Overview

The Center for Educational Resources and Counseling (ERC) provides an on-campus evaluation process for Tulane students who may have an attention deficit and/or hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Since there is no single test which can definitively diagnose ADHD, the ERC has set up an evaluation process to assess ADHD related symptoms as well as other disorders which may be involved or may better account for a student's presenting symptoms. The evaluation process involves a number of appointments with the ERC and at least one appointment with Student Health Services. As a result, the process takes at least four weeks to complete, and often much longer.

Students should take special care to keep all scheduled appointments. If an appointment needs to be changed, the student should call the ERC or Student Health Center in advance to reschedule. Missing even one appointment will inevitably delay the process. Due to current high demand for this service, students who miss more than one appointment may be asked to wait until the following semester to complete the evaluation.

Testing results are summarized by the ERC in a report for the Student Health Center to complete the evaluation process. The summary report will not be provided to any other entity unless the student signs a release of information to do so. Confidentiality of all test data and counseling is maintained to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Students sometimes decide they want to apply for accommodations for graduate school admissions tests or other board examinations (e.g., GRE, MCAT, LSAT, state bar) based on the evaluation conducted at Tulane. Each board addresses the documentation and standards independently, and it is the student's responsibility to communicate with the examining board to determine what is required to receive accommodations. The ERC will assist students in preparing documentation for the examining board, but this is an additional service outside of the evaluation process, and does not guarantee accommodations will be granted.

Fess Involved

As of September 2006, the cost of the ADHD evaluation is $200, which is payable to the ERC. This fee only partially covers the actual cost of conducting these evaluations. Students are, of course, free to pursue ADHD evaluation off-campus with a private qualified professional, but off-campus professionals typically charge a great deal more than the fees charged through the ERC. Usually, the ERC fee is split between the costs of performing a prescreening ($25) and the remainder of the ADHD test battery ($175) to allow for a preliminary assessment to determine if ADHD is likely, or if assessment of other disorder(s) should be pursued instead.

If a student decides to apply for accommodations for board examinations, an additional fee of $100 will be charged to assist in preparing and signing the documentation, which again is less than that charged by off-campus professionals.

The ADHD Evaluation Process

1. Visit the ERC office, fill out the initial paperwork, and make an appointment to begin the ADHD evaluation process at the ERC
2. Pay the prescreening fee of $25.00 and complete a series surveys and questionnaires.
3. Schedule an appointment to meet with an ERC counselor to discuss the recommendations made as a result of an assessment of the prescreening instruments. This is also the formal intake session for counseling at the ERC. Sometimes there will be sufficient evidence at this point that the student most likely does NOT have ADHD. If so, the student is encouraged to continue counseling at the ERC to address concern raised through the prescreening assessment, or appropriate referrals may be made, but the ADHD evaluation process stops at this point.
4. If the recommendation is to continue ADHD evaluation, schedule an appointment to begin this phase of the evaluation.
5. After paying the $175.00 fee, you will complete a series of standardized self-report instruments and schedule a computerized performance test.
6. Once all the testing is completed, schedule an appointment with an ERC psychologist who will conduct a clinical interview, discuss the results of the testing with you, and outline treatment options. The ERC psychologist may request additional psychological testing if further clarification would be helpful, but there are no additional fees charged for this testing. If the information gathered indicates ADHD and/or other disorder is probable, the ERC psychologist will refer you to the Student Health Center psychiatrist for final diagnosis and discussion of appropriate medication. The ERC will provide a written summary report of the ADHD evaluation to the Student Health Center psychiatrist.
7. The student is responsible for assuring that the ERC knows when he or she has an appointment with the Student Health Center psychiatrist. If the student does NOT inform the ERC of the appointment date and time, the report will NOT be sent to the Student Health Center psychiatrist in time for your appointment.

Tests to be Administered

Other test may be requested by your ERC counselor to address issues that may be revealed through screening to gain additional information that may be needed to help establish the likelihood of ADHD. Such tests and their purpose will be explained to you by your counselor if such a recommendation is made.