Adult ADHD Care

Adult ADHD Diagnosis and Management
ADHD

What is ADHD?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common psychiatric conditions in children and teens. Most of the time, ADHD symptoms in childhood continue into adulthood, although some people don’t develop ADHD until their adult years. It is estimated that about 4-6% of people in Canada have ADHD (CADDAC, 2024). Unfortunately, ADHD isn’t always diagnosed appropriately and may be mistaken for another condition. This is why it is important to be evaluated by a healthcare provider who specializes in ADHD.

What are the causes of ADHD?

The causes and risk factors for ADHD are not clear, but genetics are suspected to play an important role. As such, if someone has an immediate family member with ADHD (like a parent or sibling), that person may be affected as well.

What are the symptoms of ADHD?

Typical symptoms of ADHD include difficulty paying attention, impulsiveness, and restlessness. These symptoms may affect the ability to thrive in school and work. They may also affect one’s ability to maintain healthy relationships with others. As well, people with ADHD may have difficulty with:

  • focusing on a task – especially for long periods of time,
  • organizing activities
  • remembering details
  • following through with tasks
  • completing projects
  • meeting deadlines
  • managing time
  • maintaining relationships
  • maintaining a job
  • inability to manage uncomfortable emotions
  • abiding by traffic laws, resulting in driving errors, speeding, and traffic tickets.

Diagnosing ADHD 

Getting assessed for ADHD includes a thorough history of your symptoms using self-reported questionnaires and an interview with a trained professional, which may be a medical doctor, a psychologist, or a nurse practitioner. An important part of diagnosing ADHD is assessing for other conditions that can mimic or worsen symptoms of ADHD. This may include other physical health conditions (for example, thyroid problems) or mental health conditions (for example, anxiety and depression). Diagnosing ADHD isn’t always straight-forward, but a thorough evaluation is necessary for you to get the best outcomes.

At Direct Health Solutions, our ADHD assessments and completed by nurse practitioners. They are trained medical professionals who can complete physical and mental health assessments, diagnose conditions, order and interpret lab work, and prescribe treatments (including medications).

Treatment for ADHD

There is more to ADHD management than medications. Our ADHD specialists offer a variety of strategies to manage your symptoms. This may include education, coaching, counselling, and prescription medications (carefully titrated to suit you). If you have a primary care provider (family physician or nurse practitioner), we can send them a letter containing treatment recommendations. If you don’t have a primary care provider, we may be able to provide ongoing care and prescription renewals/management.

Regardless of who is managing your ongoing care, you should have a healthcare provider continue to assess your response to the treatment plan so they can adjust the plan accordingly. There is no “cookie-cutter” plan that works for everyone. Every person benefits from an individualized approach to manage their ADHD and overall well-being.

If you’d like to find out more information about our services, contact our office today.

Our Adult ADHD Care Services

Booking an ADHD assessment includes:

  • An initial 50-minute appointment includes the assessment interview, medical history review, and some lab tests (if necessary).
  • The second 50-minute appointment to review the specialist’s diagnostic impression and recommendations.
  • letter of diagnosis (or lack thereof) and recommended treatment plan.

$600 flat rate

Note that the diagnosis of ADHD is not guaranteed. If the specialist identifies another concern, she will discuss this with you during the second appointment.

We are not able to provide assessments for people under the care of a psychiatrist or are being treated for bipolar disorder or a psychotic disorder. A psychiatrist may be more suitable in his scenario.

If you have previously been diagnosed with ADHD and need further assessment and/or treatment planning, you may schedule an appointment with our ADHD specialist. Please provide documentation of your diagnosis and previous/current treatments.

$198 per hour

Brief phone or virtual consultation with our ADHD specialist to review the treatment plan and medications.

$50 per 15 minutes

I recently had an ADHD Assessment with Direct Health Solutions and the team was nothing short of fantastic! Shyla completed my assessment, and she is very understanding and knowledgeable about this topic. She seemed to ask all the right questions that really created in depth conversations regarding the specific and personal struggles I deal with on a daily basis instead of the generic questions you find online. She was very easy to open up to, and extremely informative and managed to educate me in a way that allowed me to make the best decisions for myself moving forward. Judy, the team's administrative assistant was extremely quick and responsive at giving me all the information required to prepare for the appointment. She was also very helpful and efficient in sorting out a prescription that got missed by my pharmacy. I will be recommending Direct Health Solutions to anyone looking for more accessible, personal and convenient healthcare!
My experience with Direct Health was excellent. The nurse practitioner was thorough and knowledgeable. She empowered me to make my own health decisions.

Business Hours

Monday
9:00AM - 5:00PM
Tuesday
9:00AM - 5:00PM
Wednesday
9:00AM - 5:00PM
Thursday
9:00AM - 5:00PM
Friday
9:00AM - 5:00PM
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed

Related Services

Accelerated resolution therapy is a fast and effective approach to trauma and anxiety
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
Depression Counseling
Depression Care
Stress Management Counseling
Stress Management