ADHD and learning disability

[andrea478]

My 9 year son was diagnosed with ADHD last year and is struggling in school.

The pediatrician did not explain ADHD in details. She just want my son to take medication.

This disorder is new to me. I'm still learning about it.

I'm concern of my son getting behind in school. I'm also wondering if he has learning disability.

I'm not really sure what to do if I need to take him to Psychologist/Psychiatrist to get a comprehensive assessment if he has other condition than ADHD. I read insurance sometimes doesn't cover the testing.

Does anyone knows any doctor who specializes in ADHD somewhere close to Dallas, or Plano TX?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[Onthemove1971]

Welcome! Write a letter to his school and ask for an assessment to see if he has any learning struggles. This needs to be sent toa special department who can help assess your son.

It would also help if you brought paperwork in proving he has ADHD.to ahow them.

They will write an Asessment plan and go over it with you, this will show you all of the areas they suggest to assess in. They then have 60 days ( good idea to look up timelines) toto complete the assessments then show you what learning challenges he has. You then need to ask for either a 504 plan or a IEP ( Individual Education Plan) with an IEP,they will then write goals to help him.

One last thing, the reason his doctor was talking about medication with you is becuase when it is given in the correct dose, at the best time and the best type of medication, it can help decrease symptoms of ADHD for many children.

Best of luck in you journey! We hwant to send you big hugs we have all been in your shoes.

We are always here for you.

[SunnyStar6]

My son has ADHD and Dyslexia. I had him evaluated at one of the Universities for half the price. Graduate students conduct the evaluation under close supervision of their professors/supervisors. Also, the schools do fee evaluations. There are also some organizations that would do free evaluations (maybe Google for your city).

I would start with speaking to the psychologist or counselor in your son’s school. They should be able to guide you through the process. All the best!

[MomofOne13]

if you can't get the school to do the testing (or it's going to take too long), what you're looking for is a comprehensive psych/ed evaluation. If you have an child psychology centers in your area, they probably offer it. It can be pricey though, and insurance may cover part of it, but you'll have to ask the office what the billing codes are, and call your insurance and ask. We did one about 3.5 years ago for our son and it confirmed ADHD-C, dyslexia, dysgraphia. The report out has lots of recommendations, and it helped us get accommodations at school and help with a specialist teacher. We're about to do another one (they're only good for about 3 years). This time it's going to cost us $2600 and we'll see if insurance pick ups any of that afterwards.

[micarlso]

There is actually no neurological testing for ADHD. I have never heard insurance not covering. It’s more just an assessment by doctors, teachers and parents. There are a few different types of assessment tools. They are just forms. My daughter sees a child psychiatrist they because they have more knowledge and insight into ADHD than a primary doctor.

[ELucas13]

Your school may be able to do the evaluation but it takes time so try and get the ball rolling ASAP if you can. We had ours done and the whole process was 6 to 8 months. In that time there is a missed opportunity to get your child what he needs.

However, to do an evaluation can be very expensive. We were quoted up to $3000. If you can swing it, this may be your fastest route. However, we also encountered long waiting lists for this.

My son has a learning disability and ADHD. The ADHD was an easier diagnosis than the disability for us. Partly because he was somewhat textbook ADHD. It also took us some time to find the right medication cocktail to work for him. This was very stressful. But once you figure it out, it's quite the game changer.

A psychiatrist may be your best bet, especially one that focuses on children and/or ADHD. With that said, we had a very negative experience with a psychiatrist but that had more to do with who our insurance would cover and the fact she was unwilling to listen to us. We found a nurse practitioner who focuses on medication, and she was cheaper and listened to our concerns. Shop around and ask around.

There is a lot to learn. ADDitude Magazine is one of my favorite resources for information. They have webinars and a lot of free and accessible content.

[Echrista]

Definitely check out your local universities/research facilities/clinics that focus on assessing learning disabilities. I personally do not trust schools to conduct the most thorough and accurate evaluation. You really want an independent provider to conduct a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation for your child. This report was key for me to secure the services my son was entitled to. Prior to that, it was chasing the school to figure out what he needed. Good luck!

[HoldingonLou]

Since the pediatrician has already started the ball rolling that is good. I am sure they gave you and your child a checklist to go down and answer. The scoring helps them to identify adhd symptoms. Adhd is not a learning disability. You can google many different sites and read up on adhd for education. Reddit has alot of shared experiences about adhd. As OP have said. Reach out to the SPED department for an IEP or 504 plan. Sometimes the school psychologist will observe your child and bill your insurance. Whether they pay is ?? It's important to ask his teachers if a change in attention is noted once he has been on the medication after a month. The teachers will definitly be your best resource. Best wishes