Just got a diagnosis for 16 DS. "Very Mild" ADHD Inattentive. 99 percentile intelligence for some things, 37% for others. Won't do homework. Doesn't appear to understand social life. Very kind and never gets in trouble. Gets passing grades because teachers like him and give him non-mandated extra time. We now are going to present the diagnosis to school and hope for the best as far as what they can do to help him. The diagnosis was a bit frustrating as he is not quite on the med scale although we will talk to ped about it. You are not alone.

Anonymous wrote:To those with experience, how does medication help? And how long does it take for it to take effect?

Almost immediately for my DD. She took a low dose 5 mg/day Focalin for a week and didn't notice a difference, then increased dosage to 10mg/day and no difference, then went to 15mg and she noticed a solid difference in her ability to focus in the classroom and retain the information. It is Focalin XR so she takes the one dose before school and it lasts for from about 8am to 3pm.

OP from what you've written I am so surprised that your DS was not flagged by his teachers already - years ago!

Yes, get him evaluated right away. You are doing him a disservice by not getting him evaluated and getting him the appropriate accommodations and help he obviously needs. If you want him to be successful going forward in school and life in general, get him the help he needs.

Insurance? the only places that will take insurance are Childrens Hospital and Kennedy Kreiger (KKI), which is part of Hopkins in Baltimore. Long wait list for both, so just get on the wait lists. Other than that, bite the bullet and pay out of pocket to get your son evaluated. Yes it will run you $4K, but in the long run you will be happy you did it. Ask yourself - 10 years from now will you be kicking yourself for NOT spending the $4K to get him properly evaluated.

Step 1: call Children's and KKI - get on both wait lists
Step 2: call a few private psychologists and get on their wait lists.
Step 3: take a deep breath, it will all be oK

Anonymous wrote:Daisy Pasqualvaca. She's great, it takes a couple of months to get in, but worth it.
We found Stixrud to be too big and cold...it's become a factory. But obviously many people on this thread have had good luck there--we did not.

Totally agree with this observation. Daisy is great, as is Dr. Bleiberg in Bethesda.

Stixrud "used to be" the gold standard, but in my strong opinion that is no longer the case. They truly operate like a factory, churning out evaluations. Over the last 4 years they've managed to lose/push out three high profile, highly respected doctors.

My other HUGE beef with Stixrud is that the psychologist does not administer the evaluation on both days. They have a grad student doing the first day of testing, then the grad student shares her/his findings with the doctor. The doc then conducts the second day of testing and also does the diagnosing.
For $4K I want the psychologist involved face to face from the beginning to the end.

Someone else mentioned that fees for Stixrud start at $2500? that is incorrect unless you're talking about 10 years ago? Their evals start at $3500 and go up from there, especially if ASD is suspected.

OP I'm going through this now. I don't know where'd you are. But my son is going to Quince Orchard Psychotherapy and has just started testing. The majority of it is covered by insurance. I went through participating providers with the insurance (Carefirst Blue Cross Blue Shield). These exams can run thousands of dollars and we don't have that. So I'm just putting out a different resource for you. We both really like his doctor. And she's very thorough. They have a waiting list but it only took about a month to get in.

He was initially diagnosed by his pediatrician and put on Concerta. He's been doing a lot better on that, but he is losing weight. We are doing the full exam to identify any potential learning disabilities and also because I think he has anxiety, and we all want to figure out how those things are impacting him.

What convinced me to take him in the first place is that the head of school said he knows what he's supposed to do but he can't make his brain and body do it. And that's very frustrating for him. He's only been on the meds for 3 weeks but he's a lot happier.

It might be good to start with your pediatrician or primary physician. They have a host of resources that they can probably suggest based on his/her diagnosis or thoughts about your son. This will also put your mind at ease as you will have a professional opinion and not feel so burdened with trying to figure this out. It can be so many things from normal developmental stuff to him needing additional support. It sounds like you and your husband are very loving and your son needs your love while you guide with a firm hand. It is good to remind him that he is loved and special. He will also learn that out of your love and concern, you are teaching him responsibility and accountability. It may be a hard road, but you will all get there. Reach out for help. Be sure to plan time for a date night with your husband when you both need some time to just be adults and get a break. I wish you all well.

Anonymous wrote:Or by getting an older child diagnosed you can help them understand why they are the way they are. ADHD isn't a defect. It just is how they are wired.

It was a huge relief to my older teen DS to understand WHY he was struggling so much.

Daisy Pasqualvaca. She's great, it takes a couple of months to get in, but worth it.
We found Stixrud to be too big and cold...it's become a factory. But obviously many people on this thread have had good luck there--we did not.

Anonymous wrote:My DD was diagnosed w/ADHD Inattentive after her first half year of H.S. The crap hit the fan when she started high school- work wasn't being turned in, chaos in the house, issues with friends, etc. We went to pediatrician, had her tested and diagnosed. She now takes Focalin in the morning before school, does behavioral therapy once a month, and we constantly try to help her stay organized. What a turnaround- her grades are much better, she is happier and life has become much more stable for her.
I wish I had followed my instincts earlier and had her tested before high school, it would likely have prevented such a tough period for her (and us).

09:30 here - I completely agree.

Stixrud is excellent. Expensive, but excellent.

Anonymous wrote:I highly recommend Stixrud Group in Silver Spring. I'm sure there are other great groups in the area as well. My DS was diagnosed with ADHD, inattentive type in 2nd or 3rd grade. We used Dr. Wasserman and she was amazing. The report (a full neuropsych evaluation) was very thorough. Unfortunately, my son was so off the charts inattentive, that it was not able to be managed without medication. There are a few books she recommended which are great: "Late, Lost, and Unprepared" and "Smart but Scattered". Good luck!

I second this. Our DC was diagnosed at 15yo and it was so helpful to know what we were dealing with. We engaged a tutor and organizational coach and he later (with our input) decided to go on medication. He works to his strengths and has coping mechanisms/tools for compensating for his challenges.

He is now a highly successful college freshman at a small liberal arts school. (FWIW, IMO small colleges are a much better environment for these kids than large ones.)

PP here. Got DS tested in 2nd grade when he was having difficulty reading and remembering site words. He needed to sound out very simple words (that you would normally learn in K) and couldn't remember key words (main character's name in a book he was reading). Testing at Stixrud was so worth the 3K. Insurance did not cover any cost. He was diagnosed with ADHD, inattentive type, which was too severe to be treated/managed without medication. It was like a light switch was turned on when he started medication. Immediately after starting his medication, he remembered not only the main character from the story, but small details. It was amazing. Everything was in his head, it just wasn't coming out. As another PP said, there is nothing wrong with ADHD kids, they are just wired differently and some may need medication to allow the neurons to connect and fire properly. DH and I are not ashamed of our DS and told him he should never be ashamed that he takes medication. He gets great grades and will undoubtedly accomplish great things. OP, please ignore the negative posts. As a parent who has gone through this, I understand. We only want to support our children and give them the tools they will need to develop into their best self. DH and I were in tears when we first realized there may be a problem, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Hang in there!

Anonymous wrote:To those with experience, how does medication help? And how long does it take for it to take effect?

Finding the right medication is as much art as science. Sometimes you get lucky and the first medication works and it's simply a matter of tweaking the dosage.

The stimulant class will start taking effect almost immediately. The others can take up to a month or 6 weeks. It is easier with an older child in the sense that they can tell you how they are feeling and discuss the side effects more clearly than young children might be able to.

My DD was diagnosed w/ADHD Inattentive after her first half year of H.S. The crap hit the fan when she started high school- work wasn't being turned in, chaos in the house, issues with friends, etc. We went to pediatrician, had her tested and diagnosed. She now takes Focalin in the morning before school, does behavioral therapy once a month, and we constantly try to help her stay organized. What a turnaround- her grades are much better, she is happier and life has become much more stable for her.
I wish I had followed my instincts earlier and had her tested before high school, it would likely have prevented such a tough period for her (and us).

To those with experience, how does medication help? And how long does it take for it to take effect?

Or by getting an older child diagnosed you can help them understand why they are the way they are. ADHD isn't a defect. It just is how they are wired.