To wonder why paeds even bothered with an ADHD Qb test?

[Eeksteek]

DD12 is being assessed for ADHD. She scores highly for it at home, but not at all at school, so paeds referred her for a QB computer test. On which she showed ADHD traits. But as the school senco (with whom I have had no contact and do not believe she has even met) and her teacher (who says she can’t have ADHD because she ‘doesn’t fidget’) say she has no issues at school they have concluded she does not have ADHD symptoms in two settings (which they already knew) and discharged her.

So what was the fucking point of the QB test, if they are going to ignore the results, then? I can understand wanting an objective marker when two subjective scores differ, but why even bother if you are going to just…..discount it?!

Am I being unreasonable to kick up a (polite) stink? Am I ‘that parent’ chasing a label to excuse poor parenting and disagreeing with the professionals? She different, I’m sure of it. She’s so difficult (I never say that in front of her but there’s no other word for it) and I was so hoping to get some support. I wasn’t expecting much, but this is below even my expectations.

No one’s remotely interested in her dad. It was five years ago, the attitude is we should all be over it. To be fair, these were all issues that were in place since before she could talk, so I don’t think it’s a cause (although it may be exacerbating and obviously, he didn’t die out of the blue, there were lots of issues in the run up)

Ironically, she was observed to be fidgety her peads appointment, and they mentioned anxiety. Cahms can’t even keep up with people in crisis, though, so a child who isn’t even failing at school isn’t going to be seen before she grows up. I did get onto school to do what they could. They gave her a mentor, which consisted of a year 9 to play games with once a fortnight. Fun, but not exactly helpful.

Don't let the Paed do this. It does happen occasionally. They refuse to diagnose based on conflicting evidence from school. Get GP to write back to Paed saying dd should not been discharged. She needs you be seen again. Insist that just because school say she doesn't show signs, they are there, just missing them.

I had similar with ASD. School insisted there were no signs. I was treated badly, as if I was imagining things. In the end I persuaded Paed to meet my mum who agreed everything I'd said, and he was finally diagnosed.

I think it is very much being treated as my problem, either with my ‘anxiety’ or my parenting. Frankly, I would be a lot more chilled if I wasn’t having such a hard time with DD or had some validation of our struggles! I don’t think I have anxiety. Just a lot of stress (which I manage imperfectly, but given my resources, not too badly!)

Lots of kids with autism play imaginatively. Autism has so many different traits which can vary in the individual and as to how much.

I despair.

It’s no wonder so many girls end up under diagnosed until the shit really hits the fan when they’re older.

Not this one. Not on my watch!

And which is why I do not have a lot of faith that the same paediatrician can just discharge, after the objective test he ordered showed ADHD traits. It’s only the local cottage hospital too. I’ll obviously have to kick up a stink and get us referred on to someone more specialist. Only I shouldn’t bloody have to. I’ve been at this for three years as it is!

As horrible as it sounds, and only if you can do so safely and without causing distress obviously, I have found filming incidents at home can be a good tool to show to professionals to show what your dealing with and to give them more insight.

She sounds very similar to my Autistic DD. She masks really well, which costs her a lot and me and her siblings are the ones that cop it in the afternoons. I don't think there's any requirement under DSM-5 saying the two qualifying areas need to be problematic in the school setting.

My youngest certainly there's nothing at all his teachers observed beyond an occasional stim. He got an Autism diagnosis based on the 2 diagnostic criteria being met. The requirement is that they have difficulties in both social-communication’, and ‘restricted, repetitive and/or sensory behaviours or interests. My DD diagnosed at 11, is in year 6 and has never had obvious social difficulties at school. It's all much more subtle, her not understanding others meaning, not being able to distinguish emotions, never able to forget a wrong however minor, black and white thinking. Her stim she's had since she was a baby, but I never realised it was a stim till recently.

We don't qualify for any support, but it's been worth it so DD can understand herself more and cut herself some slack. She knows now why she struggles with certain things. She knows why she feels different to the other children. Her words. She knows why she's increasingly confused by social situations.

I'd liquidate or borrow against that asset you spoke of earlier to get your DD assessed privately. You'll need to find someone that is very good at diagnosing children who don't fit the most common interpretation of the diagnostic criteria.

Thank you. Yes, I will if I have to. The opposition behaviour is truly exhausting. Its reflexive - I don’t think she can help it.

My little lad just had this done they said that they couldn't get a reading of it I'm like yep what you expecting from a child whom is unable to sit still long enough I'm awaiting them to call me for a chat next week as he couldn't handle the assessment thay was doing said he was unable to concentrate focus while interacting with them and then week after she will take all the info to there consultant think this means of you go no dignoses dreading it

We did get diagnosis, eventually. I made a body of objective evidence from teachers comments and reports and put it in a massive folder, along with other measures. Really anal things like number of night wake ups, hours sleep on and off melatonin, ratios of requests with accedence and refusals etc. It was the world’s daftest data collection exercise, but it worked. Because it was objective, they couldn’t dismiss it without a standard. They couldn’t say her inability to yes to anything ever was not typical, if they couldn’t define a range for typical. But I could say it was 100%. And they had already said that wouldn’t be normal. Because they always start with ‘all children have…..’. And what I was saying was ‘my child overwhelmingly has …. And it is having this measurable impact’

I pointed out, at length, that the criteria is that symptoms are present in two settings, not impacting negatively on those settings. She doesn’t have to be failing or disruptive. I also pointed out that my strategies at home are mitigating impact at school. So I am letting her stay home on says that are hard, school aren’t seeing her hard days. And that the comments her actual contact teachers are about her work, and that she has been referred to various social schemes ACTIVELY contradict the senco she doesn’t know ticking the box that says she ‘never’ rushes her work or has conflict with friends etc etc etc.

She is now diagnosed and medicated. It has made a massive difference. She hasn’t had a school refusal in months. She hasn’t felt sick in forever (her go to, and likely an anxiety response) her teachers have noticed a difference (um, how? If she was so fine before?!!) and most tellingly, she willingly takes her meds independently (I was having to hide her melatonin in her dinner, because she flat out refused it) and if you knew her and her refusal to do anything she should, you’d know that is an ENORMOUS sign that they help her and she recognises that.

She does homework, has made new friends, has much less conflict with friends, cleans her teeth without me involved at all, eats better, sleeps better. There’s nothing that’s not improved, except school performance. It just doesn’t take EVERYTHING I have to get their results for them. Proving conclusively that school didn’t have a fucking clue.

She’s still a challenged child. Home life isn’t easy. But it’s easiER. And that’s all I could hope for. She’s also been referred for an autism assessment. By the same paediatrician who said she couldn’t possibly be autistic because she displayed imaginative play. Apparently he ‘knows her better now’ I resisted the temptation to tell him I told him so, but we now have to wait three years for an assessment. Which is annoying, since I was fairly sure she was autistic when she was referred three years ago. What a good job I’m me and refused to be go away quietly! I was diagnosed myself recently, too. (No surprise!)

Hi OP, thanks for updating your thread a few months ago. I know it’s been a while but wanted to ask how you got the diagnosis with all your data in the end - via the paediatrician?

I really relate to your situation. DD (nearly 8) is now under Early Help as she was sucking her arms in lessons so much she was covered in bruises. This, along with DD writing her teachers multiple letters saying she was stressed and worried/couldn’t understand lessons (all initiated by her not me!) made them realise she’s not “fine” (as they’ve said for years despite us struggling to get her in many times/going to GP when she was 5 etc.)

But they don’t think she’s ADHD. At home, she is just like your DD. Very hyperactive, destroys the house when dysregulated.. I could go on.

Academically I was told she’s “bang in the middle”, now she’s being put in lower groups to lower her stress but they say she’s capable of more.

The SENCO even put me off going the private route which a family member volunteered to pay for after spending a week with us. We have lot of diagnose ADHD and ASD in the wider family.

Shall I try the Qb test (private)? Arrange to see SENCO again and collate more data now she’s under Early help?

I feel I’ve been too willing to accept the brush off but I know my daughter. Her self esteem is low - I want this so she can understand why she has struggles. I know when hormones kick in we could be in real trouble.