Who Did You Go to After a Diagnosis of ADHD

You might need a referral from the ped to go to a psychaitrist, but that's how my nephew and I were diagnosed.

Several people specifically told you not to go to your pediatrician. While I will agree that this is not the person to actually evaluate and diagnose your child, this very well might be the person you need to start with. Many insurance companies will require a referral from your pediatrician. Also, many psychiatrists and psychologists will require a referral.

For us, the pediatrician was our first call, but she did not diagnose our son. She referred us to a child, behavioral psychologist, and he has been wonderful to work with.

We had the pediatric psychiatrist at our healthcare group make a diagnosis (my daughter had just turned 8 at the time, and has a diagnosis of ADHD-Combined). We went to classes to learn about it. We tried managing it without medication this whole school year (we homeschool, so I had some flexibility there), and that was a big challenge. Finally, after consulting with a second-opinion child psychiatrist and our pediatrician, we decided to go with medication. It has made an enormous difference just in the few weeks since she started the medication. Life-changing for all of us, really. (You don't realize how many allowances you make for your child's ADHD in your daily routine until you no longer have to do so!) Bottom line, your child will still be your child, no matter what diagnosis she has. Just having that diagnosis will be a huge help, because you won't be sitting there wondering why on earth your child is acting this way, when none of her friends (or your other kids) act that way. Just knowing is half the battle.

Most are tested by a psychiatrist or a psychologist that works closely with a psychiatrist. Psychologists are not MDs they cannot prescribe but they tend to be better with therapy.

My children have always seen psychiatrists.

You're in the NY area so if you can get to Schneiders Children's hospital - part of LIJ, (New Hyde Park - right ont he Queens /Nassau county border) there's a pediatric neurology and psychology practice close by (It may be in New Hyde Park or Lake Success). They'll want to conduct the evaluation on their own - they use a computer game that your child plays and it scores them. Then they'll probably suggest medication and talk therapy.

My son was diagnosed in 1st grade and going to talk therapy was a special kind of torture for him. So we never really pursued that. My SIL did with her daugher - they got a lot out of the therapy in that my niece didn't feel "different" or "wierd". I don't think the therapy was more than 5-10 times. It also helped her understand and practice how to control her impulses.

But after two visits back to the pediatric specialist at Schneiders to see how the medication was working, we just transitioned the care over to our regular pediatrician. We have to get a med-check every so often but it's been 8+ years, my son's doing well in high school - and medication was the best thing we every did - even though I was originally very much against it. If he was diabetic I'd make sure he took insulin. Same concept.

If New Hyde park isn't convenient I'm sure you can find another pediatric specialist or 5 in Manhattan. This is NY afterall... Privatge message me if you want to ask my anything.

My son has ADHD and my daughter Asperger's and ADD. They both saw either a Psychologist or Psychiatrist. In fact my son's appointment is today. One can administer meds and the other can't, but I can't remember which is which so I guess that doesn't help. But start with your primary care and they will refer you depending on your insurance. Good luck!

Do not go to your general pediatrician for a diagnosis. There are a few specialists who are sufficiently trained to diagnose it: neurologist, psychiatrist, developmental pediatrician are the ones that come to mind. My son was diagnosed first by a neurologist, and a few weeks later, by a neuropsychologist (independent of the neurologist's report).

The neuropsych doc was VERY helpful in understanding how my son's brain works, and what interventions he would need. Unfortunately, our insurance didn't cover the neuropsychologist, so we had to pay out of pocket for it, and it was a few thousand dollars.

It's not that hard. Really.

Go to a psychologist who is certified to do testing. They will do it all. The questionnaires they send out help them to determine whether further testing is needed. The school psychologist has a degree but chances are it's not as a diagnostician.

Once they get all the information they'll put it all together with other test results and then give you a diagnosis that is certified....that means it holds weight. Anyone can come along and say "Hey, your kid is ADHD!" but that doesn't mean a thing. A person who has the credentials to say that officially will be a licensed psychologist that has specific training to give a legal diagnosis. That's why you have to get this from a doc that is not a pediatrician or school psychologist.

A pediatrician really really really is NOT qualified to diagnose mental health issues and prescribe medication. Please go to a psychiatrist for mental health medication. They know more about that classification of medications than any pediatrician or other doc would know.

As a parent educator, who has worked with many families on a part-time basis...I can tell you that the pediatrician is not the one to go to. Find a developmental pediatrician to discuss matter with. Then, I would rec that your child be tested by a neuropsych !!!

I did see a couple kids who were on the verge of being diagnosed w/ ADHD--and it was sleep deprivation. Kids texting until 1 or 2 am because these 2 sets of parents did not take their child's phone away at bedtime or limit the use of it at home . I am not saying that this is your situation...I just wanted you to see how they almost got diagnosed wrongfully.

Once you get a proper diagnosis--Have a PPT meeting at the school.
It would be best to do this by the end of June, so, next year will go smooth. ADHD might overlap w/ sensory processing, learning disabilities, etc...This is where the neuropsych comes in !

I had to bring a child advocate to my PPT. My advocate knew the laws inside and out ! My child received the services she needed.

Read the book on ADHD in girls by Nadeau (last name).

Psychiatrist or developmental ped.

The first to dx my oldest son at age 7 was a psychologist who I consulted with for a second opinion on the school learning evaluation that had been done at my request. The school's test results did not qualify him for services, which made no sense given his abysmal performance. He was getting ready to tear apart the school testing and then said "the only way these scores would be even possible would be if he has ADHD...hmmm...let's bring him back in for a few minutes." He then asked him a few more questions and said "he has ADHD, I'll send a note to your pediatrician and they can put him on medication."

The diagnosis was a bit abrupt and unexpected and I wasn't ready to jump straight to medication so I talked about it with the pediatrician and she said she was fine with whatever I wanted to do.

I then had him meet with a neuropsychiatrist at Children's Hospital, who wasn't convinced 100% that he had ADHD so he referred us to a learning specialist who did almost a full day of testing to try to figure out if it was attention, dyslexia, visual processing, or a combination. She ruled out dyslexia.

We had a few more years where I wanted to avoid medication so he saw a naturopath and did some alternative therapies that helped with the symptoms but cost too much in time and money for us to reliably sustain.

When we were ready to pursue medication, he saw a psychiatrist/psychopharmacologist who managed his med trial. That lasted about 6 months before he went back off medication.

Now we're back to natural stuff and a psychologist.

It's a long road and there are a lot of avenue that you can choose. I would start with your pediatrician but ask him or her to refer you to a psychiatrist (if you are open to medication) or a psychologist/counselor who they trust.

Ask her pediatrician for a referral to a child psychiatrist or neuropsychologist. Those are the professionals who can diagnose ADHD. Most likely, you'll see a psychiatrist. Don't let the pediatrician oversee any of this; you need someone who specializes in brain disorders. The school counselor isn't a medical professional, so I honestly find it odd that the school would give the Conners test at all, but I am glad the person didn't offer more input and referred you on to medical experts.

Contrary to myth, it IS a long process, as you've noted. Expect a long wait to get in with a specialist (it can be many months), so make that call today and ask to get on a waiting list for cancellations. If it is ADHD, you'll also want to see a therapist regularly for input, too. A psychiatrist can do the medical assessment (psychiatrists have a medical degree) and prescribe medication, but a therapist can help you deal with the daily challenges of life with ADHD.

If it's confirmed ADHD, you'll want to get your child an IEP or 504 plan for the upcoming school year. If you search online, you can find info. about both options to see which one makes sense (basically, an IEP is if there are also learning issues; 504 plan is strictly accommodations for the ADHD, such as seating near the front of class with fewer distractions). I also recommending joining CHADD and subscribing to ADDitude magazine. Both have been great resources on our personal journey with this condition.

Good luck!

Pediatrician first, and they'll refer you to a Pediatric Neurologist. Been there, done that. Pediatric Neurologist is the best one to go to for a formal diagnosis and for treatment.

By the way, the school CAN NOT diagnose your child. They can suggest what a diagnosis "might" be but they shouldn't ever tell you that's the diagnosis even based on whatever tests were administered. It's illegal.

Thanks for asking this question. I have two kids who are showing signs of ADHD or Asperger's. I wasn't sure where to start either. I went through it with my older son, but things weren't done right. I will get a referral from my pediatrician.

The first thing we did was find her a therapist who worked with both of us on organizational skills and other ways of coping. It has been 6 years now, and she is 14 and doing very well in school. She still feels different than the other kids, sometimes like an outsider, but that may also just be part of being 14.
One of the most important things we have discovered is that she cannot stand to have her behavior attributed to the ADHD. It makes her feel like she has been reduced to a diagnosis and is some out-of-control freak (her words). So if you can, I'd advise staying low-key about the whole thing - it's a process, not a disaster, and together your family will find a way with some professional help. Good luck to you!