6 yrs old recently diagnosed ADHD looking for behavioral therapy.

[burceviks]

Hi , my 6 years old son recently diagnosed with ADHD. We suspect he has other conditions, like OCD. Diagnosis was done by Neurologist, but we are left to our own devices for treatment. Still very new with all this. His school says he needs a shadow at school. We are looking for terapist who can also help us with these in person support and in person therapies. Do we need to look for Children Psychiatrist or Pychologist/Therapist. Every thing seems covered for Autistic kids, but with ADHD, it is not clear at least to me, how to make a treatment plan without the meds

[Aspen797]

Welcome! I am sorry that the neurologist was less then helpful. That is very disappointing. ADHD often co-occurs with other disorders, so I hear you about having other concerns. On that note, is it possible for you to get in to see a developmental behavioral pediatrician? They are less common than neurologists and more likely to be at university affiliated hospitals, but they are more likely to have a broad range of experience with many pediatric diagnoses, therapies, and needs for referral. If you haven’t already, you may want to seek one out.

Many parents here report the most success with a combination of medication, therapy (psych, SLP, OT, etc., depending on needs) and school accommodations and skill teaching. Every state has a federally funded parent resource center that is intended to help parents of children with a disability in navigating education, health, and growth. You can find yours here: parentcenterhub.org/find-yo...

There are a couple of good websites for general information on ADHD as well as about therapy options and laws that govern your child’s education. Those are ADDitude magazine online and the Understood website.

Try not to let the label define your therapy approach. Labels will come and go, some will stick, some won’t, especially at the younger ages. Most health insurance companies cover an initial evaluation by a therapist. It doesn’t hurt to have your child evaluated by an OT and SLP and may be very helpful. Many parents also find positive parenting training useful ( triple p, the incredible years, etc.).

[Ven25]

We saw both a psychiatrist and a neurologist, so it may be helpful to see a pediatric psychiatrist in addition for you guys. The psychiatrist diagnosed ADHD and eventually prescribed medication (when we felt like it was the right thing). The neurologist diagnosed Autism (high functioning), and was against meds, but like you say that diagnosis opened doors with paid services like shadow aides in school. We saw two specialists and they both had very different approaches. We took what worked for us and my son has made a complete transformation - from being kicked out from his second preschool under 4yo to thriving and loving his new school. We also are doing OT and I took the Nurtured Hearth Approach course to learn better techniques of dealing with his impulses and behaviors. Hang in there, it's a long road but you will figure it out!

[hrose]

We've been working with a developmental pediatrician and she's been wonderful. I really like that she has the medical background of a pediatrician, with specialized knowledge and experience with ADHD/ASD and other conditions. I have found that developmental pediatricians are more accessible and less expensive than pediatric psychiatrists. Aside from managing medication, they also help with behavioral and therapeutic supports.

[Too_many_Legos]

There is good advice here but I will add that your regular pediatrician should be able to provide you with referrals and a list of specialists to seek further help. Or, the school counselor if the school has one.

[AdamFCastillo31]

Your concern is very right, only a few people are providing ADHD services/ treatment. But you shouldn't have to worry, I know a place where you can get help for your son. Yes, you should definitely go for counseling/therapies/ CBT sessions. In fact, therapy is one of the best treatments to deal with ADHD as you know medicines have high chances of side effects. Please have a look at this ezcareclinic.com/services/a... I am sure you will be able to seek professional help here. One of my family members took professional help for his daughter and they are quite satisfied with their services.Best of luck.