3155 College Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94705
510-859-8553
Many Adults have coped for their entire lives with untreated ADHD, and even if they've been successful, it can come at a cost. The older you are, the less likely it is you would've been diagnosed as a child even if you had significant problems with attention or impulsivity; if you're a woman, a person of color, or a child of immigrants, the odds are even lower it would've happened.
Many people have managed to be quite successful in their lives while compensating for significant inattentive or hyperactive/impulsive symptoms, but often it comes at a cost or is very uneven; if you're lucky enough to be able to hyper-focus on an area of interest that you can bill for you can do quite well, but you might still feel that other aspects of executive functioning challenges are holding you back (time perception and management, organization, finishing things you start... finishing anything that isn't engaging your attention).
Can't I just go to one of those online services?
Sure you can, and if you have a very clear case of ADHD they might even get it right. Many services exist to provide quick and easy ADHD assessment, followed by frequent and expensive medication management. As the supervising psychologist for ADHD assessments at a major medical center, I have reviewed many of these assessments and not found them up to the clinical and ethical standards held by the doctors I work with. Sometimes they do get it right, but if you'd like a little more thoroughness and accuracy in your diagnostic process, a comprehensive assessment is probably the way to go. Many psychiatrists and other prescribing providers are concerned about widespread abuse and diversion of the stimulant-based medications which are highly effective in treating ADHD, so your doctor may also want you to get a more thorough assessment before starting that kind of treatment.
I have been doing this kind of assessment for about fifteen years in a medical center setting and I maintain a high standard of ethics and integrity when it comes to making an accurate diagnosis. In some cases it may be clear after our clinical interview that you do not have a clinically diagnosable condition and that further testing may not be necessary. While in many cases test results can help clarify things, they rarely contradict a strong clinical impression.
In the interest of informed consent and transparency, I've broken down the stages of a typical assessment below. Most people will not require every component listed here, and you are welcome to opt out at any stage.
Initial Consultation (20 minutes, no charge): We will start with a brief phone conversation so I can get a sense of what you're looking for, if it is something I can provide, and talk about scheduling.
Online Questionnaires & Rating Scales: I will send you some online forms to fill out and and will take some time to review them before we meet.
Clinical Interview (2 to 4 hours, includes time reviewing your written materials): We'll meet, usually by video call, to discuss your concerns and your history in depth. This will usually take one or two sessions to complete (I usually do two-hour sessions for these interviews), and by the end of it I can usually give you an informed clinical opinion, and we can discuss whether it makes sense to proceed with more in-depth assessment.
In-person Tests (2 hours): At this stage we'll meet in person for more formal tests, including a computerized test of attention and neuropsych tests of executive functioning
Interpretation & Feedback (2 hours): I will review and score all the tests and meet with you (usually by video call) to discuss my impressions and recommendations. We will work together to think about ways this information can be of help to you.
Formal Report (2 hours): A formal report may not be required for most cases. I can write a brief summary of our conclusions at no additional charge, but in some cases it will be beneficial to have a more formal report (for instance to bring to your psychiatrist or other prescribing provider, or if you are seeking accommodations from an agency, school, or other institution).
Fees: Because there is considerable variability in the complexity of cases, and in individual communication styles, it can be difficult to give an exact estimate of how long an assessment like this will take, so I've estimated the usual range of times above. I bill my time at $250 per hour, and I use a secure credit card payment system to process payments. I believe in fair and transparent pricing, and from my experience at a busy medical center I've learned to work at an efficient pace so I will not waste your time by administering unnecessary tests or writing extensive formal reports if they are not required. The average full assessment takes about 8 to 10 hrs of my time, with a total price of $2000 to $2500. I am not on any insurance panels, but I can provide superbills to facilitate insurance reimbursement or payment from a HSA.