ADHD discussion continued

[Guest guest]

Hi Jodi,

Thanks for your input. That was very helpful info that I will print

out for discussion with the Dev. Ped.

I talked to his feeding therapist today who sees him for an hour a

week and she is seeing no ADHD or explosive behavior. She was quite

shocked to here a possible diagnosis. She said he is completely

focused on their cooking tasks and does very well. And his preschool

teacher isn't seeing it either. I'm glad he is doing well in these

settings.

So does the psychiatrist prescibe the meds based on a Dev. Ped's

diagnosis or can they diagnose as well? I'm just wondering if I need

to get some further input?

He wanted us back in 4 months after I'd read the book and had tried to

implement changes, then he would talk meds. So I need to look at other

meds besides stimulants?

Thanks for your input,

Colin

[Guest guest]

,

It's really up to you if you want to go to a psychiatrist or not.

You can also consider a neurologist. I don't know much about

developmental pediatricians, so it's hard for me to say. From what

I've heard, they are not as quick to use medications, preferring to

use more behavior modification techniques. It's really up to you

and what you feel more comfortable with.

If you do decide to go to a psychiatrist, that doctor would ask

questions, possibly have you fill out some checklists and forms and

then make a decision based on the results of those. The same goes

for a neurologist, but a neurologist would do a more thorough

physical exam as well. Keep in mind that these doctors are trained

in areas of ADHD, behavior issues, personality issues, etc. and are

more likely to notice and pick up on signs that a more general

pediatrician might not.

The only thing that makes me lean more toward recommending you see

one of the above doctors is that the dev. ped. has said most likely

Colin has ADHD, we know it is not uncommon in RSS kids and you are

obviously having issues at home. It is also not unusual for a child

with ADHD to focus on a task or in an environment that is one-on-

one, very structured and/or is of interest to the child. Some of

the most hyperactive children I have taught will sit down and do

anything for me if it's just the two of us. And others will sit

still for a movie, listening to a story or craft, but are a

nightmare if we are doing math, reading or social studies/science.

There is nothing to lose by making an appointment and having an eval

done. You can only learn from it. In fact, you might find that you

have to wait for a few months to actually get in to see the

specialist, so you could always make an appt. and then cancel if you

change your mind or you find that techniques from the book are

working. BUT also keep in mind what I said about Colin's developing

mind, his accelerated capacity to learn at this age and the effect

this can have on his later school years. If he is learning " bad "

behaviors now and is having difficulty controlling them, as well as

you, then he is not as available for learning - plus the negative

behaviors become that much more reinforced.

There is no wrong decision here. Just follow your gut and do what

works for you - and Colin. I do get the impression that you want to

explore this situation more, but I could be wrong. Again, feel free

to email me any time and I will gladly discuss more with you.

Jodi Z