While science has made it easier for professionals to diagnose ADHD, there is still no single test that can definitively tell whether or not one suffers from this behavioral disorder. One of the most important tools a doctor can use to detect child or adult ADHD is conversation with the patient. It can also help for the doctor to speak with the patient's family. This can supply information about the patient's habits, behaviors, moods, and focus.

When the psychologist or doctor performs the exam, he or she will almost inevitably speak with the patient to determine their history. This will be more easily understood when information from a parent or spouse is taken into account. A physical examination may also be conducted. The assessment will most likely include answering questions on a template form. Behavior in social, academic, and emotional settings will be addressed.

If the patient is a child, the doctor will ask the parents about the child's symptoms and when they started. They might also ask the child's teacher for behavior assessments and report cards.

If the patient is an adult, the doctor will speak with the spouse or somebody in the patient's family. ADHD always starts in childhood, so the doctor will attempt to find signs of the disorder in the patient's childhood. About half of the children diagnosed with ADHD will still have symptoms when they reach adulthood.

People have come to expect laboratory tests as a part of the diagnostic process. For this reason, parents, family members, and the patients themselves will often ask for brain scans or blood work in order to conclusively demonstrate that the patient has ADHD. Unfortunately, no such tests exist for ADHD.

Despite this, there are some medical disorders which display symptoms of ADHD. For this reason, these tests can be used to rule out other possibilities. The most conclusive way to diagnose ADHD is using questionnaires that identify symptoms in combination with interviews and observations.

More than one rating scale is used to diagnose the disorder. The Vanderbilt Assessment Scale is a 55-question form that can be used to identify ADHD, as well as to distinguish it from similar disorders like conduct disorder and oppositional-defiant disorder. It can also detect the presence of anxiety or depression.

The Behavior Assessment System for Children can be used to identify aggression and hyperactivity, inattention, focus problems, and depression and anxiety.

The Child Behavior Checklist/Teacher Report Form can also be used to identify ADHD.

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