Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

ADHD is one of the most common reasons people seek a neuropsychological evaluation, and one of the most commonly misunderstood. The name suggests a deficit of attention, but that's not quite right. People with ADHD often have plenty of attention. What's different is the ability to direct it, to shift focus when needed, to sustain effort through tasks that aren't inherently engaging, and to manage the dozens of small executive demands that most people handle without thinking.

For some people, ADHD announces itself early and loudly. For others, particularly girls, women, and people with predominantly inattentive presentations, it hides in plain sight for decades, leaving behind a trail of underachievement, self-doubt, and the persistent sense of working twice as hard for half the result.

ADHD looks different depending on who you are

The hyperactive, impulsive child who can't sit still is the version of ADHD most people picture. That presentation is real, but it's only part of the story. ADHD also looks like:

• The student who is bright, curious, and engaged, but chronically disorganized, late on assignments, and somehow always behind despite trying hard

• The adult who can hyperfocus intensely on meaningful work but struggles to start tasks, manage time, or follow through on lower-priority responsibilities

• The woman who has managed to hold everything together through sheer effort and anxiety, and is now exhausted, burning out, and wondering why it feels so much harder for her than for everyone else

• The person whose anxiety, depression, or sleep problems have been treated for years without ever addressing the attention difficulties driving them

Why a thorough evaluation matters

ADHD shares symptoms with many other conditions, such as anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, learning disabilities, trauma, and thyroid dysfunction, among others. A diagnosis based solely on symptom rating scales misses this complexity. At Clary Clinic, an ADHD evaluation includes:

• Comprehensive cognitive and executive functioning testing

• Attention and processing speed measures

• Behavioral and emotional rating scales across multiple informants

• Careful review of developmental and medical history

• Assessment for co-occurring conditions that frequently accompany ADHD

This level of thoroughness matters not just for accuracy, but for what comes next. Knowing that someone has ADHD and a learning disability, or ADHD and anxiety, produces very different recommendations than knowing about ADHD alone.

ADHD across the lifespan

We evaluate children, adolescents, adults, and older adults for ADHD. Adult ADHD evaluations are a particular area of focus at Clary Clinic, including evaluations for people who need documentation for workplace accommodations, college disability services, or professional licensing boards.

We also have particular experience evaluating women and girls for ADHD, including the inattentive and combined presentations that are most commonly missed in female patients, and the significant overlap between ADHD and the female autism phenotype.