Understanding ADHD
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is a neurodevelopmental condition involving persistent difficulties with attention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, or a combination. Symptoms begin in childhood, although some people are not recognized or diagnosed until adulthood. ADHD is not established by occasional distraction, a difficult week, or a screening score alone. A careful assessment considers the pattern across time and different areas of life.
What daily life can feel like
You may know what needs to happen yet struggle to start, organize, or finish it. Time can be hard to manage, belongings may go missing, and details may slip through despite considerable effort. Some people interrupt or act before thinking; others appear quiet while struggling to keep track of a conversation. Restlessness may feel internal rather than look like constant movement. These experiences differ from person to person and can change as expectations at school, work, or home increase.
How ADHD can affect your life
Missed deadlines, forgotten plans, and unfinished tasks can create friction in relationships or undermine confidence. Students may spend far longer on assignments than expected. Adults may feel that they are continually catching up with responsibilities. Repeated criticism can add distress to practical difficulties. Similar problems can also arise from anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, and other conditions, so these examples should not be used to diagnose yourself or someone else.
How assessment and care can help
An evaluation explores developmental history, symptoms in more than one setting, functional impact, health history, and other possible explanations. School records or observations from someone who knows you may be useful when available and appropriate. Evidence-based care can include medication, behavioral strategies, and supports tailored to daily demands. Medication decisions are individualized; an evaluation does not guarantee a stimulant prescription. Additional assessment or referral may be needed to understand learning concerns or other overlapping needs.
Skills-focused CBT may be useful for adults; behavioral strategies and parent or school supports can be important for adolescents. The approach must fit the person’s age, needs, and available supports.
Planned QbCheck assessment
We plan to offer QbCheck as an additional source of information within a comprehensive ADHD evaluation, not as a stand-alone diagnostic test. It can be completed remotely at home when clinically appropriate. The manufacturer describes use for ages 6 through 60; suitability is assessed individually within our ages 12 and older practice. Availability, fees, and any inclusion in the ADHD evaluation must be confirmed before booking.
Exploring care at Mountain States Psychiatry
Our proposed Colorado practice serves adults and adolescents ages 12 and older. The dedicated ADHD evaluation is 75 minutes at a self-pay fee of $475, distinct from the general 60-minute psychiatric evaluation. ADHD follow-ups are 20 minutes at $250; established patients require follow-up at least every three months, with frequency individualized as clinically indicated. See New Patients and Insurance and Billing for appointment information. This preview cannot accept bookings. Your assessment, treatment options, and suitability for outpatient care require an individual clinical conversation.
Assessment & additional information
Comprehensive assessment and clinical tools
A comprehensive psychiatric evaluation starts with your story, not a questionnaire score. We review symptoms, daily functioning, medical and treatment history, sleep, substance use, safety, and possible overlapping conditions. An assessment also considers the timing and context of symptoms, strengths, supports, and what you want treatment to address.
Age-appropriate screening and symptom-rating tools can help clarify concerns and track progress, but they do not replace clinical diagnosis. A positive screen is not a diagnosis, and a low score does not necessarily rule out a concern. Tools are selected according to the person, clinical question, age range, and applicable licensing requirements.
Examples for clinician selection include PHQ-9 for depression and GAD-7 for anxiety, with developmentally appropriate alternatives when needed. Adult ADHD assessment may use an ASRS; adolescent assessment may draw on youth, parent, and teacher ratings. OCD severity may be tracked with Y-BOCS or CY-BOCS, rather than treating either as a stand-alone diagnostic screen.
For trauma symptoms, the adult PCL-5 or an age-validated youth measure may help assessment and monitoring. Adult alcohol or drug screening may use AUDIT-C or DAST-10; CRAFFT is designed for ages 12 through 21. Bipolar assessment emphasizes the history of mood episodes, sleep, energy, functioning, and changes over time, rather than relying on a screening score.
These are examples under clinical review, not a committed testing battery or a promise that every patient will receive every measure. No instrument questions are reproduced here. Any direct testing, consent, records review, and caregiver involvement will be selected and explained as appropriate.
Supporting resources
Planned testing and its limits
QbCheck is a computer-based ADHD assessment that measures attention, activity, and impulsivity. When clinically appropriate, it can be completed at home. QbCheck is the remote-capable product; QbTest uses an in-clinic equipment-based assessment. Neither should be presented as a stand-alone answer to whether someone has ADHD. Results must be considered alongside developmental history, symptoms, rating scales, functional impact, and other possible explanations.
The manufacturer describes QbCheck for ages 6 through 60. Mountain States Psychiatry serves ages 12 and older, so test suitability is not automatic for everyone in the practice. QbCheck is planned, not yet confirmed as active. Test arrangements, fees, and whether it is included in the $475 ADHD evaluation must be confirmed before booking.
Within our ages 12 and older practice, planned QbCheck assessment is limited to ages 12 through 60, subject to individual suitability and confirmed availability.
Supporting resources
Further reading
Educational resources reviewed October 27, 2026. This information is not a diagnosis or an individualized treatment recommendation.
Planning your next step
New Patients · Insurance & Billing
This remains a design preview. Appointment requests, intake, and payments are not enabled.