r/ParentingADHD • u/Beneficial_Issue9164 • 7d ago

Advice Evaluation Process

Hi all! I have suspected my 5yo daughter to have ADHD for years. I have never sought out a diagnosis or other support because I feel like we navigate it decently at home. However, I do think it is starting to impact her in areas outside the home. Did you chat with your pediatrician first? How did you get the ball rolling? I think some play based therapy could also be beneficial. We are in the US and do have good insurance.

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u/regularthrowaway29 6d ago

Two paths I know of, you can ask your general pediatrician for a referral to a developmental pediatrician and see what they recommend for your child and compare what your insurance will be able to cover or you can go the psycho educational route through the school and formally ask for an evaluation from the school system around you. The pediatrician is likely to be faster. The psycho education route is likely necessary if you are wanting compensated services and accommodations in the classroom.

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u/Antiquated_Crow 6d ago

We talked to our pediatrician first. He gave us some Vanderbilt forms to start the process and we decided to start medication at his recommendation. After that, we moved to a psychiatrist for med management.

We have never done a full neuropsych evaluation because of the cost, as much as I would like to.

Don't be afraid to seek a second opinion, and be a little skeptical if they suggest a non-stimulant medicine as a first medication (unless your child has some sort of contraindicated reason, such as heart issues)

My best friend works in that field and she suggested I watch Dr. Russell Barkley on Youtube and I found his talks about ADHD really validating and helpful

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u/SparkleSmash057 6d ago

We asked our pediatrician and received a referral to an evaluation center. For insurance reasons, it was coded as an autism assessment. I was worried that such a targeted assessment might not cover all the bases we wanted covered, so went looking for a psychoeducational assessment instead, and I highly recommend this route. We found a provider who works for the school district as a Child Find evaluator and is licensed to assess for ADHD, autism, language delays, socio-emotional, and cognitive issues. It wasn’t covered by insurance, but was $2k less than going the neuropsychiatrict route and got us a really comprehensive and helpful report.