Reply to Might this be ADHD? How do we explore a diagnosis if so?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]It's dx mainly through parent and teacher questionnaires. Her teacher says it's not bad enough to warrant pursuing a dx, and you're not sure either. I would wait. You can read books like Smart but Scattered and try to implement some of the strategies. I wouldn't pay 4 k and pull her out of school for 2 days for a neuropsych given what you've shared.  When we filled out the parent questionnaire, we were like wheres the column for all the d@mn time and his teacher had been complaining about him.

Stimulants are the main medication for ADHD, and they can help a lot but also have non-trival side effects like appetite suppression and trouble sleeping. There are other medications like Strattera and guanfacine. [/quote]

I disagree. Do not wait. Outcomes are so much better with early diagnosis. A diagnosis doesn't mean you have to put your kids on meds, although meds were extremely helpful for my kid. I'm not sure who concluded she doesn't meet DSM criteria? Disregard the teacher. They have a whole class and if a kid is not disruptive and hence a problem for them, they tend to dismiss the needs. Go get this kid a neuropsychological evaluation. [/quote]

Sorry, my point was it will be difficult to get a dx even if you get a neuropsych because the dx is based on impairment in more than one setting (hence teacher and parent questionnaires) and the teacher doesn't seem to think your kid has a problem.  We've gone through 3 rounds of neuropsychs over the years, and each time the dx of ADHD was based on parent and teacher Vanderbilt questionnaires, which focus on the DSM criteria for ADHD that don't include emotional dysregulati on as a core symptom. It was absolutely the worst part of DS's ADHD and I think the dx criteria should include it.

That is different from thinking it will be money well spent to pursue a dx when she doesn't technically meet the criteria. You could try to get an appointment now for early next school year and see how she's doing then. Often ADHD becomes more apparent as school demands ramp up. And it would be hard to get in anywhere much before then anyhow. [/quote]

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