17 year old boy

[Sensitiveblue]

my 17 year old son was just diagnosed with ADHD. Kaiser Permanente diagnosed him in a 20 min phone conversation and offered therapy and medication. Next available therapy appointment is in September. Kaiser is unable to give me any recourses or explanation why or how a 17 year old boy is diagnosed in 20 min with no help offered. Where do I find reliable resources and the information to get him the help he need. I appreciate any advice. Any good books about teens and ADHD you can recommend?

[PinkLemonadePie]

Hi! First I would get a second opinion. You should spend at least 1 hour with a professional and complete some surveys. Next, try 4th edition of Taking Charge of ADHD, Complete Guide for Parents by Russell Barkley. It helped me understand this new world I find myself in.

Best Regards

PLP

[Sensitiveblue in reply to PinkLemonadePie]

Thank you so much for your advise

[Crazyboymomma in reply to Sensitiveblue]

I agree about the book. There are hundreds out there, and many targeted at teens, but this book should be your starting point. Dr Barkley is an expert in the field. Highly recommend starting there. Also, Google “neuropsych testing” to see where you can have it done near you. This is about as solid a diagnosis as you can get and will come with tons of helpful info and recommendations, including nexts steps - all from a psychiatrist who specializes in adhd. Feel free to msg me!

[Sensitiveblue in reply to Crazyboymomma]

Thank you so much for your advice. I already orders the book

[Mamamichl in reply to Crazyboymomma]

I second getting a neuropsych evaluation. Ours was around 6 hours in one day (and took 6 months to get in), but the school thought my kid was asd and they were adhd with dmdd. Ours was in Portland, or.

[LAJ12345]

My son has finally come right this year after putting him on multinutrients. He takes the clinical dose of Hardys daily essential nutrients (12 per day) and rhodiola rosea (NOW) and he has just passed his first semester of university after a chaotic last few years at school.

Hardys have been studied for adhd in kids.

hardynutritionals.com/studi...

It’s worth a first try before getting into any drugs.

[Sensitiveblue in reply to LAJ12345]

Thank you so much. I appreciate you taking the time to respond

[Mmagusin]

Sounds super irresponsible of the Kaiser doctor. First off, he’s 17 & it’s now diagnosed? I would explore first if new behaviors are situational. Can you share the behaviors you’re observing? Not a doctor, but my own son was diagnosed at six years old & we’ve lived it. He’s 15 now

[Sensitiveblue in reply to Mmagusin]

He went to an alternative school for elementary and middle school and we didn’t see any signs of ADHD. But when he started public Highschool he had a hard time with being on time with assignments. Academics don’t seem to be the problem but staying on task and getting him to sit down. He is also chaotic, disorganized, and forgetful at home. He gets frustrated easily and started showing signs of anxiety.

[eva2022]

Kaiser lets me choose my doctor…maybe a second opinion will help! If paperwork was submitted beforehand, that process seems pretty standard from what I’ve heard (ie, the doctor looking at feedback from parents and school and making a diagnosis.)

[Sensitiveblue in reply to eva2022]

They told me that parents and schools are not involved when a child is older than 12 years old.

[yeller]

It is a journey. You are to be commended for reaching out and being open to feedback. I found the videos by Dr Tracey Marks helpful (YouTube). Trust your instincts and you can always try a pathway, and change the pathway if it does not seem to help. Best advice I got was just continue to love the shit out of your challenging child; positive affirmations. Its tough out there for teens these days. Hang in there. Josie

[Sensitiveblue in reply to yeller]

Thank you Josie!

[Ejcox2002]

Do you think your son has ADHD?

[Sensitiveblue in reply to Ejcox2002]

not sure. Some of the characteristics really fit and some are not.