Help

[Crowheart3]

It seems I’m failing as a parent. My 7 year old son may have ADHD but finding someone or someplace to help me is impossible. We are very rural. He demonstrates so many of the behaviors. I’m struggling and feel I’m failing as a parent because I just dont know how to get him to understand basic concepts and daily tasks anymore. It’s like he’s getting worse. I could definitely use some advise.

[sunshineruby]

Have you spoken to his pediatrician? We expressed our concerns with our son's pediatrician and they diagnosed him and prescribed his medication. Your son's pediatrician should be able to help you find resources if they're not able to diagnose him themselves.

[Ers3278]

I would start with his pediatrician to determine whether he truly has ADHD or something similar. They should be able to point you in the right direction. Keep in mind a child with ADHD need significant attention and constant reassurance.The school system can help setting him up in a IEP program.

[LizHarrod]

Our 7 year old son also has ADHD. He was diagnosed last year (his pediatrician was able to facilitate the process for us) and we have him on Adderall. I will say that the medication does help, but using medication alone isn't what has worked best. We read the following book and were able to tweak how we/he approaches different situations. I'd suggest getting it and using it as a resource while you go through the diagnosis process. 🙂

play.google.com/store/books...

[Marebear129]

I would ask your pediatrician to refer you to a facility that evaluates for many things... not just ADHD. My pediatrician referred us to a memory center when they did extensive testing. Could you drive to a city where that is offered? That is where I would start. Our pediatrician said she does not prescribe meds until there is a thorough evaluation. You have to rule out other things as well... learning disability, autism spectrum disorder, head injury etc. good luck on your journey.

[TaraCrowl]

I'm sorry to hear about your struggle. What state are you in? There are psychologists and counselors that can work over video (if that is possible for you), but they must be licensed in your state. You could start with your pediatrician, but ADHD can very often be misdiagnosed (anxiety, depression, learning disorders, autism spectrum can all be possible or in combination). You want an accurate diagnosis so if you don't feel you can get that where you live, it would be worth getting setup with a psychologist that can assess and diagnose in the same day so the drive is only once. I am a counselor and see ADHD misdiagnosed.

[floydwhite]

use online resources. if you have health insurance they can often give you a list if providers. i drive ocer an hour to my son's doctor because he has helped my son the most. there is one 5 minutes away but they seemed ineffective. good luck to you