DS (age 5) possibly diagnosis of ADHD - any advice?

[ArtyFartyQueen]

Hi All,

We have an appointment with the paediatrician in a couple of weeks to possibly get DS assessed with ADHD. We've done a bit of research and with the help of the school (teachers and SENCO) we think this is the most likely outcome. I'd really appreciate any advice on what happens and what kind of support we can expect from the hospital, doctors and schools etc and also generally any tips for coping.

Thanks in advance....

[TwoLeftSocks]

Hope it goes well, you sound a little nervous. Generally the assessment process includes conversations with yourself, your DS and with school, probably questionnaires to fill / tick and possibly observations at school. You might meet with the paediatrician and also ADHD specialist nurses, and it's likely to involve more than one visit, sometimes many.

There are likely to be a lot of questions, some of which might not seem relevant but as much as anything it'll be to make sure he gets the right diagnosis as there are a lot of overlaps with other conditions. I think there's quite a high occurrence of more than one dx, our DS1 also has dyslexia and some ASD traits.

I guess my one tip for coping is knowing that this is a process to make sure he gets the right help for unlocking the things he's brilliant at. Also a great opportunity to ask any questions you have too.

[Chewedstring]

Hello, I have twin boys with ADHD & totally agree with Twoleftsocks, it does take time. All in all it took 12 months for us. An alternative is to go to a private clinic.
After the ex, support really depends on what is commissioned in your area. For us it was CAMHS, who offered medication & little else, but they are really overstretched. After much thought, we went for the mess, school time only & haven't looked back.
Good luck, it is important to get the assessment right. X

[ArtyFartyQueen]

Thanks so much to both of you. Wondered if you could suggest any books/blogs which have helped you both day to day? Would like to start thinking of how we can parent DS better so that it reduces the amount of stress!

[Chewedstring]

Hi, I read 'Living without Brakes', 'understanding adhd' the latter by Christopher Green which was very practical.
LANC run 123 Magic courses now & then, which could be helpful for your son's age. LANC have a support group for parents, which may be helpful. Personally, I found that the other parents had much more challenging children, so it didn't seem relevant to me.
Did you know that you can apply for DLA once you have a dx, which can help.
Good luck.x

[TwoLeftSocks]

We've got the 123 Magic book, which has been really useful day to day and taken a lot of stress away, especially with discipline / consequences. I've also found the American Additude website really useful, the exception being the education system but otherwise some good stuff on there.

We also went on a parenting course for ADHD, I know provision can vary but we both found it really useful.

[Pikachoomumma]

I can highly recommend (if you have a choice) a school with a lot of sport, active stuff and varierty. Medical research points towards physical activity being of benefit with ADHD / Dopamine issues. Personal experience is that it can help too. Best wishes!