<p>I'm scheduled to meet with a doctor in a few weeks. They sent me a CAARS self-survey to fill out before the appointment. The thing is, it seems like most of the questions relate more to hyperactivity than attention. I definitely don't have hyperactivity, but I'm afraid if I answer the questions honestly, it will show that I don't have ADD.</p>
<p>I told them I wanted to discuss my attention when I set up the appointment. Why would they assume I have hyperactivity? ADD and ADHD are different, aren't they?</p>
<p>"To assess the validity of the CAARS scale, the researchers determined how well the test predicted whether an individual would satisfy the diagnostic criteria for a DSM-IV diagnosis of ADHD. By these criteria, the CAARS produced a false-positive rate of about 13% and a false-negative rate of 18%; the overall correct classification rate was 85%. "To put those numbers in perspective, there are very few laboratory tests that will give you an overall classification rate better than 80% or 90%," Dr. Conners noted. However, he cautioned that the misdiagnosis rate of nearly 15% suggests that adults who are suspected of having ADHD cannot be adequately evaluated using the CAARS alone."</p>
<p>There should be much more to the evaluation than this.</p>
<p>Fill out the self-survey. It is just part of the total overall assessment process, and possibly the only part that can be done at home before your first meeting with the doctor(s). When you meet with them, express your concerns that it seems to be focused on hyperactivity, rather than inattention. Don't be surprised if they say something like "Yea, we know that, but we're required by fill-in-name-of-agency-or-insurance-company-here to use this instrument first before we go any further with the evaluation."</p>
<p>What type of dr. are you seeing? I think my D saw some type of developmental psychiatrist and spent a whole day testing. I believe other people have just gone to see their local pediatrician who will give out perscriptions for ADD meds based on what you tell him/her. You will know if it's ADD based on improvements made with medication, and I don't think there's a big risk in trying the medication for a few months. My D is not hyperactive, either.</p>
<p>This may raise hackles, but improvements on stimulants are not diagnostic. Almost everyone "improves" on stimulants, at least for awhile. I'm sure there are many here on CC who can attest to that. To me, the risk is the delay in finding a long term benefit. There are rare, but sometimes important side effects to most prescription drugs.</p>
<p>They will do other tests in the evaluation that test for your ability to focus exclusive of hyperactivity. Many kids have ADHD-Inattentive type. Both of mine do, which delayed their diagnosis and had their teachers shaking their heads at them because they did not believe that kids who were not hyperactive could have such a tough time focusing. Fill out the survey honestly. Your doctor will be asking how long it takes you to do homework and will test you extensively. Remember: they are looking for ADD in an evaluation and they know what tests to give you in order to find out if you have ADD. Good luck.</p>