Experience of adhd medication pathway timings?

[Exhaustedcog]

So tomorrow, hopefully, after many years of struggling to get a referral accepted, and sitting on wait lists and getting screening and questionnaires etc, my son is being assessed by camhs for adhd and I’m hoping his diagnosis will be confirmed. He is classic combined adhd and also dyslexic.

Can anyone shine a light on whether we’re likely to go on some kind of extended waitlist for titration of medicine? My son already has all the sen support in school you get with an adhd diagnosis and we’re actually in process of applying for an ehcna ahead of transition to secondary- finishing year 5 atm.

I’ve got the fear we might get the dx and then the meds will be a long time in future… if they are, could we go private just for the medicine titration? We could afford it, but would rather stay under nhs because of the ehcna and wanting the “approval” of camhs for the dx, and obvs ongoing cost.

thank you!

Have a look at the NICE guidelines on ADHD, @Exhaustedcog.

Extract below:

Evidence showed the benefit of medication in this age group in improving ADHD symptoms and this was in line with the committee's experience. The committee acknowledged there are concerns about recommending medication for ADHD and particularly the uncertainty over the long-term adverse effects of medication in growing children. However, the committee agreed that untreated ADHD can have far-reaching, long-lasting negative impacts on a child or young person's life (for example, affecting academic performance, interpersonal relationships, work, personal issues, substance use and driving). Medication offers a better balance of benefits and costs than non-pharmacological interventions, so the committee agreed to recommend it when ADHD symptoms are persistent and still causing a significant impairment in at least one domain of everyday life despite the implementation and review of environmental modifications. The committee was aware of the implications of medication in this young population and made several recommendations to ensure its responsible use. These include recommendations on:

• checking that environmental modifications have been done before starting medication
• carrying out a thorough baseline assessment
• ensuring that medication is initiated only by healthcare professionals with training and expertise in diagnosing and managing ADHD
• early review of medication to optimise its use (including checking for adverse effects)
• regular review to ensure that medication is continued only for as long as it is needed
• offering ADHD-focused support for all children and young people with ADHD