who was struggling internally but behaving well was less likely to be noticed at school. The same could be true at home — when a sibling's problems were more pronounced, or when parents were overwhelmed or skeptical of mental health diagnoses to begin with. Many women reach adulthood having been the "easy" child without anyone realizing how much effort that took.
In my Denver practice, I conduct comprehensive assessments that look at attention and executive functioning, alongside the emotional, medical, and situational factors that can produce similar symptoms. This work is informed by my experience as Director of Psychological Assessment for Student and Resident Mental Health at the University of Colorado Anschutz, where I've spent over a decade assessing graduate students and medical residents in demanding academic and professional environments. Rather than confirming a suspected diagnosis, the goal is to find out what's going on, even when it's more complicated than a single label.
Not everyone who's wondering about ADHD needs a full battery of testing to get an answer. A detailed clinical interview may be sufficient to rule out ADHD, with a clear alternate explanation and next steps. In other instances, an interview points strongly toward ADHD, with a referral for treatment more useful than further evaluation. Comprehensive testing is most valuable when the picture isn't yet clear or when documentation is needed for accommodations.
How long does an assessment take from intake to feedback?
The process begins with a detailed interview, followed by around four to six hours of one-on-one testing. I also gather collateral information where relevant, such as records from your current clinical team or questionnaires completed by family members. Scoring, analysis, and report writing take another four hours or so, and we finish with a feedback session where I describe the testing results. Comprehensive assessments span ten to twelve hours.
What happens after the assessment?
If testing points to ADHD, we'll discuss how it manifests for you and treatment options, which may include therapy, referral to a prescriber for a medication evaluation, or both. If testing points to something else, the report and feedback session will lay out what's going on and next steps.
How much does an assessment cost?
Assessment fees are billed at $330 per hour. A comprehensive evaluation typically costs $3,300 to $3,960. A more focused evaluation, or a consultation that doesn't require full testing, involves fewer hours and costs less. I can give you a clearer estimate once I understand what you're looking for.
If you're trying to make sense of what you're experiencing, I'd welcome the chance to talk.