Tami,

I just lost my posting but I'll try again. You may want to find a doctor or psychologist who is more knowledgeable about ADHD. Not all doctors have the same knowledge or understanding. Yes, a child with ADHD can pay attention to areas of interest. It is the ability to pay attention to boring things that they find so difficutl.

One thing you might consider doing is what our doctor had us do. Write two specific examples of each criteria that applies to your child (using the DSM-IV criteria) and how it is a problem. Some examples might be: My child repeatedly forgets to bring home his homework and/or books and papers necessary to do his homework. My child's backpack and desk are extremely disorganized and even with much assistance from his teacher and myself, still cannot find necessary items in his desk or backpack. Repeatedly makes careless mistakes on his assignments, such as circling items when the instructions say to underline, showing his work and computation but forgetting to put the answer on the answer sheet. Has great difficulty doing projects and needs immense assistance from me. Doesn't know where to begin or how to begin. Repeatedly have to remind him to do his chores or brush his teeth on a daily basis. Impulsively sprayed himself with a water hose and when asked why he did it, he said he didn't know. Impulsively hit his brother for no reason and when asked why, he didn't know. Loses shoes and articles of clothing to the point that we have had to buy him three pair of shoes in six months. Has no idea where they are.

Our doctor had us do this when my husband was diagnosed with ADHD and again when my son was being evaluated. You know your daughter best and you live with her every day. The doctor does not.

Elaine

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I have 2 children with ADHD and previously counseled families with children for over 15 years. Your struggle, unfortunately, is a common one. When there were differing opinions, or if parents want some peace of mind regarding the diagnosis, I strongly recommended seeing a Nueropsychologist who specialized in children. This testing can help tease out whether ADHD is likely, and if there are other issues that a child is struggling with, such as learning disabilities, processing problems, etc.. It is not uncommon for those with ADHD to also have other things going on. Though I "knew" my children had ADHD, I personally sought out this testing to confirm the diagnosis and explore any related issues. This testing also helped me when I had to face the decision to medicate or not. Though research to date supports the use of medication, it is never an easy issue for a parent to face. The testing can be costly, however, insurance often covers it. I wish you the best of luck and good for you for advocating for your child!

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I would just echo what others have said here. Get a 2nd opinion - and try to see someone who specializes in ADHD. I would start with a psychiatrist or psychologist who specializes in ADHD - and see if they recommend Neuropsychological testing.

There is really a lot that needs to be understood, and I think the first step you probably want is a better understanding of how to help your daughter. While a proper diagnosis will make a difference in the long term, I imagine you want to start helping her now.

Referrals for testing can take quite a while - and in the meantime, a therapist or psychiatrist (if prescribing medications) can help you find strategies that can start making a difference sooner than later.

The diagnosis is just one step in the process.

Hope this helps,

Rory

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Have the actual classroom teacher, afterschool care or babysitter (if you use one), and you yourself complete a 'behavior' form. See if you all agree and where that might be. Use this when you talk to your school, any psycholgist, other doctor or your pediatrician. Completed forms helped when I was initially working to get my son diagnosed in Kindergarden so many years ago. One of the items that helped Dr. determine if my child possibly was ADHD was the multiple number of forms (I included all the first time from everyone) I gave him to look at to determine what issues my child may have had. [I picked one form that asked a lot of questions and used that to hand out. There are many all over the net, choose the right one for you.] The more common the responses on the forms are, the easier it might be to make a determination.

As for medications, read, research, determine how busy you are, can be, whether you can help your child alleviate some of the "H" in ADHD by activities, etc. or whether you may need the assistance of meds intervention. Remember, because you may decide on actual pharmaceuticals, does not mean your a bad parent like some would make you feel. I chose meds and for a while had my son in a couple of sports when I could afford it. He still needed the extra help of meds to focus and still does. He chooses his sports, physical activities now that he is older. And don't feel that you have to 'overdose' your child to make teachers, schools, others happy. You don't. I tell teachers/school psychologist every year: "I, nor my pediatrician, will overdose my child." I take my son in for meds checks at least 1x year and if necessary, more.

As far as testing, if you can find a pediatrician that has a subspecialty for AD(H)D, more the better. If you can afford to go private for testing, go for it. But, if not, then the school district has to get this done for you at their cost. Of course, they may not be as thorough as a private physician, but it gives you another avenue to look at and consider, especially if you have someone at the school district on your side.

If you have an organization in your area (check on the CHADD website and drill down to your city). Another way is go to a server site (ie: google) and put in ADD, ADHD, with your city/state and see what you come up with. You might find there is something there. A lot of times there are pediatricians on boards at some of these organizations and they might be able to direct you to a local pediatrican specializing or at least that understands and can help with ADHD symptoms.

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As hard as this is, I would suggest finding another doctor that jives with your thinking and your philosophy. Once you find the right MD, you will know it and he/she will make your life easier. Fighting the doctor along with the challenges of your child and the school system is too much for any one parent to take on. You need someone in your court!!!

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Try going on this website as well. http://www.levinsonmedical.com/home.html The info there has helped my husband with ADD as well as my son who also has been diagnosed with ADD. Elizabeth

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The initial diagnosis is one of the most important steps you will ever take. Often times it is difficult, depending where you live, to find the proper resources. I would suggest, though, that you make the effort to have your child diagnosed by a professional psychologist/psychiatrist that specializes in ADD/ADHD and related disorders very early on. It is well worth the trouble, even if you have to travel a distance, to have your child diagnosed. Sometimes this disorder has accompanying offshoots, such as learning disabilities, autism, bi-polarism, ODD, etc. and you need to understand exactly what you are dealing with before you can be sure you are getting the proper treatment. Otherwise, you're shooting in the dark. Unless your pediatrician has specialized training, they may be prescribing medication that may or may not help. This is a complicated condition that requires experts that understand all aspects of the disorder.

I have four grandchildren with the disorder and we just received our first real thorough and believable diagnosis. Man, what a difference in having a truly qualified professional do the testing! Also, keep in mind that you have to do a certain amount of self-education. Trusting in a single individual or a single source of information is a big mistake and often leads to finding our years down the line that there was something you missed, or something you could have done better. YOU must be the advocate for your child and YOU must be the educated one. Otherwise the chances that you may be leading them down a blind alley are great. Don't be naive about this and don't underestimate the impact that it will have on your child's life.

Organizations like CHADD are there to help support you. I suggest you look into the resources available at www.chadd.org and sites like this one and read all you can on the subject. Good luck!

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That’s an interesting question. I was concerned about this, I thick Doctor should be best option & also this information may help you.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder affects people of all ages but is usually diagnosed during childhood or adolescence. There is no diagnostic laboratory test for ADHD.

A thorough medical examination is important to identify other conditions that may be responsible for symptoms or that coexist with ADHD and require treatment. Hearing and vision assessments should be included in the examination.

Differential diagnosis is necessary to distinguish ADHD from other mental health disorders and medical conditions, such as the following:

• • Depressive disorder, bipolar disorder
  • Conduct disorder (CD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)
  • Lead poisoning
  • Seizure disorder
  • Substance abuse
  • Normal developmental activity

For more detail visit : www.neurologychannel.com/adhd/diagnosis.shtml I thick the information given above will be helpful to you.

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