ADHD diagnosis in your past?
Ask AOPA’s Wingman for help
ADHD Review
These key documents will assist the applicant and the AME in determining if a medical certificate can be issued at the time of examination rather than being deferred to the FAA:
- No treatment or use of ADHD medications for any reason in the past four years.
- No symptoms in the past four years.
- Detailed records showing no instability in academic, occupational, or social functioning within the past four years, and no other psychiatric conditions or diagnoses.
If an applicant doesn’t meet these criteria, the case will be deferred by the AME to the FAA for evaluation.
aopa.org/mentalhealthThat inability to sit still or stay in line, or acting out impulsively led parents to their children’s doctors for help. ADHD often led to poor school performance, and many of those who were diagnosed were put on medications such as Ritalin and Adderall. Very often, the symptoms of ADHD gradually decreased with age. While the diagnosis still exists, many have outgrown it.
According to 21-year AOPA medical certification specialist Jacquie Brown, one of the most common questions put before the AOPA Pilot Information Center concerns ADHD diagnosis and medication. “It’s a big question; about a quarter of the people I talk to ask about ADHD past and medications,” she said.
Are you concerned about how some of your answers on the pilot medical application may be viewed by an AME, especially if you were diagnosed and treated for ADHD but are no longer on medication?
AOPA’s free Wingman MedXPress simulator previews the questions the FAA will ask on the real thing. You can see what kind of information you will need to provide. The AOPA review is free for members, or you can have one of the Wingman Med pilot-doctors review your answers to discuss any potential issues affecting your certification. 
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