Attention Assessment

Attention testing is typically conducted starting at around age 6 to help identify children, adolescents, and adults who are struggling with the various elements of attention such as focusing, distractibility, controlling impulsivity, and zoning out or spacing out. Current assessment methods for attention require a combination of measures.

These include psychometric/standardized testing, clinical interviews, observations in various settings, and questionnaires. Continuous performance tests, such as the Integrated Visual and Auditory continuous performance test (IVA), are one of the essential tools used for identifying and describing attention. These measures examine these different parameters of attention deficit disorders and their most common co-morbid problems. When used in conjunction with other assessment methods, these tests can assist the clinician in making a determination about the presence of an attention deficit disorder and can classify the subtype of the attention deficit disorder.