Where and how do I get my son diagnosed with ADHD?

[OhWhatNoooow]

I think my son may have something like ADD, (I'm not familiar with all the spectrum). How can I get him tested or diagnosed, where do I go, who do I ask? I live in london.

Is he at school?

Go to your docs for a starter and get a referral. Also talk to your School and tell them what you are doing, ask for their help too.
It's a long long road, good luck.

He is 9, sorry didn't add that. I was referred to CAHMS but am still waiting 7 months later! Is there anything else one can do? privately maybe?

If you suspect your child has ADHD then it would be Camhs child psychiatrist who would assess your son. Seven months is far too long a wait!! You could ask your Gp to request an urgent referral to Camhs.
We didn't find Camhs at all helpful in our area and ended up going to the Learning Assessment and Neurocare Centre in Horsham - they may also have a clinic in London now. You can ask your Gp to make the referral to LANC but make sure your Gp is willing to enter into a shared care arrangement with LANC so he can receive medication under the NHS.

Why do you think your son may have ADHD?

Have you rung CAMHS to see when you are likley to be seen? My DS (ASD) waited about 6 months but I knew what was happening with the waiting list as I kept asking (politely).

Try the SENCO at school, ask them to write a urgency letter. Ask for a referral to the ED psychology service whilst you are waiting. Try ringing the school nursing service, ask for their advice too. The more voices you have pushing for an appointment the better.

It is possible to go down the private route for diagnosis, but it can be expensive.

Amazingly, Camhs rang today to offer us an appointment for monday!

I feel that something with my son is a little 'off', but I cant really put my finger on it. He has various issues, which may be within the range of normal, but I can't be sure. He has eating issues, in that he eats nothing. He doesnt concentrate in school and I have to ask him to do something a thousand times, he just cannot focus on the task. He's very bright though and could do really well in school if he could just concentrate. He's being bullied now in school abit, being called smelly and things like that, but to be honest, his behaviour can turn the other kids off him. He is always telling on the other boys if they do something wrong. He is a stickler for justice.

So, I guess we will see whats going on on Monday and take it from there.

What is ASD?

Great news about your appointment.

ASD = Autistic Spectrum Disorder. My DS2 is high functioning (HF) and he was not diagnosed till at primary.

My son has sensory processing issues which are typical of autism (and other disorders) so issues with food and classrooms are familiar to me. Which I understand as not having normal levels of reaction to things like sound, colours and tastes to the point were it can overwhelm him. He has a very limited diet and will only eat bland food as anything with flavour is overwhelming to him. It also means that he finds it difficult to cope in classrooms as they are often noisy with lots going on.

BTW, the special needs children board is busier that here, so you might want to post on there as well.