ADHD child assessment - how to prepare???

[lamptabletv]

Hi,

My 12yo child is having an ADHD assessment this week. Please can I ask other SEN parents for advice on how to prepare him/myself? Anything you wished you'd've known before hand that would have been helpful?

Thanks

Following

We did ours in bits, but basically she had some cognitive tests, a Qb test (which is a reaction test on a computer) lots of forms to fill in and at least one face to face.

Is it the Qb test or the assessment appointment? Face to face or online?

My DS internalised during the face to face assessment. It went on for over 2 hours by which time he was completely dysregulated. Ask for breaks and also ask if it’s ok that your DC sit out for the early years stuff that they can’t contribute to. A few fidget toys just don’t cut it when they’re expected to sit in one place for any length of time. If you can take a friend/partner or someone else to support, then they can stay with your DC while you’re in there talking about the first part which covers pregnancy, first years etc.

I don't know what a Qb test is? I'll look it up, thanks.

I have done pages and pages of questions, this is a one hour face to face.

Thanks

It's just me and him, I assumed I would be in with him as he is under 16.

We’ve had our last week.
write down any examples in advance of behaviour that makes you suspect ADHD.
then just relax and talk to them. Most assessors are lovely

We've had ours recently.

I don't think you particularly need to prepare anything.

As a PP has suggested, just some examples of why you feel they may have ADHD.

Ours took about 2 hours as well, so was with me and her together, so just with DD and the dr and some with just me. She was 11.
She has inattentive adhd, so she wasn't always engaged, but it's fairly easy to see when she's not.
He did some basic medical tests, some cognitive ones and the just talked stuff through with her.

@MummyJ12 sorry your child found it tricky x

Right down any questions you have beforehand.

Thanks x
He got a diagnosis and received the report just last week. I have fed back to CAMHS about his experience. It wasn’t positive and they can definitely make easy, reasonable adjustments to help others in the future. If you can get someone to go with you both, I’d recommend it so your DC doesn’t have to sit through the whole thing. I was amazed by how much of it was early years stuff that only I could answer. It is also part of the test it seems as they are noting how still or fidgety the child is throughout. DS had shut down by the end of it so he wasn’t as hyper as usual. It was noted in his report that his movements were not excessive which wasn’t reflective of how he usually is. This counted against him getting a diagnosis. However, the Qb test score, the screening forms that his school/tutors etc filled in and the feedback from the multi disciplinary team which included his doctor and practitioner were weighted towards a diagnosis so it was given.
There were no tasks given to him during the assessment like he had for his ASC assessment. It was just a chat session for us that could have been easily done online, IME anyway.

I hope it goes well @lamptabletv

You’ll have chance for questions during the feedback session/appointment too so don’t worry if you forget anything.

Is this your first appointment .

first appointment is fact finding - from 1st appointment decided they wanted to do a school observation ,
my Ds due to a bit of Camhs losing information was started on meds and did the qb test afterwards . This is not normal practice .

be prepared if you don’t want medication , after they diagnosed or don’t you will be discharged .

@Starlightstarbright3 if your child is dx with ADHD is medication the only offer? No skills coaching or anything practical?

Nope .. not in my experience . My Ds has remained on camhs because he is on medication ,

but generally it’s on you to do the research . Dr Barkley is amazing podcasts to help

It might not be ideal, but with ds we deliberately antagonised him a bit, because then they saw what school saw. He was all over the place, under the table, sitting on me, sitting on DH, putting toys on our heads, making the toys answer etc. The psychiatrist was fantastic and just kept going with questions to us and him, and at the end said he was so clearly combined type ADHD that she couldn't believe how long we had waited. Other than telling your DC to be themselves, that the questions are to find out about them and not a test, and to make sure you reply with how things are on the worst days, I'm not sure there's much else to do.

Also agree with pp that it's very much medication or nothing. But do try the meds if it's appropriate, it's changed ds life and kept him in education, saved me from a complete breakdown and given the whole family a second chance. On the meds he is more able to engage with the interventions that school have accessed for him. Good luck!

We tried lots of strategies prior to diagnosis so we knew that meds were the only option really. But her cognitive tests that she first took came with really low results and the most recent (April) scored very highly and that is on her current dosage. It makes a huge difference. She has combined type and if she misses a dose it's like living with Tigger