A day in the life- part 24 - Do I have ADHD?

http://drlawrencetucker.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/adhd.r.jpg

Are you asking the question………

Am I ADHD? Is my child ADHD?

If after reading some of these posts you are more certain that ADHD is the obvious conclusion, well then, what do you do.

What is the next course of action?

You like countless others might have already tried Omega and diet. You might have tried OT and other therapies. Some will have helped and yet if ADHD is at the heart of the issue, eventually you might be confronted with the reality that nothing really worked well. We tried some of these including Chinese calming meds to help sleep.

It is all part of the ADHD journey.

But now you are facing the real tough decision.

Should I see a specialist?

Perhaps you are wondering if these specialists simply just diagnose ADHD in all children and dish out medication like sweets. You are probably petrified. Please can I encourage you. These specialists are invaluable in helping you come to a good conclusion around ADHD as a diagnosis. They have experience and knowledge on their side. They are able to cut through all the confusion and get to the heart of it all.

They see things that you do not see and can not know.

They are available to walk this journey with you and your family. In a way, a relationship is formed. We have found it helpful to find the doctor we like and stick with her. She is building up an essential history of the child.

We have tried several professionals in the area of children and learning and ADHD.

If they ALL say the same thing and all point to ADHD then I would suggest that this is the real diagnoses.

I actually think by the time you reach this point you are pretty desperate for help.

We see a pediatric neurologist. We also had an educational psychologist assess both our boys.

Both are great. Both deal with us as a family.

They ask good questions and the right kind of question.

All of this is costly financially BUT we have found it to be money well spent.

Some people go straight to their pediatrician or GP.

There are many routes to help.

Contrary to some popular thinking, doctors do not just hand out medication unless they think it is necessary.

Ritalin and they like are schedule 6 drugs in SA. A new script is written every month by the doctor.

Similarly, schools and teachers do not simply suggest that children go on medication. I have yet to meet a teacher who would ‘ put ‘ a child on Ritalin, which is something I hear again and again. I kid you not. 

So…….

A trial run of medication might be suggested by a doctor as a first course of action.

There are many different brands and ways that methylphenidate works.

Some may be the fast acting – in and out the system one. Others may have a mechanism in the tablet that allows the meds to be released slowly throughout the day over time.

You will find the right one that works for you and your family.

Give it a trial.

It could transform your child’s ability to be available to learn at school and it may help his ability self –regulate and so some peace may reign in the home.

The best way to find a good specialist is by word of mouth.

Ask around. Ask at school.

In addition to this you might want to begin attending your local ADHD support group. These groups often have excellent quest speakers who will help in the education on different aspects of ADHD and also keep you up to date with latest information.

You might want to start your own support group.

Meeting up with other moms who had ADHD children has been helpful for us all.

Read, read and read up about ADHD.

Can I encourage you to read helpful stuff and to avoid the real controversy? It will confuse and cloud the issues.

Coming to terms with ADHD is a journey for us all. It is so very scary to be confronted by being different in one and even more difficult when it is our children.

May I encourage you to travel this journey as slowly as you need to? Getting help and support and equipping yourself with knowledge will help you and your family.

In some ways having the ADHD diagnoses is very liberating. For us it helped us to adjust our expectations and form more realistic ones. This has been helpful for us all.

Finding out how to approach the how’s and what’s of the ADHD brain has been invaluable in helping us parent more effectively and in helping our boys learn and flourish.

Remember that you are being given the keys to unlock your ADHD and all its uniqueness.

Bless you as you travel this road.