Anonymous wrote:DS received one at 10 to get into MCPS's Gifted, Talented and Learning Disabled program.
And then again at 17 to get updated diagnoses and accommodations for college.
His public school had already given him and IEP with maximum support for his "tentative" ADHD diagnosis done at 6 years old, with a developmental ped, which was much shorter and cheaper than a full neuropsych. The full neuros revealed a LOT more than ADHD, but some of the disabilities the school and I were already treating separately, because they were obvious (dysgraphia, anxiety, social-communication issues, dyscalculia, motor problems). At 17, he was additionally diagnosed with autism (which we had worked on for years, but hadn't paid the add-on fee to get evaluated for during the first neuro), which got him a private room and bath in college.
I suppose the moral is that you only do evaluations when an institution needs to see proof before doling out services and accommodations. Because with careful observation and research, you can kind of guess what your kid has going on anyway, and start addressing them yourself by hiring individual therapists and practicing at home every day.
+1 great advice