ADHD Testing & Assessment
In-office in Washington, DC's Friendship Heights
How we can helpADHD testing (also called an ADHD evaluation or ADHD assessment) is a structured process that looks at attention, impulsivity, and executive functioning. If you've noticed trouble focusing, restlessness, or difficulty following through on tasks in yourself or your child, you might be considering a psychological evaluation. It combines a clinical interview with neurocognitive testing and standardized rating scales, all reviewed by a licensed psychologist. The goal isn't just a diagnosis. It's a clear picture of how your brain works, so the support you get afterward actually fits.
ADHD looks different at seven, seventeen, and thirty-seven. That's why testing ADHD is never a single quick questionnaire. It's built around your specific history, your current concerns, and how those symptoms actually show up in your daily life.
What Psychological Testing for ADHD Involves
Your evaluation starts with a detailed clinical interview covering developmental history, school or work functioning, and the concerns that brought you in. From there, you'll complete neurocognitive testing, often including a continuous performance test, along with standardized rating scales like the Conners scales, which are typically completed by parents, teachers, partners, or you yourself.
Once testing wraps up, your psychologist writes a full report and walks you through it in a feedback session. You'll leave with a clear diagnosis (or a clear explanation of what else might be going on if it isn't ADHD), plus practical, specific recommendations for school, work, or home.
Who Gets ADHD Testing, and Why
ADHD testing isn't limited to any one age or life stage. People come to an evaluation for a lot of different reasons.
Parents Of Young Children
Maybe your child can't sit still through a meal, loses track of instructions halfway through, or struggles more than classmates with the same routines. An ADHD test for kids can clarify whether that's typical development, ADHD, or something else, and open the door to school accommodations if it's needed.
Students and Teens
Some kids manage fine in elementary school and then hit a wall in middle or high school, when workloads get heavier and organizational demands increase. Grades slipping, missed assignments, or a sudden change in confidence are common reasons families ask about testing during these years.
ADHD Testing for Adults
Adult ADHD testing is one of the fastest-growing reasons people reach out. Some adults are recognizing patterns after their own child's diagnosis. Others are dealing with missed deadlines, a messy relationship with time, or a career that keeps stalling in the same spot.
Psychological testing for ADHD in adults follows the same rigorous standard as testing for kids, adjusted for how ADHD tends to look later in life: less hyperactivity, more trouble with attention, organization, follow-through, and emotional regulation.
This is especially true for women, who are often skilled at masking ADHD symptoms and are more likely to have them dismissed as anxiety, stress, or simply being disorganized, which delays diagnosis well into adulthood. If that sounds familiar, it can help to know that there are women psychologists on Maven's clinical team, which often makes it easier to speak openly about symptoms that may have gone unrecognized or been written off for years.
Whatever brought you here, you don't need a specific reason to ask for an evaluation. A sense that something isn't adding up is reason enough.
Once you have a diagnosis, some people are ready to move forward on their own, and others want support putting it into practice day to day. Maven also offers ADHD therapy for kids and ADHD therapy for adults, if that's something you want to explore after diagnosis or while working on integrating it into daily life.
Why Families and Adults Choose Maven for ADHD Diagnostic Evaluation
A high-volume ADHD test center can feel rushed: a short intake, a computerized test, a form-letter report. Maven Psychology Group works differently. You're matched with a psychologist who takes the time to understand your specific situation, not just your test scores.
Because Maven's clinicians come from varied clinical backgrounds, your feedback session translates results into recommendations you can hand to a teacher, an employer, or a partner and actually put to use. If you're also wondering about overlap with autism, our team offers many psychological testing services and can provide an autism and ADHD test together, since the two conditions share traits and sometimes occur side by side.
Meet Your ADHD Testing Specialists
Two Maven clinicians bring hands-on experience to ADHD evaluation, and both are currently accepting new clients.
Currently accepting new clients.Dr. Shannon Martin Dantzler, PhD Licensed Psychology Associate in DC
Dr. Martin Dantzler brings more than 15 years of experience supporting children, adolescents, and families across school, community, and clinical settings, including ADHD testing. As a nationally certified school psychologist, she understands how ADHD symptoms show up in the classroom and how testing results can translate into real support at school and at home. She also works with adult clients and those diagnosed later in life, helping translate testing results into strategies that fit your work, relationships, and day-to-day routine.
Currently accepting new clientsDr. Hannah Sugarman, PhD, Licensed Psychologist in MD, Licensed School Psychologist in VA, Licensed Psychology Associate in DC
Dr. Sugarman routinely conducts ADHD evaluations for children, teens, and adults, using a thorough, evidence-based approach at every age. Your feedback session goes beyond a diagnosis, translating results into recommendations you can actually use, whether that's at school, at work, or at home.
Frequently Asked Questions About ADHD Assessments
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Testing starts with a simple call or message to schedule a consultation. You don't need a doctor's referral to reach out. From there, you'll complete a clinical interview and standardized testing with a licensed ADHD specialist, followed by a feedback session where your results and next steps are explained in plain language.
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Adult ADHD symptoms often look different from the classic image of a hyperactive child. Common signs include trouble starting or finishing tasks, losing track of time, forgetfulness, difficulty staying organized, and feeling restless or mentally "on" even when you want to slow down.
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The Conners scales are standardized questionnaires completed by parents, teachers, partners, or the person being evaluated. They rate how often certain ADHD symptoms show up in daily life. They're one tool among several used during a full ADHD diagnostic evaluation, not a stand-alone diagnosis.
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Most people complete testing and receive their ADHD diagnosis within a few weeks of their first appointment, though timing depends on scheduling and how quickly rating scales come back from other people in your life, like teachers or partners.
ADHD Testing in Washington, DC
Maven Psychology Group offers in-person ADHD testing at its Friendship Heights office in Washington, DC. If you're ready to get real answers instead of more questions, reach out to schedule a free consultation.