ADHD Testing
Struggling with focus, organization, or impulsivity? Wondering if you or your child might have ADHD?
Grey Matter Psych Assessment offers expert ADHD testing in Santa Monica, CA for children, teens, and adults
Serving Greater Los Angeles and Californians virtually.
Are you easily distracted and unable to focus?
COMMON MYTH:
ADHD is something you are doomed to struggle with forever.
TRUTH:
ADHD can be the thing that helps you thrive. It can be the creativity and energy behind your next big project or work assignment. You simply need to know how to manage your symptoms.
Undiagnosed ADHD can hold you back. You probably struggled in school despite being incredibly intelligent. You probably worry that your work colleagues are annoyed with you because you just can’t stay focused despite having great ideas for the project.
Those with undiagnosed ADHD typically talk about…
Struggling with poor self-esteem because you worry that everyone is annoyed or mad at you.
Worrying about how you are going to get through your college class because you haven’t been mentally present for entire weeks.
Wondering how your future is going to play out when you can’t even get your schoolwork done.
Feeling overwhelmed and behind in every single work project.
Dreading school or work because you know you won’t be able to focus like others.
A diagnosis matters because it can help you advocate for yourself and provide you with real-life skills to stay focused and calm.
Your ADHD might lead to:
Low self-esteem about your intelligence or ability in school or work.
Falling behind on work tasks and having a hard time following a to-do list.
Distraction and inability to stay on task for longer periods of time followed by overwhelm with how much time you’ve lost.
Fear of timelines for school or work projects and struggling to keep up with assignments, tests, and scheduling demands.
Difficulty articulating your needs verbally with others.
Disconnected relationships because you are distracted and anxious most of the time.
Feedback from your peers, teachers, or colleagues that you have difficulty staying on task and following through with assignments.
Frustration with your own lack of focus.
Needing extra time with assignments and tests in order to perform at your best.
Learn if you have ADHD and finally get focused.
What is ADHD?
ADHD is a neurological diagnosis, which means that something different is happening in your brain. That difference is not a bad thing, but it can feel like a bad thing when you aren’t sure what is happening to you. Did you know that about 8% of children and 2.5% of adults have ADHD? It’s typically identified in school-aged children, but sometimes teachers, parents, and mentors miss it.
The good news? It is diagnosable and you can get treatment. You just need the right testing in order to get a real ADHD diagnosis. We’ve become mavens at providing the best ADHD assessments so that you can finally get focused.
In your ADHD assessment, we test your neurological functioning and collect meaningful data about your educational history. Why? Because we want to write a report that helps you advocate for yourself at your school and/or work. Our reports include all the necessary information for you to advocate for your needs when you submit them to your work or school’s Disabilities Office. You can’t get testing accommodations unless you have one of these reports.
Have you been masking your ADHD?
Many people with ADHD learn to mask their symptoms, hiding challenges with focus, organization, or impulsivity by developing coping strategies. This masking often leads to missed diagnoses, with many individuals only discovering their ADHD later in life, often during stressful periods at work, school, or major life transitions. Research shows that adults, especially women, are frequently diagnosed after years of compensating for symptoms (Quinn & Madhoo, 2014; Kooij et al., 2010). Recognizing masked ADHD can lead to better support and finally understanding how your brain works.
Why get an ADHD evaluation?
ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is a common neurodevelopmental condition that affects focus, attention, and self-control. Many people live with undiagnosed ADHD, which can impact school, work, relationships, and daily life. A professional ADHD assessment can help you:
Understand your unique challenges and strengths
Access academic or workplace accommodations
Develop effective strategies for success, including customized executive functioning hacks to keep you on track
Organizing your most important life tasks in manageable ways
Learning realistic skills you can use to help you stay motivated and on track (body doubling, anyone?)
Skills for assessing what is working and what tends to sabotage your focus efforts
Creating conversations to get your partner, parents, and important people on board with what you might need to function well
Improve your overall mental health, because your self-esteem has likely taken a hit from the feedback you’ve gotten over the years that you aren’t great at focusing
ADHD Testing Services
ADHD Testing in ChildrenUnderstanding whether your child has ADHD can change the trajectory of their education and overall mental health. We know that children with undiagnosed ADHD get more negative feedback from adults and that can lead to low self-esteem and depression.
We test children beginning at age 8. The full testing process takes 2-6 weeks total. You can use the detailed report to advocate for a 504 plan for your child.
ADHD Testing in TeensIf you believe your teen’s focus and attention issues are getting in the way of their education or social functioning, then testing will help you get a diagnosis.
We test teens at all stages of their education. The full testing process takes 2-6 weeks total. You can use the detailed report to advocate for a 504 in high school or for testing accommodations for the SAT or college exams.
ADHD Testing for AdultsIf you believe you have ADHD, but it was missed during your educational experience, we can help! Our testing process is thorough and will help you curate a life that feels less frustrating and more accommodating to your executive functioning issues.
The testing process takes 2-6 weeks total. A full and detailed report will help you advocate for yourself at work/college/advanced education, while also giving you resources to increase your insight and self-compassion.
ADHD is often confused with other disorders.
Perhaps you’ve wondered if you even have ADHD or if you have…
Some anxiety disorder because you feel anxious and distracted most of the time
Some depressive disorder because you experience low self-esteem and helplessness so often
Some obsessive-compulsive disorder because you can’t stop obsessing over certain things
Some trauma disorder because you’ve collected some traumas in your life and you can’t remember what life was like before the trauma.
You might also feel:
Anxiety about school or work relationships.
Panic following a period of distraction and not getting enough work done.
Low self-esteem over the fear of never being successful or getting good grades.
Racing thoughts and inability to focus on tasks that excite you.
Worry that your teachers, bosses, or employers will be disappointed in your performance.
Why do I need ADHD testing?
Some psychiatrists and psychologists will offer a preliminary diagnosis of ADHD or other learning disabilities when doing a clinical interview, however, the technical diagnosis of ADHD requires testing and assessment by a licensed psychologist. Why? To get the correct diagnosis the assessment uses scientifically-verified methods of testing to measure:
Focus
Attention to detail
Educational history
And even more!
Then, a report must be written to prove the diagnosis in order to get testing, educational, and employment accommodations that most patients with ADHD need. That data is collected throughout the testing session, and we write you a snazzy report for your school and work and give you helpful ways to manage your ADHD. Most schools, employers or testing centers (think GRE, MCAT, LSAT) will only provide accommodations to those with an adequate assessment and data. We’re here to help make that happen.
ADHD recovery at home
Through NeurOptimal® Neurofeedback Rentals
Beyond testing, there’s a really powerful way you can begin to train your brain for better focus, attention to detail, and motivation. Introducing NeurOptimal® Neurofeedback.
This is professional-grade, easy-to-use neurofeedback from the comfort of your home. Non-linear neurofeedback is a non-invasive and safe way to train your brain to be more focused and feel more motivation. ADHDers out there will know that this a be huge daily struggle.
We rent our professional-grade systems to you so you can brain train from the comfort of you home. If you don’t want to add one more appointment to your week but still want the benefits of neurofeedback, reach out to us about renting our professional systems.
Other ADHD resources
Read more about ADHD diagnosis and treatment here.
Wondering if you might be ADHD but you aren’t sure? You can take our ADHD quiz here.
Want to help your brain feel less distracted and more motivated but you don’t have time for another appointment on your schedule? You can rent our professional-grade neurofeedback systems here.
Do you know you don’t have ADHD but you think you have another learning disorder?
We can test for other learning disorders too.