Adult ADD

There is no special training or experience required for professionals to represent themselves as ADD specialists.  Some practitioners who call themselves “specialists” have had a lot of training and experience; others have had little or none.

As part of their training in their basic area of expertise, such as medicine or psychology, many professionals do receive some education in the evaluation and treatment of ADD.  However, most professional training in Adult ADD is carried out in one or two day seminars or at medical or psychological meetings.  There are relatively few specialists who have spent even a month in full time training in ADD, and most training is directed towards the evaluation and treatment of children with ADHD. Given these circumstances, it is important to evaluate the professionals’ overall education and experience as well as their training.

Types of ADD Specialists
Adult ADD specialists are usually either physicians or psychologists, but social workers, nurses, coaches, and other professionals may also specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of the disorder.

Physicians
Physicians are graduates of medical or osteopathy school and usually have three or four years of specialized clinical training after graduation.

• Physicians are licensed to prescribe medications  Research has conclusively shown that the most effective treatment for most people with ADD is medication. For this reason, a physician should probably be on your treatment team.
• Those who evaluate and treat Adult ADD are generally specialists either in psychiatry, pediatrics, neurology, or internal medicine.  They are trained to recognize other medical or mental health disorders while carrying out an evaluation consultation for ADD.  This may be important since symptoms that look like those of ADD are sometimes caused other disorders.
• In some states, nurse practitioners, usually working with physicians, can prescribe medication.  In certain circumstances, a psychologist or other professional who is expert in ADD can provide guidance and recommendations to a family physician about the use of medication to treat a patient’s ADD.

Psychologists
Psychologists usually have a graduate degree in clinical psychology

• They have at least a few years of supervised clinical training after they receive their degree.
• They must qualify for a state license to practice.
• They have often been trained to carry out psychological tests for ADD.
• They cannot prescribe medications.

Social workers
Social workers have at least two years of graduate training in social work and must qualify for a state license to practice.

Coaches
There is no training requirement for a person to identify him or herself as a coach, although there are training programs that do provide certificates and degrees in coaching.  There is usually no state licensure requirement to do coaching.