GP for potential ADD/ASD referral

[Pickledpickles]

Posting for traffic.
I'm taking my 11 year old daughter to the GP next week as I think she may have ADD and/or ASD. Does anyone have any advice for how to broach this at the appointment? Things have only really 'clicked' recently about her behaviour and my knowledge is very limited. Thank you.

I've recently taken my 10 year old for the same reason. I went in with a list of all the traits she displays and a report written by the senco at school. I basically just asked for a referral and the GP agreed.

Well... From personal experience there are two "routes".

Explain her symptoms, stress that this isn't something new (but that maybe a change of situation has made the issue bigger?) and that you want her to see a specialist / ask him what he recommends.

Or tell him what you suspect and see what happens.

Trust your gut over his judgement. And be persistent.

Many GPs don't know a lot about certain topics or are actually rather prejudiced. (Especially in regards to ADD/ADHD ime.)

Out of interest can I ask what her symptoms are?

keep a log for her daily behaviour ask school what they have noticed that concerns them (damn school holidays!) so, is getting up an issue, getting ready, does she do repetitive actions or words does she get "stuck" in actions or thought (single tracked) what her socializing like is she immature? eating habits, does she like to wear same clothes? does she panic when something is new, what her sense of direction like? write this all down - think of any incidences that have really concerned you & mention them. Dr Tony Attwood says that if you have a100 people within the spectrum in a room they will all be different in the way their asd is expressed BUT they will all have certain behaviours in common. Girls are more difficult to get diagnosed as their behavioural differences are often more subtle & atypical but they are just as insidious good luck :)

We got our diagnosis after a referral from the school and it was actually really quite fast (I think but obviously have limited experience) - about a year from initial concerns to diagnosis.

Have the school been involved? Do they think an assessment would be helpful?

My GP would make a referral until I got a letter from school supporting my case. Dd is 6 and school finally wrote a letter of observations. In my area (Herts) waiting list is around 3 months for first appointment and 18 for diagnosis.
Have school mentioned her behaviour?

*wouldnt

I went to the GP with a list of behaviours and problems my DD was experiencing. Major problems at school but well managed at home. School had asked if I had seen a Dr about DD and that was their only input.

I went alone, DD was 6 at the time. GP thought ADHD, I agreed. Referral to Paediatrician at child development centre of NHS hospital. ASD diagnosis nearly two years later. The GP I saw was particularly helpful and didn’t question my judgement at all.

@greeneggblueegg she's been challenging since she was about 6 or 7. I didn't have much trouble until then but I understand that girls often present around this time. I'm going to write a list tonight but:

Struggles with organisation. If I tell her to put her coat and shoes on and make sure she's got her school bag, she'll do one then get distracted and start re-doing her hair or messing with something in her room.

Struggles to understand personal space and boundaries. She is told about 4 times on each walk to school not to walk between me and her sister as she keeps invading my space and bumping into me but she keeps ending up back in the same space.

She struggles to form friendships with those who are the most popular for want of a better phrase. She doesn't fit in very well.

She says inappropriate things to people that cause offence eg "you look like the kind of man who spends all his time in the pub." What she meant is "do you like going out with your friends to places like the pub and having a good laugh?"

Her perception of events is quite different to that of others and her recounting of events frequently leads to me saying she's lying because her version of the truth varies significantly.

Struggles with being told no despite a clear explanation of why the answer is no. She will keep pushing and argue the toss. This is for questions she asks and also things like tickling her sister. She will keep going despite being told to stop several times u til her sister loses her temper.

Her teachers in every year since year 2 have said she needs to focus.

She struggles to understand how things she says come across as rude.

She has a blink tic when stressed.

She presented as very bright until about year 1 then struggled and is probably dyslexic. She struggles with comprehension and her spelling is dreadful.

She is easily distracted at home and school, struggles to complete tasks and work but focuses really well if doing art work. She's very artistic.

She's very spirited, fiery, passionate, a bit of a social justice warrior.

I've asked her to write a list of what she feels she struggles with too.

School have been useless in terms of the probable dyslexia and it's only recently I've considered ADD/ASD. She starts high school in September so it seems a good time to get her assessed.

Take a timeline of behaviours since birth and don't be robbed off! You know your dd better than any gp/specialist.

I agree, the most important thing is to not get fobbed off. Maybe you are wrong and it's "something" different. People may try to convince you that you couldn't possibly know... But your DD deserves the best possible care / a thorough evaluation.

Self tests have her scoring highly for ADD. Borderline for ASD.

I wouldn't take her. I didn't take my son and he didn't come to a number of our CAMHS appointments en route to diagnosis. It's just not nice for their entire personalities to be pulled apart and told how difficult they are. And to get diagnosis you do really have to establish and prove how difficult they are.

I found any appointment my son (12) was at I couldn't say half the things I wanted to as they'd be upsetting for him.

Agree with others, write a list of everything and take it. GP don't do much apart from establish "this is not normal" which it sounds is the case from your points above. It may be they tell you you need to get the school on board or they may be able to work directly.

They will probably try to fobb you off with parenting classes in the first instance, say yes to everything you can feasibly commit to, even if you don't think you need to, you'll be ticking a box which may help down the road, and you might just learn some techniques that help. These courses were where I found my kindred spirits; other parents at their wits end who gave humour and solidarity and could help with tips for "the system".

Good luck, and get your sleeves rolled up, it s a long and difficult path but totally worth it to get the support your child deserves.

I’ve just started the process with my almost 7 year old. I went to the 1st GP appointment without her and I wrote a letter outlining my concerns which I dropped at the drs a week before incase I got upset during the appointment.
Initially the referral was rejected because the GP hadn’t sent all the relevant info, luckily after some pushing and lots of phone calls they accepted it. You know your daughter better than anyone and you’ll really have to be her advocate, you’ll have to really push for things sometimes and will be made to question yourself.
Try and get the school on board as it will really help if you have their support (something we struggle with as she masks at school).
Keep videos, pictures and notes on her behaviour, anything that will back up what you see daily.
Wishing you both the best of luck

Definitely make a list (both you and DD is a great idea), probably not the ideal time to get anything from School being the holidays but you need to show that she's presenting the same behaviours in multiple settings so if things were apparent at nursery for example you need to make that clear as well as behaviours that show at school and at home - in our area they won't refer unless behaviours are seen in multiple settings.

Good luck and be prepared to fight for what you want x

Oh and agree with Pinot that first appointment should be without DD, we were able to freely talk about our thoughts with GP and not worry in case we were 'projecting' our thoughts for DS to pick up on (if that's makes sense) and then we were asked to take DS back for another appointment so GP could talk directly to him

I'm not going to take her into the appointment but will take her list. There's more things that I've remembered so hope I remember it all next week.

I'm a single parent and know that her dad will fight me on this as he never believes anything she's diagnosed with. Nope nothing wrong with her despite antibiotics, steroids and an inhaler. Temp of 40 and puss on her tonsils? No, she's fine. He's an idiot so will have to keep him out of this process if possible.

As a single parent with a teen with complex autism with social developmental delay, my ex really never "got it" until he had to sit in the meetings and therapy .

The GP isn't going to assess her and there may be a long wait until that referral takes place. Even then, when DD was dx at 11 after 3 years waiting for assessment, I was told she had autism, got handed a leaflet for the NAS helpline and that was it. It took 18 months to get an ehcp, 2 years to get an SEN school place after being out of education and I lost my job 3 years ago. Now she's qualified for direct autism support services six months after being referred to CAMHS who can't help her because she has autism.

Bloody hell Picked you could be describing my 10 yr old DD. Very similar behaviour traits and I think they've always been there.

The saddest aspect is the lack of friendships. Her peers just don't "get her" and steer clear.

The school acknowledge she has difficulties but I've always been reluctant to push for a dx as didn't want to label her. Also wasn't sure what actual help she could get on a practical level.

Think will write to GP now as worry for her at secondary school

green that’s exactly why I never pushed for dx, however my dd is going into year 2 soon and I worry if she’s having issues now, how will we cope once secondary starts.
It takes an average 18 months in my area for dx.

Op let us know how the GP appointment goes, my GP refused to refer dd unless school gave a report.

Just a heads up, in some areas GPs can't refer a child directly and it needs to be done through school or nursery, or they won't be able to refer without the appropriate paperwork from school. They may not simply be 'refusing' or 'fobbing you off'

went to ours last year with the knowledge they wont help

we were send away with a"there's no way of helping you as because hes not in school (home educated because of disabilities) theres really no need is there,as and as you have one older what can a doctor really do to help"

i walked out with a fuck this i will just deal with it myself as usual

didn't surprise me to be honest as my 13 y old was diagnosed at 8(after being turned away for 4 years) and discharges a week later via letter and has seen no help since

he even had a nervous breakdown in 2015 and was agoraphobic and when i went to the doctor was told theirs just no services here

i rang our "nearest hospital(well over a hour away)" and was told no services in your area ie CAHMS(im valley end of south wales)as all funding got cut

i get so annoyed that people in England get so much help(even social services wasn't interested as he wasn't a severe enough case)

our problem is you cant change doctors as you have to stay in the doctors in your village as the next village doctor is for them

no disagnosis didnt stop me getting dla for him though

13 y old has severe aspergers,moderate autism,GDD(global development delay) by 2-3 years, severe dyspraxia, mild physical tourettes,ODD(Oppositional defiant disorder),severe sleeping disorder(as in doesn't sleep)8 y old has adhd,asd(moderate),gdd by 18 months-2 years,pda and spd,cluster speech(that is diagnosed)and separation anxiety(from me)also doesnt sleep well

both need 24 hour care
the sad thing is we not a isolated case there are thousands and thousands of disabled kids falling through a lack of care system here in south wales area

Update: I went to the GP on my own and the Healthy Young Minds place have already been in contact with me to discuss my daughter and are sending out an appointment which should be in the next few weeks. I'm quite impressed as the GP told me the referral was likely to be rejected and I've have to jump through hoops. The GP also didn't seem to think all her struggles were indicative of anything but maybe didn't know enough as referred anyway. The manager who phoned me gave me some advice regarding secondary school and was familiar with her new school's way of doing things and said they are really on the ball with observing for any issues. So I'm feeling very positive about things now.

She's got an appointment for the end of October. By then school should have an idea of anything amiss from their point of view too. Good luck to those of you who are struggling too

That’s great op, I’m awaiting our initial appointment from the GP’s referral.
Hope she settles in her new school quickly.