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So, I've begun the process of getting my 5 yo screened for ADHD

meghans30meghans30 member
in Special Needs
What can I expect? I called the Dr. today to get the ball rolling. They told me to call back about a month into school  because the teachers will have to fill out forms (I fill out these same forms all the time), and then we'll come up with a plan. I've watched him interact with other kids very closely this summer. He is very impulsive; although does not want to be a bad kid. He is loving and caring and inquisitive, but he just can not control himself at times. I'm not sure I'm ready to medicate him, but he needs to be able to focus on fine motor tasks such as writing and learning to read. If he gets the ADHD dx, what are some possible treatments?
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Re: So, I've begun the process of getting my 5 yo screened for ADHD

  • meghans30meghans30 member
    image-auntie-:

    Screening for ADHD is primarily based on observation and the completion of Conners Scales.

    IMHO, medication should not be used without a behavior modification plan in place.

    Edited to add:

    Is there some reason you aren't going through your school district? Some insurance policies will not fund this sort of screening. Ideally you would request "complete multifactored evaluation of all areas of disability" once issues became apparent at school. You'd want to R/O any conditions that could cause these same behaviors sooner rather piecemeal.

    Why a complete MFE is best:

    DS was initially screened for ADHD by a social worker in kindie for "out of seat behaviors". He had a pretty mediorcre teacher that year (snobby private school with marginal teachers; this one had paralyzed vocal cords for 6 months of kindie which exacerbated the situation). The MSW recognized Aspergers in DS, so we had him evaluated by a psychologist (who did a complete neuropsych) and later a dev pedi seperately. Both agreed on Aspergers with ADHD. We put a behavior mod plan and therapy into place and things didn't improve. We added medication and still things were less than ideal in first. And more importantly, DS was not learning to read.

    We had a full educational workup done for LD issues and discovered DS was dyslexic as a result of poor phonemic awareness. We enrolled him in a small theraputic reading school and they turned things around using an Orton Gillingham program. But here's the thing. As DS became stronger academically, the behaviors that been attributed to autims and/or ADHD faded. Just went away.

     

    I will involve the school once it begins. I just made a preliminary phone call to see what the Dr's thoughts were. Like you've mentioned before, I was told to wait until Trev is comfortable in the classroom. 

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  • KMom14KMom14
    I don't have a child in this situation, but from a teacher's perspective, I agree it's important to wait until the teacher has time to observe him.  It will be helpful in painting a more well-rounded view of your son.  Also, I agree with the behavior plan that was mentioned.  Though all children are different, I've taught many students who had an ADHD diagnosis, and succeded in the classroom without medication but with a behavior plan in place.  This is something the school will be able to help you with.  I know you will, but definitely keep your child's teacher in the loop.  Try to schedule a conference asap so you are all on the same page.  Good luck!
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