Update on my son and a question...

[KatWrangler]

So I talked with the Psych Doc late last week. He got the additional forms back from his Kindy Teacher and scored them. He said it doesn't indicate Conner has ADHD. But our insurance gave the okie dokie for some sort of additional computer testing. We have an appointment for this Friday afternoon.

Fast forward to a few minutes ago. I just got a call from my son's summer school Kindy Teacher. She is having a very difficult time with Conner. He is:

Blurting Out
Not sitting still
Not concentrating
Misspelling his name eventhough the teacher had just worked with him
Takes him over 20 minutes to complete the spelling task
Other things, but those I remember off the top of my head.

I still feel in my gut he has ADHD or something. Now, why would the test results the Psych scored from the normal school year Kindy Teacher indicate he doesn't?

I just left a VM for the Psych to tell him what is going on.

Any thoughts on this?

[Lady Mayapple]

I would get a second opinion. The first psych we took our son to said he didn't show signs of anything. Fast forward to a year later and we're having more problems than ever, and I was never satisfied with that doc's conclusion anyway. This time I decided just to go straight to a developmental pediatrician and take him to a place that has many specialists (ie-people who know what they are doing). What do your other family members, particularly ones who spend a lot of time with your child, think about him? Do they notice differences? Right now I have many days where I think "This just isn't right, and DS1 is NOT going to just "outgrow" his issues." The environment in our house is stressful and tense. I never know from moment to moment what my son is going to say or do. If outsiders lived my life, they would agree that my son has a problem.
Since DS often behaves much differently in public, I am making videos of what he's like at home to give the doctors the realistic view of a day in our house.

[KatWrangler]

I just got off the phone with the Doc. He is leaning toward ADHD after the new info I just gave him. Friday he wants me to fill out another questioniare.

I hate how this is so subjective. I wish there was a medical test that could be done and say yes or no. Sigh...

[Evan&Anna's_Mom]

One thing our psych said was that part of the ADHD diagnosis was that it had to impact a child's life in more than one setting. Our diagnosis was much "firmer" at the point where I reported similar comments from both DDs teacher and gymnastics coach. Does your child do any sort of class or sport? If so, what does the coach/teacher report? If not, it might be really interesting to see what happens in some sort of sports class. DDs psych did say that the fact that she was in gymnastics and her coach observed hyperactivity issues meant a lot because you couldn't just say "well, she doesn't like sitting at a desk in school". Might be worth trying some sort of activity just to see.

The other thing that really helped me understand what DDs teachers were seeing was to watch her in a group of peers. What I see at home didn't really tell me nearly as much as watching her on her first Brownie overnight -- when all of the other girls were sitting in a circle and DD was off dancing around the room. Same thing with watching her in gymnastics class -- she was the only one bouncing off in another direction all the time. I don't know about you, but unless I really seek out opportunities I don't see my kids in structured environments with like-aged children, and seeing them in open play at home just isn't the same.

[KatWrangler]

He did ask if it impacts his daily life and I said "yes."

[chiefmir]

one thought is that there kind of IS a test... neuropsychological evaluation (most likely would have to be paid for privately, although some insurances have neuropsychogists on their panel) will do much more than an interview and review rating scales. It gives multiple tests of various cognitive functions, and pattern of scores is indicative (along with rating scales, interviews, etc) of dysfunction in certain parts of the brain (ADHD is frontal lobe and right hemisphere).

[KatWrangler]

Originally Posted by chiefmir

one thought is that there kind of IS a test... neuropsychological evaluation (most likely would have to be paid for privately, although some insurances have neuropsychogists on their panel) will do much more than an interview and review rating scales. It gives multiple tests of various cognitive functions, and pattern of scores is indicative (along with rating scales, interviews, etc) of dysfunction in certain parts of the brain (ADHD is frontal lobe and right hemisphere).

We are on Molina, which is a MO Medicaid provider. They are really good to us, but I don't know if they would okie dokie this type of tests.

Now they did approve some sort of test on Friday. I don't know exactly what it is. Just that the insurance had to approve it first. Could this be it?