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    Joined: Jun 2014
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    If you had a HG child who was diagnosed ADD, did you also get a neuropsych evaluation prior? Or was just treating the ADD enough? I've had a psychiatrist and a psychologist who specifically works with TS and ADD tell me she likely has ADD- but she doesn't lose things and if I tell her to do something she usually does it...she also seems to have anxiety. Her primary symptoms appear to be impatience with instructions from parents (this may just be a kid thing) and underperforming at school- and now social problems- but she started at a new school this year.

    Anyway, I'm worried about treating her without comprehensive testing, but I would hate to spend $3K on testing only for them to tell me she has ADD as that money could be better spent on other therapies. Any thoughts on this from those who may have been there, done that?

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    Alternative ways for ADHD diagnosis?

    Ask your district for an evaluation/re-evaluation and if you reasonably don't find it comprehensive then disagree and and ask for an independent educational evaluation for a neuropsych. You choose the provider. District might put a financial cap on the evaluation. For instance my district raises the $1000 cap to $2500 just by asking, but we have to file an impartial hearing for more. Decent evaluations in my area cost at least $5000 and the most popular is $6500. It's more than the administration of tests. How does the Psyd interpret the results and translate to the parent, school and district? Will the PsyD participate in the IEP meeting? Will the PsyD testify at the impartial hearing. For instance, District approved an ADHD check-in check-out 5 days per week for my DS.

    Developmental pediatrician should be covered by your health insurance. I am seeing a lot of people getting covered for neuropsych evals or some kind or reimbursement . Call and ask. Don't assume they will not cover. Use Obamacare while we still have it.

    Try a non-profit teenage therapy clinic. Until I could find the money to pay the PsyD, we had the psychiatrist at our sons therapy clinic disgnose. It was barebones, but DS was able to start meds.

    Work backwards. Ask your pharmacist who is prescribing ADHD meds under your insurance. After my sons therapy closed and I could not find a new psychiatrist taking new patients with my insurance, I asked my pharmacist who immediately knew where to go.

    Colleges often have fellows evaluate with a supervising PsyD. Use this route with caution. If you need IEP participation or impartial hearing testimony this can be expensive with the added fees, additionally you won't be getting an experienced evaluatior. Depending on how nuanced your kid is experience might really make a difference.

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    ADHD is a diagnosis of elimination. Neuropsychology evaluation can identify deiscrepancies that pattern with ADHD, but (at least in my region) a pediatrician makes the ADHD diagnosis. There are many things that can cause "ADHD" symptoms. Sleep disorders are a common cause. I have an autonomic nervous system disorder that presents as ADHD symptoms. My niece had/has high blood lead levels which presented as ADHD.

    My son has had two neuropsychology evaluations. The first was 100% covered by insurance. Surprise! The second, two years later, was not covered by insurance, but we had it done at a college by a graduate student (supervised). It was only $200. The second (student) report was much more informational. The first evaluator's (PhD, clinic setting) report was a rant on why grade-skipping is bad - and not evidence based!

    My son saw a psychologist to rule out depression or anxiety. Then a pediatrician. his ADHD diagnosis was based on neuropsych, no evidence of anxiety, depression, or sleep disorder, and responses to the parent behavioral questionnaire.

    My son was not eligible for IEP because he's above grade level, but he has a 504. The only determining factor for 504 was existing diagnosis - I did not have to prove it - and that he required more teacher promoting than other classmates with ADHD - while his medication was optimal. It just may not be *that* hard to get evaluation, diagnosis, and academic support accomplished.


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