ADD/ADHD Documentation Guidelines

A Qualified Professional Must Conduct the Evaluation

Professionals conducting assessments and rendering diagnoses of ADHD must have training in differential diagnosis and the full range of psychiatric disorders. The name, title and professional credentials of the evaluator, including information about license or certification as well as the area of specialization, employment and State or Province in which the individual practices should be clearly stated in the documentation. The following professionals would generally be considered qualified to evaluate and diagnose ADHD provided they have comprehensive training in the differential diagnosis of ADHD and direct experience with the adolescent or adult ADHD population: clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, psychiatrists, and other relevantly trained medical doctors. It may be appropriate to use a clinical team approach consisting of a variety of educational, medical, and counseling professionals with training in the evaluation of ADHD in adolescents and adults.

Use of diagnostic terminology indicating ADHD by someone whose training and experience are not in these fields is not acceptable. It is also not appropriate for professionals to evaluate members of their own families. All reports should be on letterhead, typed, dated, signed, and otherwise legible. The receiving institution or agency has the responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of the individual's records.

Documentation Should Be Current

Because the provision of all reasonable accommodations and services is based upon the assessment of the current impact of the disability on academic performance, it is in an individual's best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation. In most cases, this means that a diagnostic evaluation has been completed within the past three years. Flexibility in accepting documentation which exceeds a three-year period may be important under certain conditions if the previous assessment is applicable to the current or anticipated setting. If documentation is inadequate in scope or content, or does not address the individual's current level of functioning and need for accommodation(s), reevaluation may be warranted. Furthermore, observed changes may have occurred in the individual's performance since previous assessment, or new medication(s) may have been prescribed or discontinued since the previous assessment was conducted. In such cases, it may be necessary to update the evaluation report. The update should include a detailed assessment of the current impact of the ADHD and interpretive summary of relevant information and the previous diagnostic report.

Diagnostic Interview

The information collected for the summary of the diagnostic interview should consist of more than a self-report, as information from third party sources is critical in the diagnosis of ADHD. The diagnostic interview with information from a variety of sources should include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following:

  • history of presenting attentional symptoms, including evidence of ongoing impulsive/hyperactive or inattentive behavior that has significantly impaired functioning over time;
  • development history;
  • family history for presence of ADHD and other educational, learning, physical, or psychological difficulties deemed relevant;
  • relevant medical and medication history, including the absence of a medical basis for the symptoms being evaluated;
  • relevant psychological history and any interventions;
  • a thorough academic history of elementary, secondary and post-secondary education;
  • review of prior psycho-educational test reports to determine whether a pattern of strengths or weaknesses is supportive of attention or learning problems;
  • relevant employment history;
  • description of current functional limitations pertaining to major life activities as well as to an education setting that are presumably a direct result of problems with attention; and relevant history of prior therapy.
  • any recommended accommodations

If you have questions regarding this criteria, please contact: Diane Baum

Special Thanks to College of Eastern Utah for their assistance in the preparation of this document.