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.
