Kent State University Counseling and Psychological Services administers between 10 and 15 tests for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder each year, and while many students inquire about ADHD testing, going straight to an assessment is not always the preferred option.

According to the National Library of Medicine, an estimated 25% of college students with disabilities are diagnosed with ADHD despite only 9.8% of children aged 3-17 years having a diagnosis.

Freshman sports medicine major Sarah Hileman said her pediatrician previously told her she might have ADHD but decided against a diagnosis because it was not interfering in her daily life.

That all changed last fall when she left the structure of high school and started classes on campus.

“It was really hard to teach myself things and stay focused and actually concentrate without doing 50 things where I lose motivation,” Hileman said.

Before her first semester was over, she decided to reach out to CAPS for an ADHD assessment so she could receive accommodations from Student Accessibility Services.

After waiting a month for an evaluation to get tested, Hileman said a CAPS clinician recommended against an assessment until she received individual counseling for other concerns first.

“I can see when they’re like, ‘Oh, you know, work on a couple of things,’ but I also feel since I did go in there for ADHD testing he should have kind of just let me take the test,” Hileman said.

CAPS Associate Director John Schell oversees its assessments, and he said because conditions like depression, anxiety and trauma can mimic the symptoms of ADHD, potentially leading to a false diagnosis, it is important to address those concerns before going straight to testing.

“You go in for a treatment and you might go in thinking, ‘I need this,’” Schell said. “But it may not be what you need and you may not be clinically appropriate for that.”

Isabella Mollick, a recent Kent State graduate, took medication for anxiety and depression but still found herself struggling to focus. She applied for ADHD testing last March but, like Hileman, was denied an assessment.

“They argued that since I have trauma they would not be willing to test me for ADHD until they quote, unquote, ‘treated for anxiety and depression,’” Mollick said.

After six months and multiple sessions of individual therapy through CAPS, Mollick decided to go to an off-campus clinic for testing where, after paying $350, she was diagnosed with ADHD and received a prescription.

“I definitely did not feel heard. I felt neglected,” Mollick said. “I was definitely disappointed with Kent State services.”

Schell said the testing at CAPS is the industry standard and, while not perfect, it does provide the most accurate diagnosis through a detailed and rigorous assessment that involves neuropsychological tests that assess concentration, attention, memory, intelligence, cognitive functioning and executive functioning.

Clinics off campus may take a different approach to testing, such as a simple screening test.

“While it’s easier, potentially, to see a different type of provider and get an ADHD diagnosis, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the person actually has ADHD because there’s a lot of complexity that goes into determining whether or not somebody meets those criteria,” Schell said.

Still, Mollick said she was glad she followed through and received testing elsewhere.

“I understand that it’s a lengthy testing process,” she said. “I was also told that to try to deter me as well. I ended up being right. I got this diagnosis from a different psychiatrist and they ended up being very expensive.”

While an evaluation through CAPS is a part of its covered services, testing is not, and the cost depends on an individual’s financial situation.

Before deciding on testing, Schell recommends students inform themselves on the condition and speak with a licensed clinical psychologist.

“There’s a lot of good information out there about ADHD and other mental health concerns online, but there’s also a lot of misinformation,” he said. “I think it’s important for students to really educate themselves about these conditions and really think through what is clinically most appropriate in terms of their needs.”

Alton Northup is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].