How is ADHD diagnosed in adults?
ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders, and yet it presents itself uniquely in each individual. The most common symptoms include difficulty focusing, distractibility, forgetfulness, restlessness, and more.
Inattentive Type
Often characterized by absentmindedness, difficulties planning, challenges listening.
Hyperactive Type
Often characterized by troubles with impulse control, frequently interrupting others, and fidgetiness.
Combined Type
Characterized by a mix of both types of symptoms.
While everyone can experience some of these symptoms from time to time, individuals with ADHD experience them consistently since childhood, and see them significantly affect their careers, studies or relationships.
A valid diagnosis therefore includes an in-depth understanding of the type of symptoms experienced, their consistency throughout an individual’s life, and their effect on the various areas of one’s life.
Evaluation and Diagnosis at Agave Health
Agave Health’s evaluation and diagnosis relies on a clinically validated semi-structured process, delivered in three stages. Depending on availability, this entire process can occur over the course of one week. However, no two sessions may be scheduled on a single day.
Agave’s evaluation and diagnosis service does not include prescription of medication. However, if an evaluation for medication is part of your care plan, you therapist will help you identify next steps through an outside referral.
Step 1
Evaluation Sessions
Then, you dive deeper into the presentation of those symptoms during two 45-minute sessions with your Agave Health therapist.
Self-Reported Survey
First, you fill in a survey that helps establish a basic understanding of your symptoms.
Step 2
Step 3
Treatment Recommendation
Finally, one last 30-minute session with your therapist is dedicated to summarizing the evaluation and recommended care plan.
Potential Care Plans
Depending on the evaluation’s outcome, your Agave Health therapist recommends a tailored care plan.
If ADHD is diagnosed, recommended care plans can include the following:
-
Therapy: your therapist may recommend ADHD-informed therapy to help address identified emotional challenges.
-
Coaching: your therapist may recommend support from an ADHD Coach to help build routines that help you navigate your day-to-day.
-
Alternative support: you therapist may recommend group support, whether from those close to you or the Agave community.
-
Medication recommendation: your therapist may recommend seeking ADHD medication. prescription.
Your Agave therapist will recommend an appropriate care plan based on your evaluation, which can include any combination of the listed types of treatment.
If ADHD is not identified as the root diagnosis of the symptoms you experience, your therapist will still guide you.
Your Agave Health therapist will recommend a care plan that can either focus on the relevant other root cause (be it an anxiety disorder, a trauma, or any other relevant evaluation), or leverage behavioral support for executive function challenges you are currently encountering.
Support for executive function challenges, even if they do not meet the ADHD diagnosis threshold, may include coaching, community support, or other types of behavioral interventions.
All care plans addressing executive function challenges can be accessed through Agave Health.
Partnered with most leading health insurance providers
How to get started?
Download the Agave Health App
Create your account & meet your care team
Choose your therapist & start your evaluation
Get both evaluation & care through the app
How much does an ADHD
Evaluation & Diagnosis cost?
See how the Agave Health ADHD Evaluation and Diagnosis compares to alternatives.
Online Screeners
Neurological Evaluation
No
Yes
Yes
Provider
Clinical Validity
Time Required
Cost
Insurance Coverage
None (online quiz)
Licensed Psychologist
Licensed Psychologist
Minutes
Free
None
10 to 20 hrs
(usually spread weekly)
2 hours (can be completed within one week)
Minimum
$4,000
Partial
Agave Health Evaluation
Currently in selected states
$650
(one time fee, no hidden costs)
Frequently Asked Questions
Couldn’t find your questions? Write to us.
-
Who does Agave Health serve?We serve adults aged 18 and up with an ADHD diagnosis or with ADHD symptoms. Our care team (therapists and coaches) is spread across the United States.
-
What is the evaluation process and how does it start?The process starts with individually completing a clinical survey. This first step allows your therapist to get a basic understanding of your symptoms, and guide their following sessions with you. The survey is completed through the Agave Health app. Once the survey is completed, you can schedule your first appointment with your therapist. You can choose to schedule the following two appointments right away, or do so after each appointment. The appointments cannot happen within a single day, however they do not need to be spaced weekly. The third and last session of the Evaluation and Diagnosis is a wrap up session where your therapist will both summarize their findings, as well as recommend a care plan adapted to your needs.
-
What do I need to do before my initial appointment?Before your initial appointment, you are required to complete the self-reported survey. If you struggle to complete it and are a member of Agave Health, you can seek the help of your Agave Health Coach to help you complete it.
-
Can you evaluate me for ADHD?Yes, our licensed therapists can conduct an ADHD evaluation and provide you with a diagnosis. Our therapists always provide you with a recommended care plan alongside this diagnosis, whether it is positive for ADHD or not.
-
What ages to you support?Our services are designed for adults aged 18 and up.
-
Does Agave Health provide treatment for ADHD?Yes. By purchasing an Agave Health subscription, you access all our care modalities, which include therapy, coaching, self-learning and more. If your employer sponsors your Agave Health subscription, you can insert your company code upon purchase to access all our care modalities. If you would like your employer to sponsor your Agave Health subscription, feel free to reach us at hello@agavehealth.com
-
Does Agave Health treat other behavioral health conditions?We do provide ADHD-informed therapies to treat depression, anxiety, and sleep challenges that co-occur with ADHD. Please note that our program is not able to treat individuals who also present self-harm behaviors, suicidality or suicidal ideation. If these are a primary concern, contact your PCP or care team for recommendations on resources and treatments for these conditions. If you do not meet the ADHD diagnosis threshold, but executive function challenges are a core concern, the Agave Health team can support you
-
Is Agave Health a virtual service?Yes. Our clinical services are conveniently provided exclusively online via HIPAA-secure telehealth technology (i.e. video visits and chat).