What made you think your child had ADHD

[Wozald1989]

Hi there it has been raised by a few people recently that my lo (6) May have ADHD, I've decided not to Persue a diagnosis just yet (sometime I think YES she does, others I'm like definitely not!)
So what made you think your child had this? Did anyone else mention it to you? And when did you decide to go for a diagnosis?

[TheFirstOfHerName]

The SENCo at school raised the possibility. The paediatrician agreed. After trying supplements, dietary changes etc, we eventually did a trial of Ritalin. It made a huge difference to his ability to cope at school, and once he was on it, he was able to concentrate enough to learn.

[orangepudding]

One of my friends mentioned it after reading DSs paper work for his statement application. I was looking at dyspraxia and hadn't considered it until she mentioned it. This was a couple of weeks before he saw a Paed.
The Paed gave us and the school questionnaires to fill in, it looks like he does have it.

Do you think your DDs learning could be affected by ADHD? If so its worth investigating.

[Vitalstatistix]

My children both have autism, diagnosed when they were toddlers, and as our youngest grew (he's now 14) there were things about him that seemed not his autism, iyswim . It's really hard to describe because autism and adhd share quite a bit and there is an overlap and it isn't until they are older that it becomes clearer. Mainly his activity and energy levels, his attention span, and just our own understanding and experience. So we raised it with his paed and eventually he prescribed equasym xl.

The difference is noticeable! not since they came off gluten have we seen such a big difference!

He focuses and interacts MUCH more and he is generally calmer.
The promised appetite decrease has not happened yet though
So now he has a dual diagnosis.

I would say one thing - there is nothing to be gained by waiting to assess and much to be lost.

An assessment takes time. If you wait until you are in crisis/the child is not coping/things are very bad then you have lost valuable time.

An assessment does not hurt anything. It doesn't give them a condition they don't have and if it turns out there is nothing - your mind is at ease.

However, if an assessment shows there is something, then you begin the work that is needed in order to help the child. And the sooner this is done, the better the outcome for the child.

[Wozald1989]

Yes I do feel it affects her learning, she is struggling with learning to read as can only cope with 2 pages at a time, at school they have trouble with her running off and with her hiding.
The school nurse was the first one that mentioned it as a possibility after she's been doing 1:1 sessions with her.
Apparently her teacher disagrees tho. I don't know.. She is hard work but I keep thinking she will grow out of it, then I have a parent in the playground keeps telling me she thinks she is on the spectrum!
Maybe I should just speak to the dr? Though the school wanted to wait til we have another meeting..

[OneInEight]

I agree with Vital there is no point waiting. Even if you went to the GP tomorrow you are probably looking at six months to a year before you get seen by anyone who has the capacity to diagnose. If by this time all problems have disappeared then that's fine cancel the appointment. On the other hand if there is continued problems you are already in the system. Teachers are not experts in SN and an awful lot missed my ds's difficulties (they are AS rather than ADHD) until they reached crisis point. Perhaps ask her teacher how many of her classmates run off and hide - I suspect it will be none unless there are others with special needs in the class.

[orangepudding]

I'm your position I would seek help. Ask the school nurse to write a letter stating their concerns for you to take to the GP. GPs can be reluctant to refer so you may need to fight.

[MadameSin]

Year 1 teacher told me straight she thought my DS had it when he was 6. When we moved to junir school into year3, the deputy head also told me 'he has something' … charming! So, we went via GP and got formal dx from a devt paed. I always knew he was 'different', so wasn't really a surprise, but a really stressful time nonetheless. He's now 11 and a great kid. Just started senior school and lovong it. He's tried really hard to get where he is and the rewards are finally paying off. Don't be afraid, if she has it, nothing changes. If she doesn't, nothing changes. Best to get any support she'll need going forward though and this is a good start if she does warrant it. Go via GP or school if they are supportive, as may be quicker. Good luck