What are the benefits of having my child assessed for ADHD?

[Creamcheesedreams]

I've had my adult adhd diagnosis for almost 4 years now and looking at my 7yo is like looking in a mirror.

Discussing it with my husband, we haven't really decided if we should get our child tested yet as it seems so young? Could she feel 'othered' and different from her peers?

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with choices an in trying to work out if we should start the process now (as it's likely years before an assesment date on the NHS) or whether we should wait till she's maybe 10 and then likely to be assessed in time for high school

We don't necessarily want her on medication yet, until she can fully understand the choice but I'm thinking having a diagnosis sooner rather than later even w/o meds would help her understand herself better, her teachers too.
Potentially have some help with school?

I have heard of ECHPs. Is that something that would be enacted upon diagnosis?

I'm concerned her school work will suffer as it gets harder, homework etc and I don't want her to hate learning.

Could anyone that is or has been in a similar situation give me some insight?
What benefits did your children come away with from being diagnosed young?

I would start the process now if I were you. My child was diagnosed by an ed psych age 7 (we were living abroad at the time) with inattentive type ADHD. He had no behavioural issues and seemed to be getting on ok at school with support so never thought we would need to medicate. Puberty was rough and we realised that he probably needed meds to get him through exams. We had to get a diagnosis with a psychiatrist and then go through titration for the meds which in all took over a year (to get to the point he was on the right dose). This was all done privately and it took that long (we had to wait a few months to get the assessment appointment). If you are getting this done via the NHS then you will likely have to wait for years to get the diagnosis.
I think what I am trying to say is, it takes a long time to get initial diagnosis so if you at least have that then when it comes to the point you think meds might be needed then you are already some way through the process. Same with ECHP - it is a slow process and the sooner you start it the better. I regret not starting my child on meds a couple of years earlier. They have made a positive difference to school work.

I wish we had pushed for a proper assessment when ds2 was younger. Unfortunately primary school saw him as 'naughty' and needing a 'firm hand' so I felt that they would not support the process. Secondary school recognised that there was more going on but it was an incredibly long process.

Ds2 was really pleased when he got his diagnosis. He felt that he had an explanation to why he 'felt' different. Secondary school was, on the whole, supportive even without the diagnosis but once he did have the diagnosis it was easier to get the adjustments he needed.

The likelihood of getting an EHCP is slim unless their needs are substantial- with or without a diagnosis. There is a lot of adjustments that can be made without an EHCP.

In my experience diagnosis can give a simple factual narrative to why the individual is good at some things and struggles with other things. It reduces labeling by self or others as naughty/annoying and helps self acceptance and self esteem.

My adult DC has just been diagnosed. They got through primary school ok but secondary was a bit of nightmare due to levels of anxiety. If we'd known about the ADHD we could have made things so much easier.

I would definitely go the medication route of the psychiatrist recommends it. A young friend of mine was diagnosed age 15 and her grades went up almost overnight from 3 or 4 to 7 or 8.

I have an 11 year old who had been waiting 4 years for an assessment. Behaviours are escalting and they have not been in school since October.
Her peers won't know if she has a diagnosis unless she tells them.

Start now or look at Right to Choose.

I'm on the app so can't reply individually just now

Thank you for your stories, I guess it's def nudging me to getting this started now.

I have heard of Right to Choose but I assumed it was for over 18s, not for children

I'll reach out to our GP this week and ask how to get this started (I went private for my diagnosis but finances have taken a big hit over the last few years unfortunately)
And I'll still save up so if the wait is too long maybe we can go private eventually

For me it was worrying about secondary school. He is thriving in primary, but secondary is a big jump and I am worried how he will cope. I wanted a diagnosis firstly for him to understand himself, but mostly to ensure support in school should he ever need it. The sad thing is it takes years, so leaving it until you need it could be too late.

We did right to choose.

I’d pursue a diagnosis if you can.

I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and going through my school reports made me feel quite sad for my younger self. Every year, the overwhelming feedback was I must try harder because I was fidgeting/late/had no self control/lacked focus. I was actually trying really hard and I felt like I was a failure that I didn’t manage to improve.

It took us 2 1/2 years to get DD diagnosed with inattentive ADHD - so it's worth starting the ball rolling now to get in the system long before secondary is looming.

I don't think there are any downsides to getting them assessed sooner rather than later. Especially given the waiting times. It helped DD and DS understand why they struggled with certain things.

As other have said, it's usually a long process. I'd recommend starting it now to try and make sure support is in place by the time he starts Secondary school.

For us the advantages of diagnosis were:

• The option of medication. It can make a real difference and you can decide if or when you might want to trial medication once you have a diagnosis.

• A diagnosis can lead to additional support and understanding at school and potentially an EHCP.

• Depending on the amount of additional support and care your child needs you may be eligible to claim DLA and a diagnosis helps that process.

• Unfortunately my DD didn't cope with the GCSE years at Secondary School. Her attendance fell (dramatically) and her mental health was rock bottom. The existing diagnosis and prior recognition of additional needs saved us from having to endure school non attendance fine threats while we were trying to keep DD from having a complete breakdown. Hopefully your son won't experience the same but Secondary School can often be very difficult for neurodiverse children.

Getting an assessment made things easier for me because school finally understood what support my kid needed, and it took the guesswork out of daily routines. It also helped me separate what was personality from what was ADHD stuff. I found [source] useful for background reading, even if I wasn’t looking at treatments yet. It just helped me feel less in the dark while figuring things out.

My son was diagnosed in year 7, it was a long process that started in primary school where he really struggled,school was reluctant but I pushed for it and he was diagnosed with Asperger's and ADHD, it meant that he got fantastic support in secondary school.My daughter , however masked very well, and secondary school was a nightmare for her, no diagnosis , no support , so I removed her for her last 2 years of school and home educated her. She was referred for Autism and AdHD assessment in February 2024 and has just received a diagnosis of AuADHD , she is in a specialist college and the support she amazing, so definitely worth pursuing.