Disability Services Guidelines for ADHD Documentation

The documentation form for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is available for download and may assist practitioner and be used to record this information.

Qualifications of Diagnostician

Professionals diagnosing ADHD must have comprehensive training in differential diagnosis and direct experience with adolescents and adults with ADHD.
The following professionals are considered qualified:

  • Clinical psychologists
  • Neuropsychologists
  • Psychiatrists
  • Other qualified medical doctors

All diagnosticians must be impartial individuals who are not family members of the student.

Criteria for Comprehensive Assessment

Evidence of Current Impairment

Assessment should consist of more than just a self-report and it should include a history of attentional symptoms, including evidence of ongoing impulsive, hyperactive or inattentive behavior that has significantly impaired functioning over time. The report should also include developmental, medical, psycho-social, and family history as it relates to the current diagnosis of ADHD.

Diagnostic Battery

Neuro-psychological or psycho-educational assessment is critical in determining the current impact of ADHD on the individual's ability to function in different settings. Assessment must include standardized measures for intellectual functioning and achievement, inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity as delineated in the DSM V.
Recommended assessments for ADD/ADHD:

  • Test score, sub-scores and normal measure of intra-individual patterns of intra-individual discrepancies, if any
  • TOVA
  • Conner's Continuous Performance Test
  • Attention Deficit Scale for Adults (ADSA)

Diagnostic Report and Summary

The diagnostic report must be a comprehensive interpretive summary synthesizing the evaluator's judgement for the diagnosis of ADHD. The report must include:

  • All quantitative information in standard scores/and or percentiles; all relevant developmental, medical, familial, medication, psychosocial, behavioral and academic information
  • A specific diagnosis of ADHD based on the DSM V diagnostic criteria, and the report must identify in clear, direct language the substantial limitation of a major life activity presented by the ADHD
  • Official letterhead with names, titles, professional credentials, addresses, and phone/fax number of the evaluator as well as the date(s) of testing