How to determine adhd?

what kind of tests do doctors do to determine if you have adhd?

Medical doctors? none. Most aren't even familiar with the criteria. Psychologists will probably administer questionnaires, parent evaluations, teacher evaluations, and possibly some neuropsychological tests (attention, working memory) if you get a good one.
There are a list of criteria in the DSM IV that you have to meet to get a diagnosis, but most doctors won't refer to it, unless you get an exceptionally good one. Any psychologist that doesn't refer to this criteria is a really horrible psychologist.
Evaluations can be pricey though.

Hi Brittney S -

There are actually quite a number of different "tests" that doctors can use to determine if a person has ADHD. However, the real gold standard for making an accurate diagnosis is the "clinical interview."

There is actually no test that can conclusively diagnose ADHD or differentiate the symptoms from anything else that might look like ADHD.

Some of the tests:

Intelligence Tests
Memory Tests
Rating Scales
Continuous Performance Tasks

That's just a sample of some of the tests that can suggest a person has symptoms consistent with ADHD, but only a thorough medical and mental health interview can conclusively suggest whether a person has ADHD.

This is a very difficult process simply because the symptoms of ADHD can happen in so many other instances.

Hope this helps.

Rory

Rory F. Stern, PsyD
ADHD Coach & "Former" Therapist
http://www.ADHDSuccessAudio.com

Successful treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) begins with an accurate diagnosis and understanding of a child's weaknesses and strengths. Learning about ADHD will help you and your child's siblings better understand how to help your child.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines recommend medication and/or behavior therapy to treat children with ADHD. This recommendation is based on numerous studies, including the landmark Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD (MTA), funded by the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). In this large study, researchers found that school-age children with ADHD who received stimulant medication had a significant decrease in core ADHD symptoms (inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity).6

Your child's health professional may recommend that your child take a stimulant medication, such as amphetamine (examples include Dexedrine or Adderall) or methylphenidate (examples include Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate CD, or Focalin). These medications improve symptoms in about 70% of children who have the condition.7

my therapist {my parents make me go to one} suggested i go to a psychologist {idk if thats the word but they all sound the same to me} since i seemed like i had ADHD and i went and said i have every symptom of ADHD {idk what they all are but i know i have em} then they put me on meds {adderall i think?}