What can we help you find?

Living with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can feel like running a race where the rules keep changing. For children, it may look like difficulty staying on task in school, emotional outbursts or struggling to make and keep friends. For adults, it can show up as chronic disorganization, missed deadlines, impulsive decisions or a persistent sense that you are not living up to your potential.

What many people do not know is that effective, comprehensive ADHD care, including diagnosis, therapy and medication, is available right here in Upstate New York through Citizen Advocates.

If you or your child has been waiting for answers, or if you have had trouble finding a provider who can both diagnose ADHD and prescribe medication when needed, this guide is for you.

What Is ADHD?

ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders, affecting both children and adults. It is characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity that interfere with daily functioning and development.

There are three presentations of ADHD:

• Predominantly Inattentive: Difficulty sustaining attention, following through on tasks and staying organized.
• Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive: Excessive movement, difficulty waiting, acting without thinking.
• Combined Presentation: A mix of both inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms.

ADHD is not a character flaw or a matter of trying harder. It is a neurological condition that responds well to the right combination of professional support, therapy and, in many cases, medication.

Recognizing ADHD: Common Signs in Children and Adults

In children and teens:

• Difficulty focusing on schoolwork or following multi-step instructions
• Frequent careless mistakes or incomplete assignments
• Losing items needed for tasks, like pencils, books or homework
• Excessive talking, fidgeting or difficulty staying seated
• Acting impulsively, interrupting others or difficulty waiting their turn
• Emotional outbursts disproportionate to the situation

In adults:

• Chronic disorganization or difficulty managing time
• Forgetting appointments, bills or important tasks
• Difficulty starting or completing projects
• Restlessness or an ongoing sense of being “on the go”
• Impulsive spending, speaking or decision-making
• Trouble managing frustration or emotional reactions

Many adults with ADHD were never diagnosed as children. If any of these patterns feel familiar, it may be time to reach out for a professional evaluation.

How Citizen Advocates Diagnoses ADHD

Getting an accurate ADHD diagnosis is the essential first step toward effective treatment. At Citizen Advocates, our therapists use evidence-based assessment tools to evaluate both children and adults, including:

• Vanderbilt Assessment Scales: Widely used for diagnosing ADHD in children and adolescents, gathering input from parents and teachers.
• Adult Self-Report Scale (ASRS): A screening tool developed by the World Health Organization to identify ADHD symptoms in adults.

These tools, used alongside a comprehensive clinical interview, allow our team to build a complete picture of how ADHD may be affecting your daily life or your child’s development.

To get started, individuals complete an initial mental health assessment with one of our therapists. Learn more about our assessment and evaluation services.

Getting a Diagnosis and Medication When Your Primary Care Provider Can’t Help

One of the most common challenges we hear from families and adults seeking ADHD care is this: their primary care provider suspects ADHD but is unable or unwilling to prescribe ADHD medication. This is a real and frustrating barrier, and it is more common in Upstate New York communities where access to specialized psychiatric care can be limited.

Citizen Advocates offers a solution. Our therapist and provider team work together to evaluate, diagnose and, when clinically appropriate, prescribe medication for ADHD. You do not need a separate referral to a psychiatrist or a long wait at a specialty clinic. We provide the full continuum of ADHD care under one roof.

We also accept referrals directly from primary care providers. If your doctor has identified concerns about ADHD but is not in a position to manage treatment, they can refer you or your child to us for a complete evaluation and integrated care.

Learn more about our medication management services for adults and children and teens.

ADHD Medication Management: What to Expect

For some people with ADHD, medication may be a recommended part of treatment. ADHD medications work by supporting the brain’s ability to regulate attention and impulse control.

At Citizen Advocates, medication management for ADHD is not a one-time appointment. It is ongoing, coordinated care that includes:

• A thorough evaluation of symptoms, medical history and current needs
• Prescribing medication and carefully determining the right dosage
• Monitoring for effectiveness and potential side effects
• Regular follow-up visits to adjust the plan as needed
• Coordination between your prescriber and your therapist

For children and teens, family involvement is a key part of the process. Parents and guardians are encouraged to participate in monitoring progress and communicating any concerns to the care team.

ADHD Therapy at Citizen Advocates

Medication, when appropriate, can help manage core ADHD symptoms. But therapy plays an equally important role in helping individuals build the skills and self-awareness needed to thrive. Our therapists work with children and adults on key areas, including:

1. Skill Building

ADHD often makes everyday tasks that others find routine, such as organizing a workspace, managing a schedule or breaking a large project into steps, feel overwhelming or even impossible. It is not that people with ADHD lack intelligence or effort. They often lack the specific executive function skills that make those tasks manageable.

In therapy, skill building focuses on practical strategies tailored to how your brain works. This may include:

• Time management and planning techniques
• Organization systems for home, school or work
• Breaking tasks into manageable steps
• Strategies for initiating tasks and following through to completion
• Study or work habits that account for attention differences

These are not one-size-fits-all solutions. Your therapist works with you to find approaches that fit your life and your specific challenges.

2. Rejection Sensitivity Reduction

One of the less-discussed but deeply impactful aspects of ADHD is rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD), an intense emotional response to perceived criticism, failure or rejection. For many people with ADHD, even minor setbacks or neutral feedback can feel devastating.

This is not an overreaction or a personality flaw. It is a real neurological experience connected to how the ADHD brain processes emotional input. And it can significantly affect relationships, work performance and self-esteem.

Therapy for rejection sensitivity may include:

• Identifying thought patterns that intensify emotional reactions
• Developing strategies to pause before responding to perceived criticism
• Building resilience and a more realistic appraisal of situations
• Strengthening communication skills that reduce conflict

Over time, many individuals find that they are better able to navigate criticism and setbacks without the intense emotional responses that once disrupted their relationships and confidence.

3. Emotional Regulation Skills

ADHD is often associated with difficulties regulating emotions. This can look like frustration that escalates quickly, difficulty calming down after an upsetting event or emotions that feel larger and harder to manage than those of people around you.

For children with ADHD, this may show up as meltdowns or outbursts that seem out of proportion. For adults, it can mean difficulty managing stress at work, in parenting or in close relationships.

Emotional regulation skills developed in therapy help individuals:

• Recognize early warning signs of emotional escalation
• Use grounding and calming techniques in the moment
• Understand the connection between ADHD and emotional intensity
• Develop a personal toolkit of coping strategies
• Reduce the frequency and severity of emotional dysregulation over time

These skills benefit not just the individual but the people around them, improving family dynamics, friendships and workplace relationships.

4. Emotional Identification Skills

Before you can regulate an emotion, you have to be able to name it. Many people with ADHD struggle with what is called alexithymia, difficulty identifying and describing their own emotional states. They may know that something feels “off” or that they are “stressed,” but lack the vocabulary or internal awareness to get more specific than that.

This is not unusual, and it is something therapy can directly address. Developing emotional identification skills means learning to:

• Recognize physical sensations in the body that signal different emotions
• Expand your emotional vocabulary beyond basic terms like “fine” or “upset”
• Connect emotional experiences to their triggers
• Communicate feelings more clearly to others

For children and teens, these skills often improve relationships with peers and family members. For adults, they support more effective communication at work and in personal relationships, and they provide a foundation for all other therapeutic work.

ADHD Crisis Support

ADHD can sometimes intersect with mental health crises, especially when emotional dysregulation, co-occurring anxiety or depression, or life stressors reach a breaking point. If you or your child is experiencing a mental health crisis, Citizen Advocates operates 24/7 Behavioral Health Campuses in Malone, Ogdensburg and Watertown. These campuses provide around-the-clock support every day of the year.

You can also reach our 24-hour crisis lines at any time:

• Franklin Country: 518-483-3261
• Jefferson County: 315-755-1251
• St. Lawrence County: 315-265-2422

ADHD Services at Citizen Advocates: A Full Continuum of Care

We offer the full range of services needed to evaluate, treat and support individuals with ADHD:

• Mental Health Assessment and Evaluation — Comprehensive ADHD evaluations for children and adults using evidence-based tools
• Psychotherapy Services — Individual, group and family therapy with therapists experienced in ADHD
• Mental Health Medication Management — Ongoing psychiatric medication evaluation and monitoring for children and adults

Frequently Asked Questions

You Do Not Have to Keep Waiting

For too many people, ADHD goes undiagnosed or undertreated because the right care feels out of reach. Whether you are a parent watching your child struggle, or an adult who has always known something was different but never had a name for it, you deserve a clear answer and a real path forward.

At Citizen Advocates, we provide that path, from diagnosis to therapy to medication management, all coordinated by a team that knows you and your goals.

To learn more or to get started, visit our mental health services page or contact your nearest clinic. Support is available across Upstate New York, both in person and through telehealth, to meet you where you are.