To crowd source a research proposal on ADHD diagnosis of children

[researcher93]

I was diagnosed as an adult after struggling so much with undiagnosed ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia. It was suggested to me by my uni councillor but then I was stuck navigating NHS policies, waiting times and even seeing a healthcare professional to discuss ADHD.

It saddens me I wasn't diagnosed as a child, but it does bring me to where I am today which is the opportunity of patient-led research!

Mumsnet was so helpful to me in understanding ADHD, explaining my options between NHS and private, and the types of treatments and medications. Once I decided to go private I was able to understand my options regarding costs, accessing private psychiatrists, and shared care agreements from Mumsnet!

I was hoping to get some feedback on what parents think is important to focus on. I think Mumsnet is an unrecognised resource for ADHD information and would love to explore it further.

I would love to hear people's stories of their struggles getting their children diagnosed.

Where I live I can't comment much on nhs diagnoses but 4 friends children have recently been diagnosed privately and all have commented that it was relatively quick and unexpectedly straightforward. Probably because they are all comfortable financially so could access options many people would find unaffordable.

I sometimes wonder if all the people working in the private space doing diagnoses for £££ were available in the nhs... presumably the nhs waiting times could fall dramatically.