Where to start with possible ADD?

[Anonymous]

These medications are not without risks. See a psychiatrist. Do not just go to a pediatrician for medication management.

I think it’s best to have an evaluation. The parent and teacher questionnaires are helpful if they are both in agreement. However, sometimes there are other explanations for the behaviors that are endorsed. For example, I have a teen with depression and anxiety who complained to me he had ADHD. I have experience in this area and suspected the lack of focus was the result of anxiety and depression. I spoke to his therapist who agreed. Then I had him see a psychiatrist who also agreed. Meanwhile the pediatrician’s first response was to suggest ADHD meds. I’m glad I didn’t listen. DD is now in college but was diagnosed in MS. In hindsight, she is textbook inattentive but because her grades were ok and she wasn’t at all disruptive in school, the teachers never expressed any concerns. Their questionnaires weren’t useful. Her therapist and psychiatrist jointly diagnosed after getting to know her really well. We followed up with a neuropsychologist. Medication was life changing for her but it requires really good supervision and I am glad we have had a good psychiatrist.

I have a 3rd who was misdiagnosed with ADHD by the pediatrician in early elementary school. It turned out to be LD. The meds we tried were a nightmare.

I understand the desire to avoid testing. It’s expensive and hard to get an appointment. But I wouldn’t want to give my kids stimulant meds without.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These medications are not without risks. See a psychiatrist. Do not just go to a pediatrician for medication management.

I think it’s best to have an evaluation. The parent and teacher questionnaires are helpful if they are both in agreement. However, sometimes there are other explanations for the behaviors that are endorsed. For example, I have a teen with depression and anxiety who complained to me he had ADHD. I have experience in this area and suspected the lack of focus was the result of anxiety and depression. I spoke to his therapist who agreed. Then I had him see a psychiatrist who also agreed. Meanwhile the pediatrician’s first response was to suggest ADHD meds. I’m glad I didn’t listen. DD is now in college but was diagnosed in MS. In hindsight, she is textbook inattentive but because her grades were ok and she wasn’t at all disruptive in school, the teachers never expressed any concerns. Their questionnaires weren’t useful. Her therapist and psychiatrist jointly diagnosed after getting to know her really well. We followed up with a neuropsychologist. Medication was life changing for her but it requires really good supervision and I am glad we have had a good psychiatrist.

I have a 3rd who was misdiagnosed with ADHD by the pediatrician in early elementary school. It turned out to be LD. The meds we tried were a nightmare.

I understand the desire to avoid testing. It’s expensive and hard to get an appointment. But I wouldn’t want to give my kids stimulant meds without.

Agree it is good to see both a pediatrician and teen psychiatrist (long wait lists right now) and to a get an educational psych evaluation by trained educational psychologist to understand cognitive profile of individual student .

However we had opposite experience / many youth with ADHD suffer from emotional disregulation. .pediairricannokaced dc on psych meds that made things way worse and one negatively counteracted stimulant ADHD meds.

So DC’s psychiatrist greatly reduced amount of medicine and used an ADHD med that does not impact nervous system and helps with emotional regulation related to ADHD. Pediatricians are vital to be kept in loop. Ours will defer to psychiatrist on ADHD related meds but still treats nearly everything else

Neuro psyche evaluations help with getting right accommodations at school and fostering home school partnerships so both sides know what they can to do to better support your DC.

But PP is right - there may be other possible diagnoses apart from ADHD inattentive type and it is best to work with various professionals to figure out what your DC needs.

OP - Good luck - parenting children/ teens with ADHD or something that presents in similar ways - is not an easy or short journey for most of us.