Teacher tells me to take son to doctor to check for ADD/ADHD...

[cynatnite]

any advice or suggestions?

This is a new thing for me. :scared:

[wildeyed]

1. I am hardly an expert, but if I recall,

you should not rely only on a pediatrician's expertise when making this kind of decision. I think you are supposed to have a complete neuropsychological evaluation to be certain.

ADHD is tricky. Lots of things that are not ADHD but look like it in the classroom. Auditory and visual processing issues can seem like inattention. Really high IQ kids are often ID'ed as ADHD because they are bored and don't pay attention. Developmentally, some young kids are not ready for the structure that many schools impose. I am homeschooling my K kid this year because I knew he wouldn't thrive in a highly structured classroom. I am looking for an alternative, but for now, this is working for us.

Lots of cool and successful people are thought to have had ADHD. Einstien, Thomas Edison, people like that. So there is an upside to condition, too.

Whatever you find out, you know your kid best. Get educated, talk to as many people as you can, but always listen to your gut over what the 'experts' tell you. That is what I have learned after dealing with the issues of my two non-typical learners.

[cynatnite]

4. Thank you! n/t

[fight4my3sons]

2. How old is your son?

How long has your son been in school? What kind of behaviors is the teacher seeing? (of course you don't have to answer these questions) I only ask because it is pretty early in the school year and kids are still learning routines and such. My son started school Aug 27th, he's in first grade, will be 6 in two weeks. I just spoke to his teacher and she said many of the students in his class are still getting used to the routines, learning the rules and feeling comfortable with each other. I think that wildeyed had good suggestions. I would not only rely on the pediatrician, I would also see a neurologist.

[cynatnite]

3. He's in third grade...

He's been having problems for a few years. Past teachers and I have discussed this before. I've resisted doing anything in the past and decided it's now time to do something about it.

I've got the name of a good pediatrician to start with.

[fight4my3sons]

5. Good luck on your journey with him.

I know it is not an easy step. My older brother and younger sister were both diagnosed ADHD while in elementary school (this was back in the 70's). My brother's oldest son, the same age as your son, also has the same diagnosis.

[tigereye]

7. a good school psychologist or any psychologist who does testing would

work, it doesn't have to be a neuropsych. A lot of times as the work gets harder as kids get older, these things become more noticeable. Testing can also rule out a Learning Disability or other issues.

They should also have the school and you fill out ADHD scales and make sure there aren't some other physical reasons that he's inattentive, etc. There are some websites who have suggestions about ways to avoid medication since a lot of parents are very uncomfortable with the idea of medication.

YMMV.


Good luck!

[moc]

6. My husband is a child therapist. If you go to your pediatrician, make sure you

get a referral to a behavioral health specialist. Pediatricians really aren't trained to fully evaluate/treat ADD.

It may also be worth a full work up by a neuropsychologist specializing in ADD issues. A friend of mine had her daughter evaluated, and it was helpful to identify additional issues such as an auditory processing disorder.

My husband likes a book by Russell Barkley called Taking Charge of ADHD. Don't be afraid of the issue of medication. As my husband points out to the parents of his patients who are hesitant, if your child had diabetes, would you hesitate to give him insulin?

With that said, know that medication is most effective in combination with working with a therapist. Often, a therapist will work with your son for a while before determining if medication is warranted. Even then, it needs to be closely monitored and dosage has to be adjusted. Medication is a very individual thing - what works for one doesn't work for another.

If you have any questions you'd like me to pose to my husband, feel free to PM me.

Best wishes.

[Ilsa]

8. You can also request that the school do a comprehensive screening using

the Special Services staff that should have knowledge of all the best tools for identifying ADD/ADHD.

Also, a pediatrician should be using some form of questionnaire/eval for all of your child's teachers and you. Your pediatrician should not be handing out scripts for the variety of ADD/ADHD meds without a thorough evaluation. Some are well-prepared for handling this; some are not.

Also, it is best for you to become familiar with the various drugs used to treat the conditions. Some of them are "controlled", meaning a new script is required every month. Some cause weight loss, low appetite, poor sleep, upset stomach, etc. Some are hard on the liver. And maybe your child won't need meds.

This is a new arena of parenting for you, I guess, and you have my sympathies. I have an ADD (not ADHD) child and an autistic child. There's alot to manage with these conditions, including keeping your child organized, offering incentives, etc. Good luck to you.