ADHD Direct: An Expert Assessment with an MD-NURSE Team
ADHD stands for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD is a form of Neurodiversity that appears in early childhood and, for most individuals, persists throughout adulthood. Research in ADHD reveals differences in brain circuitry and function compared to individuals without ADHD. These differences make it challenging for individuals with ADHD to stay focused and persist across a variety of tasks despite having strengths, talents, and meaningful goals. Some individuals are diagnosed with ADHD in early childhood. Others are diagnosed much later in life, when symptoms may become more obvious.
At Possibilities we offer team-based ADHD assessments for individuals across the lifespan. If you are seeking an assessment for yourself, or another family member, you have two options at our clinic. We offer an ADHD Direct Assessment with an MD-Nurse Team, which you can read more about here. We also offer a Focus Forward 360 Assessment with a Multidisciplinary Team involving at least a Psychologist, Psychometrist, and Psychiatrist.
Here are questions people ask us about the ADHD Direct Assessment, along with our answers.
Our ADHD Direct Assessment is offered by a Family Physician with a focused practice in mental health, along with a registered Nurse. There are 4 appointments offered in this order: 1) Intake and Testing with the Nurse, 2) Feedback with our Family Physician, 3) Recommendations and Next Steps Discussion with the Nurse, and 4) Medication Consultation with our Family Physician.
Children 6 years and older, as well as teens and adults of all ages, are eligible to receive an ADHD Direct Assessment.
Not always. The MD-Nurse Team will examine testing data and clinical information to determine whether the findings support—or do not support—a diagnosis of ADHD.
ADHD often exists with other diagnoses called comorbidities. The MD-Nurse Team will examine additional mental health comorbidities like anxiety and depression. Complex comorbidities like Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can have symptoms that mimic ADHD, with or without ADHD being in the mix. For individuals where the presentation of mental health symptoms is relatively complicated, the Multidisciplinary Team associated with our Focus Forward 360 Assessment would likely be a better fit, though you are welcome to choose this ADHD Direct option.
If you are wondering whether a Learning Disability or Autism is present, a separate assessment focused on the symptoms of these specific diagnoses is required. Our Signature Psychoeducational Assessment is a comprehensive offering that examines symptoms of ADHD, a Learning Disability, and Mental health (e.g., anxiety, depression). If you have questions about all of these concerns at once, our Signature Psychoeducational Assessment is recommended. We also have an Autism Assessment to determine whether Autism can be diagnosed. If you have concerns about Autism and ADHD, combining the Autism assessment with either an ADHD Direct Assessment or a Focus Forward 360 Assessment is recommended, and something we could offer.
If you choose the ADHD Direct Assessment option, you may also choose to pursue medication start-Up and adjustment with the MD-Nurse Team at an added cost for non-OHIP covered components. In this option, the Nurse and Physician continue to work together in a series of paired appointments as medication is tried and adjusted to determine what works best. MD appointments are covered by OHIP but Nursing appointments are not. Nursing appointments cost $95 for each session. Nursing appointments allow you to discuss you or your child’s responses to the medication, which the Nurse will record in detail and share with the MD. The Nurse will also provide some education, strategies, and coaching in the sessions to help you with ADHD symptom management. We recommend that you check with your insurance provider to see if you are covered for nursing services. The Possibilities Clinic also offers additional treatments to help you build an Integrated Treatment Plan like ADHD Coaching for kids, teens, college and university students, and adults, as well as career coaching, and other therapies for concerns related to mood, anxiety, esteem, parenting, tic management, social communication, and daily functioning. These comprehensive coaching and therapy services are offered at an added cost.
No. If ADHD is diagnosed, the physician will create a Medication Treatment Plan at the end of the ADHD Direct Assessment. This Medication Treatment Plan will then be sent to your Doctor or child’s Pediatrician in the community. Continuing medication management with the MD-Nurse Team is optional.
If you have a referral from your doctor for an ADHD Direct Assessment at Possibilities, then all of your appointments with the Nurse and the Physician will be virtual over secure video sessions. If you do not have a physician referral, then the first visit with the Physician in our ADHD Direct Assessment service must be in-person. Please note that a referral is required at the outset for our Focus Forward 360 Assessment option.
The cost of an ADHD Direct Assessment is $1200.
Only Medical Doctors are covered by OHIP. Nurses are not covered, and neither are any testing materials and questionnaires we use to help make accurate diagnoses. Please check with your insurance provider to see if assessment services provided by a Registered Nurse are covered. If not, and your insurance provider covers services provided by a Psychologist, you may want to consider our Focus Forward 360 Assessment.
Yes. You can find information that directly compares our two ADHD Assessment options here.
We can help! At Possibilities we offer a complimentary 20-minute session with a member of our Next Steps Navigation Team. Members of this team are professionals from education and healthcare. During this session a member of the Navigation Team will listen to your questions, discuss your concerns, and help you clarify your next steps. If you would like to book an appointment with the Navigation Team, please begin by completing our Registration Form. If you have already completed a Registration Form, please contact us at info@possibilitiesclinic.com or 1-833-482-5558 to request an appointment.
If you would like to book an ADHD Direct Assessment, Focus Forward 360 Assessment, or a session with our Next Steps Navigation Team, you can get started by filling out our Registration Form. If you have already completed a Registration Form, please contact us at info@possibilitiesclinic.com or 1-833-482-5558 to request an appointment.
