ADHD Evaluation and Treatment in Kansas
Whether you're an adult who has wondered about ADHD for years or a parent looking for answers about your teenager, this page explains what an evaluation with me involves and what happens afterward. I'm Aliyah Ellis, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. I see patients in person at my office in Olathe, Kansas and by telehealth anywhere in the state, from age 13 up.
What an ADHD evaluation involves
An evaluation is a conversation, not a form you fill out alone. Most of our time goes to history — how attention, organization and follow-through have worked across your life, not just this year. Childhood and school matter here, because ADHD is a developmental condition. It doesn't begin in adulthood, even when no one recognizes it until then.
Attention problems are not specific to ADHD. Anxiety, depression, poor sleep and chronic stress all make it hard to concentrate, and more than one of them is often present at once. I look at those rather than assuming them away. That's the difference between a diagnosis you can rely on and a label that stops being useful in a year.
I don't rush appointments, and you'll always have room to ask questions and be part of decisions about your care.
For teenagers and their families
I see patients from age 13. For anyone under 18, a parent or guardian needs to be present for the first appointment — both for consent and because a caregiver's view of school, home and the last few years genuinely adds to the evaluation.
What treatment can look like
Treatment for ADHD isn't a synonym for medication, though medication is often part of it.
Medication management, when it's appropriate. My approach is conservative — I consider medications carefully and only when they truly support your goals, and I'll explain my reasoning rather than simply hand you a prescription.
GeneSight pharmacogenetic testing, when knowing how you metabolize a medication would change the choice.
Brief psychotherapy and skills work for what medication doesn't reach — task initiation, time blindness, the systems that keep a week from falling apart.
Sleep, exercise and structure, which sound like filler until you've treated ADHD without them.
I also take an education-focused approach, so you understand your diagnosis, your options, and what to expect along the way.
Cost and insurance
I'm currently in network with Aetna, Ascension (Smart Health), BCBS of Kansas, Carelon Behavioral Health, Cigna and Quest Behavioral Health. Credentialing is in progress with BCBS of Kansas City, Oscar (Optum), Oxford (Optum) and UnitedHealthcare (Optum).
If you're paying out of pocket, you'll receive a written Good Faith Estimate of what your care will cost before it begins — that's your right under federal law, and the details are on my policies page.
Common questions
Will I be prescribed a stimulant?
Not automatically. My approach to stimulant prescribing is thoughtful, cautious, and based on each patient's individual needs, history, symptoms, and treatment goals. I do not routinely or automatically prescribe stimulant medications. When a stimulant is considered, I take the time to carefully evaluate whether the potential benefits outweigh the risks and whether it is the most appropriate treatment option.
The first appointment is an evaluation, not a prescription visit. If medication turns out to be the right step, you'll understand why before anything is prescribed.
I'm already taking a stimulant prescribed by someone else. Can you take over?
Possibly — I handle these case by case. Records from your original evaluation and diagnosis help, and I'll want to understand your history and how treatment has gone before making decisions about continuing a prescription. I can't promise continuation before meeting you.
Can ADHD really be diagnosed over telehealth?
Yes. An ADHD evaluation is a clinical interview and history — there's no blood test or scan for it, and nothing about that process requires being in the same room. What matters is how much time it takes and how carefully it's done.
What if I also have anxiety or depression?
That's the usual case rather than the exception, and it's a reason to see someone who treats all of them. Anxiety, depression, burnout and mood-related concerns are treated here too, and I look at them as part of an ADHD evaluation rather than referring them out. You can read more about my anxiety treatment and depression treatment.
Do you see patients outside Kansas?
No. I see patients in person in Olathe and by telehealth only to patients physically located in Kansas at the time of their appointment.
What if I'm in crisis?
Telehealth psychiatry isn't emergency care. If you're in danger, call or text 988, or go to your nearest emergency department. My emergency disclaimer explains this in full.
Getting started
If this sounds like the kind of evaluation you're looking for, you can book directly — in person at my Olathe office, or by telehealth from anywhere in Kansas, whichever suits you. You're also welcome to read more about my services and medication management, or about my approach, first.