With all the issues I've had getting help for my daughter (AD/HD and speech) I really notice it when I'm at work and see anything related to those services. The company I work for is a "business office" for several hospitals in MA and I think CT & NH too. What I can tell you for a fact (between you, me and the lampost) is that I see denials from private health insurance companies all the time (even very reputable ones) regarding various testing, assessments, etc., for children. I see this most frequently in regards to speech, but also AD/HD. Just make sure your contacting your insurance provider -not depending on the hospital to know, they don't always know, and not depending on the school alone to tell you-they won't always. If your insurance provider is saying "services not covered" and the potential patient is a child, it's a good bet that it's something the school district should be providing. Most insurance providers will give you the phone number for your area, for anything the school system and/or Department of Health and Mental Hygiene should be involved in. Assessments through the school system also usually include a list of referrals for treatment with some of the most reputable providers, hospitals and clinics in your area. This of course is all assuming the potential patient is a child. If your looking for a provider for an adult, your insurance carrier is still a good place to go, and any Employee Assistance Program (EAP) if the potential patient has one at work.

Provider's I've seen account from regarding AD/HD in children include Boston Medical Center and the Children's Hospital in Boston, if that helps, any.

You also want to get a good idea of exactly what kind of services your looking for. Family therapy, medication and tutoring for study skills, while all being things commonly known to help, are of course, worlds apart. There are a lot of professionally written articles out there regarding the "Multi-model" approach to treatment for AD/HD. A lot of times, the parent acts as a kind of "case manager" for services, so you want to get as much information as you can about what kind of services you want, to find the provider (or providers) that can really benefit your kid (assuming again that this is for someone under 18). Here's a link to help4adhd.com's website, listing hospitals and clinics by state:

http://www.help4adhd.org/treatment/prof/centers

Personally, I've found just about every therapist claims they can handle AD/HD patients, but they don't all do or say anything all that effective. Sure it's great to feel better about your problems and all, but stopping there doesn't necessarily solve anything, unless how you feel about it really is your only problem. Psychology today gives more in-depth information, and has a search by location and topic (also has info about what if any insurance is accepted) here's a link:

http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/

It's also a good website to get a search on adult AD/HD providers (coaches, therapists, etc.) Much more personal information from the actual provider-and their relevant experience- than a simple list would provide.

It can also help to just plain "google" the full name of a therapist your considering, or some of the therapists's at a clinic/hospital, and you can usually find out if they've published anything, programs they've been involved with, etc.

While pediatricians can usually write a prescription for AD/HD meds, most good ones will admit they're kinda flying blind on the whole AD/HD thing. If you haven't already, try asking the pediatrician or primary care doctor who he/she recommends. Also, your school or school district should be able to point you in the right direction, although they may not mention providers that do "outside evaluations" when parents aren't happy with what the school is saying or doing. Also, just about any AD/HD advocacy groups in your area would probably be very familiar with providers who have the right experience. CHADD is the obvious one, also your school district's special education department may be able to refer you to advocacy groups in your area( for a child). Hopefully, you'll here the same doctor and/or place from more than one source. That's always a good sign.

Sorry I don't know more about your area, I wanted to share some pointers for how I find my way through this maze. Hope some of its' helpful.

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Thanks for taking the time answering my post. Your info is quite valuable. I'm on my quest for getting the right help. I'm scared to death about possible side effects for my son. He struggles a lot with attention and impulsivity and some how with anger issues when he is under academic pressure, We already have a lot on our plate to find oureselves dealing with nasty side effects caused by meds. Thx! Ann

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I would never presume to tell anyone what to do with their child, in the end you have to follow your heart and do what you think is best for your child. I too refused to put my son (soon to be 11, was diagnosed at age 4) on medication for a long time, and I regret it. I thought I can love, discipline, and wait this out, but he kept getting older and kept not having any success in school or in making friends, I put him in sports as well thinking it would be a great outlet for him, but that only turned into greater frustration as it was just another place he didn't fit in and got in trouble for not following rules. Finally his pediatrician asked me if I would refuse treatment if he had some other disease or disorder such as Diabetes, I gave in on the spot. It is not a perfect solution for us, we have years of learned behavior for the both of us to unlearn, but I can tell you I no longer feel like we both need to be locked away in a mental institution. We're coping and trying and learning and I honestly don't feel like we'd have made a dent in it all without medication. My son is not a zombie, he is still very much his wonderful self. His doctor provided me with studies done on adults who grew up on ADHD medication and how they suffered no developmental delays or any negative side effects. Either route you choose, either medication or non medication, the best places to start your search in support is with your pediatrician and your childs principal. Be honest about your concerns and fears as well as your childs challenges and behaviors, as with all things ADHD things can be backwards and against our grain to do, your instinct to protect may cause you to sugar coat how bad things can be, but your child can't get the best help if you aren't 100% honest. I wish you and your child the best.

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