Clarifying AHDH diagnosis

[YazzyN]

My daughter’s primary dr said below. Does this mean she is diagnosed as ADHD or needs more evaluation to confirm it?

“She does meet criteria for ADHD and other concerns. I want her to get a more comprehensive evaluation and work with a psychiatrist in order to target her behaviors and interventions.”

[Knitting20projects]

It sounds like the person thinks she has ADHD & there are some additional things going on. Not sure what those things are from that quote.

[STEM_Dad]

"She does meet criteria for ADHD..." is pretty straightforward. While other conditions can exhibit similar traits, this statement seems pretty positive that the doctor believes your daughter indeed has ADHD.

As a parent of a minor in the US (which I gathered from your previous post), you have a right to know you child's diagnoses. So ask to see her records with the doctor's office. (Many medical practices have a website that you can go to in order to view the patient records for yourself and your minor children.)

The rest of the doctor's statements were: "...and other concerns. I want her to get a more comprehensive evaluation and work with a psychiatrist in order to target her behaviors and interventions.”

• "Other concerns" is vague, implying that the doctor isn't able to make a definitive diagnosis of whatever those are. You can ask the doctor to explain, but this might be their way of saying "I think there is more going on with this patient that are outside of my expertise".

• "...get a more comprehensive evaluation and work with a psychiatrist in order to target her behaviors and interventions.” That is more clear than "other concerns". A comprehensive evaluation should help

My guess is that the "other" refers to suspected comorbidities, but might also be code for suspicion of social or identity factors.

* i.e. Is your daughter being ostracized or bullied at school? Are there challenging family dynamics? Is she exploring gender identity questions, as many young people are at this time? (This latter one seems to be a very gray area for doctors and educators, from what I've seen in the news.)

~~~~~

e.g.

• Both of my older two kids experienced bullying and being socially outcast in school.

• My eldest daughter was sometimes defiant and confrontational; my older son was afraid of his mom's authoritarian parenting style, and so he withdrew. (My children also felt like they had to tiptoe around my personal religious beliefs, which I think played a big part in the following...)

• Starting by 15, my daughter questioned if she was bisexual, but later (in her 20s) determined that she is heterosexual...she told me about her questioning after she was 18. By 16, my son experienced bisexual attractions, but kept this to himself until he was 18, when he came out; he/they/she later also came out as gender fluid.

{I love my kids unconditionally, and I obviously didn't make it clear enough that I accept them for who they are. I pass on that lesson to you. Make sure that your daughter knows that you love her for who she is, regardless of how she identifies.}

[STEM_Dad in reply to STEM_Dad]

YazzyN

TL;DR

Be curious

Ask questions,

Seek understanding

[Uptowngirl12121]

I think you should just ask and say - you think she meets the criteria for ADHD, is this your formal diagnosis and if so can I have it in writing and if not do you have a suggestion of where I should go to get a more comprehensive and formal diagnosis? Also, can you recommend and refer me to a child pychiatrist?

[SierraPear]

Agreed with all above. It sounds like, yes, ADHD was confirmed. If you have the ability to message the doctor, I don't think it's a big deal to ask "Just to confirm, my child has been diagnosed with ADHD?" It would take seconds for the doctor to reply yes, no, or maybe.

[SierraPear]

And after our diagnosis, we also were referred to a psychiatrist for interventions like parenting classes and a parent support group. It has been very helpful to see that the challenging behaviors we see are all part of ADHD, we aren't alone, and that there are ways to (patiently) improve the behaviors. I recommend any support or interventions they can provide.

[mordrid22]

It sounds like the Dr. wants you to pursue the more extensive testing to confirm the suspected diagnosis of ADHD. The initial questionnaire/form that is typically filled out at a Dr's office is very basic. It gives and indication whether extensive testing is warranted or not.