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Let’s start with the basics

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with an ongoing pattern of inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity. Individuals with ADHD may struggle with staying focused, organizing tasks, and managing time effectively. They may also find it challenging to follow through on instructions and stay on top of responsibilities. In addition to these difficulties, individuals with ADHD often experience restlessness, fidgeting, and difficulty engaging in quiet activities.

Despite these challenges, it is important to remember that with the right support, strategies, and understanding, individuals with ADHD can lead fulfilling and successful lives. Seeking professional guidance and learning coping mechanisms can make a significant difference in managing ADHD symptoms and improving overall well-being. Remember, having ADHD doesn't define you as a person – it is just one aspect of who you are!

ADHD coaching is a valuable resource that offers support and guidance in navigating the challenges that come with ADHD. By working with a coach, you can develop effective strategies to better manage tasks that may be overwhelming or difficult to focus on. Through coaching, you can explore and harness your inner strengths, allowing you to unlock your full potential and work towards achieving your goals. With ADHD coaching, you can create a personalized plan that empowers you to thrive and succeed in all areas of your life.

We believe at ADHD coaching isn’t a one size fits all approach. What works for you today may look different than what works for you in a few months.

My name is Melissa Elfers, and I have more than thirty years of first hand knowledge of what it is like to navigate the world knowing about ADHD, so my ADHD journey started a long time ago. I was diagnosed when I was ten years old and went from being an Honour Roll student, to struggling to turn in homework or keep my desk organized. Bit by bit and then all at once, school got the best of me. As a result, I was in a lot of trouble with teachers and administration. I wasn't a behavioural problem, but I was punished for actions that we now fully realize are classic signs of ADHD. Through my parents' persistence I was treated with medication for my symptoms. It was a game changer in a lot of respects, but it wasn't the complete fix that I needed. I still struggled through high school and community college in small town Texas.

It wasn't until I was in university, as a mature student, where I realized that I needed more than medication. I needed healthy coping skills, and I needed strategies. As they say, “Pills don’t teach skills”. Through several helpful people in the student with disabilities department at my university in Ontario, Canada, I was able to graduate with an Honours Specialization in Psychology. I was back on the Honour Roll/Dean’s List because I graduated with distinction! Through the guidance of my robust support system, I was able to find my own solutions to my problems. After I graduated university I bounced around a number of different jobs, as we tend to do, and nothing seemed to really stick.

It took me a while to see that I wanted to help those in the ways that I was helped. My goal is to bring a lifetime of my experience to help you find your own strengths. I took the scenic journey in life, so I picked up a lot of skills. I am a certified vocational rehabilitation professional. I have training as a psychometrist. I am also a CALC student in training with the iACT Center.

It's interesting how sometimes our brain doesn't connect our own dots until the time is right. Having an 'eclectic' resume for the last twenty years helped me develop a unique skillset for helping those with ADHD and executive functioning needs!

*Working ADHD is affiliated with The Integrative ADHD Centre in London, Ontario.

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Are There Any Differences in Signs for Women vs. Men?

While ADHD presents differently in everyone, there are similar patterns that emerge between people of the same gender.

ADHD in Women

Here are some possible symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity among women and girls with ADHD. We’ve included some lesser-known ADHD symptoms:

Feelings of despair, inadequacy and overwhelm

Lacking motivation

Disorganised, forgetful and often late

Being impatient

Fatigue and insomnia

Easily losing focus and daydreaming

Eating disorders

Hypersexuality

Prone to body-focused repetitive behaviours such as skin picking, hair pulling, leg bouncing, nail biting or cuticle picking

Crying with deep emotion, anger, and feelings of guilt and shame

Shyness due to social anxiety and sensory sensitivities

Varying hormone levels can exacerbate ADHD symptoms. This can intensify throughout menopause

Being a perfectionist

Difficulty maintaining attention and switching off while others are talking

Comorbid conditions such as depression, anxiety and OCD are more noticeable than ADHD and are often treated first

Anxiety might manifest physiologically in the form of headaches and/or nausea

It’s also worth noting that women sometimes struggle with perceived gender role expectations in their desire for acceptance; they may feel the need to provide support for their family while struggling to command their executive functions and receiving no support for themselves.

Female ADHD, if unrecognised can lead to someone feeling demoralised and struggling in secret as they don’t want to appear to be failing. These internal challenges can cause mental ill-health that may manifest itself in unexpected ways. Women might find themselves taking out their frustrations on their family members in the form of outbursts and emotional exchanges that appear to come out of nowhere.

ADHD in Men

Although men can also present with very similar inattentive ADHD symptoms as women, both men and boys with ADHD are more likely to display behaviours such as:

Hyperactivity

Disruptive behaviour

Frequently losing items

Interrupting others during conversations

Aggressive and defensive behaviours

High-risk behaviors (e.g., substance misuse, speeding, unhealthy sexual behaviors, excessive financial spending)

Angry outbursts

Insensitivity

Are There Any Differences in Signs for Younger vs. Older folks?

Literature talks about the symptoms of ADHD, becoming less intense as we age. However, there is a caveat to that for individuals who experience a menstrual cycle, in that dopamine is linked to estrogen levels. As estrogen levels decrease, the symptoms of ADHD increase. So individuals who experience perimenopause and menopause, may encounter specific struggles with treating their ADHD, while going through these particular shifts.

Melissa Elfers

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For the time being, Melissa at Working ADHD doesn’t provide diagnostic assessments for ADHD (or any other diagnosis), she strives to demystify the process for people who aren’t in the field. She is also an ADHD Coach (in-training), a trained psychometrist, and a member of the College of Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals. This means she has some insider knowledge of what goes behind the cost for a private ADHD assessment. One of the main questions she gets is “Why are private ADHD assessments in Canada SO expensive?! To be fair, private ADHD and Autism assessment can be extremely costly for one person regardless of their age, and using your province’s health coverage may mean very long wait times for answers. Sometimes families need diagnoses for more than one member of the family. The cost can really add up if you are paying out of pocket for a private psychoeducational assessment. However there are reasons for the steep cost and in this brief blog, Melissa will provide a deep dive as to what makes a private ADHD assessment so darn expensive.

For starters, there is no one test for ADHD. There are screeners that people can fill out to give their family doctor, psychologist, or psychiatrist a general sense of how things are but when it comes to psychoeducational testing? There are multiple things to consider. A doctor has to rule out other explanations for the symptoms that look like ADHD. Because a lot of things can impact the frontal lobes, as attention is the first thing to go when the brain is under stress, a doctor needs to rule out injury to the brain, some types of personality disorders, emotional trauma, learning disability, and several other things. A good assessment for ADHD will consist of a battery of tests, which just means it will have several tests for a person to complete!

…And it’s not only based completing a set of tests. A qualified professional will administer the assessment, yes, but within that assessment there will be what’s called a clinical interview. This is the professional understanding more about you, your personal history, medical history, psychiatric history, your perspective on your life, and (very importantly) behavioural observations. The clinical interview alone can take up an hour or more of time.

Testing materials for ADHD are also costly as individual tests, and when grouped together for a full cognitive profile. Depending on the specifics tests used, the battery for an ADHD assessment can cost over $4,000CAD.

An ADHD assessment is a lengthy time commitment and requires multiple tests, an in-depth assessment can take up to 8 hours or more (depending on the individual). As this is an assessment of cognition, practitioners want the individual to be their cognitive best. So sometimes practitioners split the testing up over a few of days instead of having a person complete several hours of testing in a row, which would make someone feel too exhausted to do all of the testing. A person who’s too tired will be too tired to give their best and most accurate of answers.

A big point of cost is that a qualified professional has to administer, score, interpret the assessment, and a doctor has to make the diagnosis. Keep in mind, you are not just paying for their time, but you are also paying for their years of education, skill, materials needed for the assessment, training and professional judgement as a practitioner.

In most of Canada, the diagnosis of ADHD can only be communicated by medical doctors, psychologists, and nurse practitioners. A psychometrist may conduct the assessment, under the supervision of a psychologist, psychiatrist, or neurologist, but they cannot tell you if you have ADHD or not. The psychometrist can administer the assessment, interpret the report under the supervision of a Psychologist.