How to start investigation for ADHD?

[Florabella]

I wonder if my daughter has ADHD. Her Dad has recently been diagnosed and it would make sense of some of her behaviour. From my research it seems to present very differently in girls.

She cannot control her emotions at all and looses control at the slightest thing

She is very disorganised and loses things constantly. Also very clumsy.

She struggles more academically than her siblings- particularly in maths, but across the board, but she has just started secondary, so nothing is flagged up at the stage. I think she is trying so hard to control herself at school that she just can't at home.

Now I appreciate it may not be adhd, and would love opinions from those with more experience
. But should the first conversation be with school or with a go?

Thanks for any feedback

School. In most cases GPs can't refer. For an ADHD diagnosis she'll need to be having problems in multiple places (ie home & school). Schools normally refer not GPs so talk to them first.

Hi, I am in a similar situation with my DS, want to get an assessment but hard to figure out the process.
I have spoken to tutor, head of year and senco at school (secondary) and basically got a shrug.
Am now waiting for a initial phone call with gp which didn't happen first time it was scheduled.
What school did tell me is that it is a camhs thing, but obviously waiting lists are years, even for kids with urgent need for support.
I am lucky in that we could afford to go private but I need school and gp to tell me who I can get him seen by that they will recognise. Which qualifications etc.
As far as I can tell it all takes a lot of chasing and following up, which isn't that easy for me as I'm the one he gets it from...
not much use but solidarity!

And further to what @negomi90 said, school told me to go to the gp... probably different depending on area.

Thanks. I'm concerned that approaching school won't get me anywhere, as she has always been good at masking her issues (whatever they actually might be), so I don't think anyone there could tell. It was never brought up as a potential issue at primary school. She has also only been at school one term.

I wouldn't even have thought of it if her dad hadn't been diagnosed and then I started looking into it and the different ways it can present.

I went to the GP to get things rolling, but the school does have to be involved normally.

I would approach school and tell them you've got it moving and explain you think she's masking at school.

Of course GP, nonsense suggesting otherwise. Not all children go to school and there has to be a route to diagnosis for them!

Shamelessly following

My daughter struggled at school, similar issues to your dd.Crying in class, poor at maths,not doing homework, poor attendance due to anxiety etc.
She saw school psychologist and nothing was flagged up except anxiety and hormones

Got referred to CAMHS by Gp
They were not fit for purpose and if anything made the anxiety worse.

To cut what could be a long story short, we went private and got the assessment done within the space of a month.
2 psychiatric assessments of an hour each by video call ( during lockdown)
The second one confirmed Inattention Adhd.
Medication taken for several months now and it’s made a huge difference for her. Her life has been turned around.

Our experience of trying to get an assessment on the nhs was extremely poor.
We did try.
Unfortunately the post code lottery does exist within health care.It may be better for you OP.

I’d advise try the school and GP first and ask for an assessment for adhd.
Tell them what you think the problem may be.

Dd saw a private psychotherapist initially and he flagged up adhd almost immediately.
Then the psychiatrist for diagnosis.

Good luck.

In my case

GP makes referral to community paediatrics
CP assesses and issues Connors test which is completed by home and school
School minimises issues (despite calling me in to discuss said issues multiple times)
No diagnosis

Now trying to weigh up the benefits vs costs of paying out for private assessment (£1000+) which may result in same outcome…

@Christienne
That’s annoying about the school minimising.
What do school reports say ?
What about other family members ?
If the school called you in to discuss issues there must be a record of this ?
Could you ask for a copy ?

@bumpertobumper

Hi, I am in a similar situation with my DS, want to get an assessment but hard to figure out the process. I have spoken to tutor, head of year and senco at school (secondary) and basically got a shrug. Am now waiting for a initial phone call with gp which didn't happen first time it was scheduled. What school did tell me is that it is a camhs thing, but obviously waiting lists are years, even for kids with urgent need for support. I am lucky in that we could afford to go private but I need school and gp to tell me who I can get him seen by that they will recognise. Which qualifications etc. As far as I can tell it all takes a lot of chasing and following up, which isn't that easy for me as I'm the one he gets it from... not much use but solidarity!

I'm in the same situation as this. My son is in trouble all the time but school are refusing to help and saying there isn't a problem. An nhs appointment would take ages so I'm going to go private

@Florabella I should add my dd got her diagnosis as a young adult. So the process may be different.
As nothing was flagged up at school I assumed it was the stresses of school and hoped things would get better once she left.
However her friends all got jobs or went to uni while she just existed in her very messy room at home.