melissad2 Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 I strongly suspect my 5yo ds has adhd. I have been reluctant to take him to his pediatrician for an evaluation but I simply have to. He cannot pay attention to anything! He doesn't really seem like he hears what you are saying, he fidgets constantly, is very impulsive, constantly on the move, and the list goes on and on. I can answer every single question on the "does your child have adhd" questionnaire YES! Punishment doesn't work, time out doesn't work, charts, stickers and rewards don't work. He says he wants to do better but doesn't know how. He's very bright and I think he has tons of potential but he just can't focus on anything. So I'm calling our pediatrician tomorrow for an appt. What can I expect? What should I ask? I vaguely remember someone having to have a teacher fill out a form :confused:...how do I deal with that since we homeschool? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reign Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 I have been thinking about this alot lately for my 5year old too. No advice but waiting to hear from others. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 There is the Connor's scale that is used to identify ADHD. When my older kids were being dx, they had to have a parent, teacher, and other person who knew them well (speech therapist for my son, counselor for my daughter) fill it out. My 4 year old isn't in preschool or daycare. I talked to his ped yesterday and asked if I would have to put him in preschool so he could get kicked out and they could fill out the dumb form. She said no, and that she doesn't do diagnostics but the psychiatrist will be able to dx it based on my input. We'll see how that goes - I'm skeptical! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juniper Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 I feel out the forms as both parent and teacher. I do try to really think about the perspective from the teacher perspective.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 (edited) Basic questionnaire for the parent to fill out and the child. Expect the doctor to ask you for examples (if you note them on paper it will help him out) of behavior. He can also tell you what behavior is normal, developmental, or truly ADHD. If it is ADHD... you may want to consider sports or martial arts as a "carrot" to get your child to comply. Or to get the wiggles or physical exertion needs met. Many martial arts teachers require a weekly "school" report on how they did homework, chores, and grades. Many of my former ADHD students (when I was a schoolteacher in public schools) loved the Martial Arts as an outlet and the Sensei was magical in getting them to behave for me and the parents!! LOL And many of these types of learners do not like worksheet driven/sit-still-in-your-seat assignments. They learn best by movement or kinesthetic actions (i.e. jumping rope while reciting math facts, pedaling a bike/treadmill machine while working on a assignment, or doing hands-on learning). Just a different way to learn. Edited September 28, 2012 by tex-mex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 You may need to take him to an adhd specialist. My pediatrician is a specialist but doesn't normally see homeschoolers. She saw us because we've been with her for years and years. To be honest the first dx we received was from a psychologist. I was firmly in the "I don't believe in adhd." camp. Sigh. Even now I will be bringing my dd to a pediatric psychiatrist soon. Praying you get a good provider and the help you guys need. Sometimes there is a quick fix, sometimes not. Hang in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissad2 Posted September 28, 2012 Author Share Posted September 28, 2012 Basic questionnaire for the parent to fill out and the child. Expect the doctor to ask you for examples (if you note them on paper it will help him out) of behavior. He can also tell you what behavior is normal, developmental, or truly ADHD. If it is ADHD... you may want to consider sports or martial arts as a "carrot" to get your child to comply. Or to get the wiggles or physical exertion needs met. Many martial arts teachers require a weekly "school" report on how they did homework, chores, and grades. Many of my former ADHD students (when I was a schoolteacher in public schools) loved the Martial Arts as an outlet and the Sensei was magical in getting them to behave for me and the parents!! LOL And many of these types of learners do not like worksheet driven/sit-still-in-your-seat assignments. They learn best by movement or kinesthetic actions (i.e. jumping rope while reciting math facts, pedaling a bike/treadmill machine while working on a assignment, or doing hands-on learning). Just a different way to learn. Those are good suggestions! He is in soccer and plays outside a lot. I'm looking into martial arts for him now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 Basic questionnaire for the parent to fill out and the child. Expect the doctor to ask you for examples (if you note them on paper it will help him out) of behavior. He can also tell you what behavior is normal, developmental, or truly ADHD. If it is ADHD... you may want to consider sports or martial arts as a "carrot" to get your child to comply. Or to get the wiggles or physical exertion needs met. Many martial arts teachers require a weekly "school" report on how they did homework, chores, and grades. Many of my former ADHD students (when I was a schoolteacher in public schools) loved the Martial Arts as an outlet and the Sensei was magical in getting them to behave for me and the parents!! LOL And many of these types of learners do not like worksheet driven/sit-still-in-your-seat assignments. They learn best by movement or kinesthetic actions (i.e. jumping rope while reciting math facts, pedaling a bike/treadmill machine while working on a assignment, or doing hands-on learning). Just a different way to learn. :iagree: We took DS to the pediatrician, who then referred us for psych testing. We met with the psych, filled out the forms - rating behaviors on a scale, etc - and then DS did a *lot* of testing with the psych. Homeschooling was not an issue. Although I think had he been in a school, they might have paid for the testing. FWIW, I fully expected ADHD an a diagnosis, for the same reasons stated by the OP. But what we got was... highly gifted, some ADHD tendencies but not enough to diagnose. Psych also felt that I had compensated well for the ADHD tendencies within our homeschool. She gave me more tips, and actually did help a bit. I stay very creative now in how we implement curriculum. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenvneck Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 A family doctor or pediatrician isn't qualified to diagnose ADHD; you need a referral to a psychologist. Once/if you have a diagnosis, the doctor can prescribe medication(s), but might want you to see a psychiatrist for that. There is a LOT of paperwork prior to diagnosis. After a diagnosis, it is common to test medications for months or even years before finding what works. Best of luck to you!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissad2 Posted September 28, 2012 Author Share Posted September 28, 2012 A family doctor or pediatrician isn't qualified to diagnose ADHD; you need a referral to a psychologist. Once/if you have a diagnosis, the doctor can prescribe medication(s), but might want you to see a psychiatrist for that. There is a LOT of paperwork prior to diagnosis. After a diagnosis, it is common to test medications for months or even years before finding what works. Best of luck to you!!! Hmmm...interesting. I know that our pediatricians practice writes scripts for adhd medications. I have a friend who uses the same pediatrician we do and he diagnosed her son. Are you saying that I should ask to see a psychologist or that he's going to send me to one anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 (edited) A family doctor or pediatrician isn't qualified to diagnose ADHD; you need a referral to a psychologist. Once/if you have a diagnosis, the doctor can prescribe medication(s), but might want you to see a psychiatrist for that. There is a LOT of paperwork prior to diagnosis. After a diagnosis, it is common to test medications for months or even years before finding what works. Best of luck to you!!! Not necessarily. When I taught as a schoolteacher and coordinated IEP meetings, the diagnosis from a Pediatrician was accepted MANY times by the IEP team and school psychologist in place of testing from an outside psychologist. And the school psychologist never tested officially for ADHD. They would observe the student in the classroom on occasion and have myself & the parent fill out a questionnaire, but that was about it. It is an basic questionnaire. But the OP may want to go the extra step and pay $$$ for a official Neuropsych evaluation -- which can reveal academic strengths/weaknesses and possible learning disabilities as a bonus? It is up to her. But in my opinion, 5 years old is way too young to do this. I'd wait 'til 3rd grade for a formal evaluation. Edited September 28, 2012 by tex-mex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 Those are good suggestions! He is in soccer and plays outside a lot. I'm looking into martial arts for him now! No problem. Every child is different. After 14 years of teaching in public schools, I've seen a wide spectrum of ADD/ADHD students. They are all different with needs and academics. One memorable student I taught in 4th grade was notorious at my school (since Kindergarten) for bad behavior. Every teacher really did not want this student in their class. The year he moved up to the 4th grade... guess who got assigned as his teacher?? ;) I got the news in June and the entire summer I was in panic. LOL Dreading the new school year in September, basically. Well, the student and I got along swimmingly well. Back then, I was well known for running a tight ship and held high expectations for behavior in my classroom. Parents chose me due to my style of teaching. They also told me that they were beginning the Feingold Diet -- which at first, I thought they were nutty to do such a thing. But as time went on, I was convinced the diet REALLY helped this student. With my style of teaching and the diet -- he was never a problem!!! He could focus and everyone in my school could not believe how changed he was as a result. I told them I did not do anything -- besides being my normal strict (but funny) self as a teacher. It was the diet. He was an extreme case for ADHD by the way. I think looking back on it, he was the only out of control hyperactive child who ordinarily would have been expelled... but the diet and consistency/communication with parents in the classroom worked. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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