New Diagnosis Today. Many Questions, please help.🙂

[1cage]

Hi all, my son is very active and loses focus at school. The teachers completed the questionaire as well as we did as his parents. The doctor said it showed that he did have some hyperactivity and diagnosed him with ADHD. My question is should I accept a diagnoses based on the questionnaires? Or is there other avenues I can go to get a more concrete diagnosis?

[AliciaMPugh]

My 6yr old was diagnosed in September. The main thing is to watch his behaviors for a few months. Certain things he does, is he impulsive, does he know the rules but doesn't take time to think about the consequences, does he have disregard for peoples/other kids personal space. Those are the things my doctor had me watch and make note of. He had be hold off on a diagnosis until he got into school to see how he would behave in a structured setting. Once school started in August it was obvious he was different amongst the other kids. He struggled with boundaries and getting up, following direction, etc. It's a work in progress bc even on 15mg of focalin he still has his days as if he hadn't taken anything. But pay attention to your child and keep track of the behaviors, there will be a trend there.

[123K]

Well you know your child, does he present hyperactive behavior. I know my son does, their is no doubt in my mind that my son does not have ADHD. But if you have questions get a second opinion.

[Janemariekathryn in reply to 123K]

There are Three types of ADHD. The most notable is with Hyperactivity. Another is without hyperactivity but difficulty staying focused and on task. Losing things and very disorganized. Then there is Sub-type which is a combination of both.Not all children with ADHD are hyperactive.

[Cindy479]

Besides the questioners a psychologist will do different test and get a final report. We took our son to a private psychologist but the school psychologist will also do there testing.

I hope this info helps

[Mommyofahero]

Unfortunately that's the test for ADHD a questionnaire with most questions having the word "often" in them. Often can mean different for everyone. I would recommend a strong structure, food changes, good vitamins fish oil & a alot of patience. Also get a second opinion just to feel better. Good luck & God bless!

[Nursern31 in reply to Mommyofahero]

This is not true. A psychologist will do extensive testing for and give a detailed report. We took our son to a psychologist at age 6 and he was diagnosed with ADHD. It was the start of determining what treatment we wanted for our son. Good luck!!

[22789]

Ask the school to complete an assessment to see if and how ADHD impacts his ability to access the curriculum. The assessment is at no charge to you. Your son at a minimum is subject to protection under a 504 Plan and might qualify for an IEP.

[Janemariekathryn in reply to 22789]

You need to be your child’s # 1 advocate. I had to request that my son be tested in School. That was after he was diagnosed by Child Psychiatrist with ADHD. My son struggled in school since he started. I was told by teachers and a guidance counselor that he was just lazy , needed to be tutored and disciplined. I addressed all of this advice and saw very little if any change. The school Nurse that my son often spent time with recommended this particular child study center and Psychiatrist. This is how my son was finally diagnosed . With Therapy and becoming educated myself on ADHD, our lives have become better. At least we know the path we’re on. I really believe that teachers need to be more educated on ADHD. If they don’t understand how to deal with a student who has ADHD or has yet to be diagnosed with it, it becomes a very stressful situation for the student, teacher and parent! Our school needs more ADHD awareness .

[1cage in reply to Janemariekathryn]

Yes, I agree. We really need more understanding in the school.

[1cage in reply to Janemariekathryn]

Thanks so much. If he does in fact have ADHD then I’m all for getting the treatment he needs. But he’s a kind little boy, who just laughs a lot and talks loud with his friends. He is struggling in math, but I’m not sure if that’s a focus issue or if that’s simply having a hard time with the work. I just don’t want a wrong diagnosis because everyone wants to hurry up and put a bandaid on the problem. Thanks for the advice and info.

[jrjohnson]

This exact thing happened with my son today. A psychologist diagnosed him with ADHD based on the Vanderbilt questionnaires filled out by both parents and a teacher. The psychologist has never actually laid eyes on my son. I was stunned that she would provide a diagnosis based on a single measure. I'm wondering if I need to pursue a second opinion just so I can get someone to do a more comprehensive evaluation that includes some interaction with my child or at least an observation.

[1cage in reply to jrjohnson]

Yes exactly, I asked my pediatrician for a referral to a psychologist. I was reading on chadd.org and they said to be sure to ask for a comprehensive exam. As far as I’m concerned, a questioniare filled out by teachers who are juggling different personalities all day isn’t good enough for me to start medicating my kid. It just seems to me an opinion is not a diagnosis of a chemical imbalance, there should be some better testing for that.

[jrjohnson in reply to 1cage]

I totally agree. I'm going to push for a more comprehensive eval and see what I can get through the behavioral health services I can access through my insurance.

I think the reason I was most upset about such a quick diagnosis is because no one took the time to get to know my child. I mean, she never even MET him! My goal is to try as many different behavior modification techniques as possible before starting any medication. I'm looking for someone to help me identify his strengths and weaknesses so that I can work with him on specific skills. He's only in kindergarten so I feel like I have time to teach him things since we caught this early. Some other people on this site recommended the book Smart but Scattered so I started reading it and is helping SO much!

[Janemariekathryn in reply to 1cage]

ADHD isn’t a chemical imbalance . The frontal lobe of the brain is sort of rewired differently. Where you and I can filter Information that comes into our brain and process it . A person with ADHD isn’t always able to focus on one issue and process then go to the next. The information comes in continuously and much of it, at least what isn’t very interesting to them, isn’t processed. Chemicals are used to try and assist or correct this mishap. Food additives, processed foods and stress increase ADHD.

[BVBE in reply to jrjohnson]

We didn't like just the written questiona for a diagnosis, so we went to a more engaged psychologist, and while we received the same diagnosis, we were more acceptance of it because if the one on one time that was spent with our son.

[pwb78]

If you want a concrete diagnosis (insofar as those are possible), I suggest going to a psychologist or psychiatrist who will do a full evaluative workup. For my son, this included questionnaires and a three hour assessment on areas as broad as IQ, ADHD, and autism. This type of evaluation will help you understand your child much more fully. I think you may need to specify a neuropsychological evaluation, though, to get this full assessment.

[baba8]

You should see an education psychologist if you can find one. Ask your doctor about having a further evaluation. Answering questionnaires is a very good start but have another opinion to check that their are no learning disabilities. The more you know about what is really going on the better.