The following professionals can diagnose and treat AD/HD

The Psychiatrist

The Psychologist

Your Family Doctor

The Neurologist

The Master Level Counselor

The Social Worker


There's a great article at this link that gives more info
http://www.additudemag.com/addabc.asp?DEPT_NO=202&SUB_NO=2

In the past few months, I have had parents come to me in chat and tell me that their child's teacher "diagnosed" their child with ADD. To all the parents out there who are wondering...your child's teacher may instinctively be right, but the may also be very very wrong too. There are lots of disorders that mimic the same symptoms of AD/HD, and while its important to listen to a teacher's feedback, they are not necessarily trained or experienced enough to always discern the differences between disorders. Please see the article above, and talk to your child's doctor.

I think teachers need to be very careful how they word things.

Agreed.

While it is true that teachers should refrain from diagnosing medical conditions, they see literally hundreds of kids a day, and have some insight into what is "normal" and what is not. It was the observations of teachers that put us onto the fact that my kids are ADD.

Teachers can help in spotting ADD--my wife is a teacher, and she always tells me what I'm doing wrong!

I went to see my neurologist in December about taking Ritalin again. My GP had actually prescribed it in early October but I was starting to have problems with small seizures again when taking it, so I only stayed on it for about a week. I wanted to see a neurologist to deal with both the epilepsy AND the ADD/ADHD. I don't drive but made a trip out of town to see a specialist who then told me that he did not treat ADHD. He told me talk to my family doctor (GP) about it instead-- who is the person who I had seen in the first place when I took it for that short while in early October! (Arrrrrgggggghhhh).

The neurologist knew that I had made the appointment to discuss Ritalin. He even had a letter from my psychotherapist recommending that I be taking some type of stimulant. I spoke with my daughter's school counselor about this not too long later (who is also a friend of mine). She told me the same thing you are saying in this post-- that he could have prescribed the Ritalin but simply didn't want to. I wasn't surprised when she told me this. He would hardly even make eye-contact with me and when it was obvious that I was dissatisfied with the visit, he simply walked out of the office on me.

~Sandy

Neurologist tend to not want to handle mental disorders like ADHD because they feel the disroders are best handled by a psychiatrist, whom would have much more experience and expertise with mental disorders. Few Neurologists that I know of would co-treat your epilepsy and AD/HD. Most would feel that they are two separate issues and problems and only one of them are in their field of expertise. The other is a behavioral/mood/mental disorder which is best handled by a psychiatrist. So while, yes, he could prescribe the medication, perhaps he/she felt it was more ethical to let a psychiatrist handle your ADHD, while he/she handled your epilepsy?

I am surprised, however, that the neurologist did not at least refer you to someone else.

MM
:yin-yang:

We are fortunate to have an excellent pediatric neurologist nearby as well as about 7 or so excellent psychiatrists who treat kids.Some are exclusively pediatric and some are generalists.We also have some great pediatricians, gp/s and several clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners who can also prescribe aswell.Sometimes living in the boonies pays off.

Originally posted by Stranger
While it is true that teachers should refrain from diagnosing medical conditions, they see literally hundreds of kids a day, and have some insight into what is "normal" and what is not.

Teachers can only suspect they cannot in effect diagnose. Unfortunately, what constitutes normal for one teacher may be different for another. So it becomes subjective and that can be dangerous.
Many teachers are overworked and have class sizes that are totally unmanageable. So the children who act out the most are unfortunately targeted to be subdued. I fear there may be too many kids, especially boys, who are unchallenged by the curriculum, one that does not appeal to their particular learning styles and sets them up for failure. I would think long and hard before I went the medication route...

Teachers cannot, and should not, diagnose ADD. But they can spot problems with kids who can't pay attention, can't sit still, etc. and direct the attention of others (school counselors, parents, etc.) to the problems, after which a proper diagnosis can be made by trained professionals. Otherwise, many kids get labeled wrongly, instead of receiving the help they need.

Maybe little Johnny is just bored. Or maybe not.

Teachers cannot diagnose students. They only make suggestions to the child study teams (other professionals in education: teachers, social workers, special education teachers…) who hear the case and then make a determination as to whether or not to proceed with the case. If it is determined that the student exhibits enough characteristics of a possible disorder, the parent is referred to an agency for testing. The onus is on the parent to determine whether or not to take the child to be tested or which professional to take the child to.

Many times parents wait too long before they act because of denial or procrastination or the fact they feel responsible because they too may have the condition. If something may be wrong, wouldn’t a parent want to correct it?

The fact is the teacher is only the first person to tip the parent off that there may be a problem. I would think that the teacher(s) only has/have the best interest of the child and his peers. Constant interruptions only hurt the group; and in helping the individual (possibly), you also help the group: a win—win situation. No?

I think in a lot of cases teachers don't try to diagnose ADD. Many parents just perceive it that way.

We have always known in our hearts John was special but as he was our first child we had nothing to compare his actions with (i know two kids are never the same but u know what i mean)

anyway i was really greatfull for all the input given to me by his teachers from playschool onwards and they helped me a great deal, pointing me in the right direction etc.

Teachers although they cannot diagonose adhd they do spend a lot of time with your child, and they can give you valueable info on your child, i think i've been really lucky although its taken years to get the right help for him (but worth the wait to get it right)

i may never have found out what the problem was if it wasn't for his teachers and may have thought i was a bad mom and he was just a naughty boy who wouldn't listen to me and who i couldn't control.

I am hoping that someone can give me some advice. My son is 7 and a half years old. At the age of 2 and a half he was still not talking and having temper tantrums out of frustration of not being able to express himself clearly. He was always extremely verbal but it sounded as if he was speaking a different language or almost as if he was a deaf child. I got him involved with early intervention at that point. He was evaluated at 30 months old to have receptive language skills of a 15 month old. As well as low muscle tone. There was also a possibility of sensory defensiveness as he had (still has) an extremely strong gag reflex to the point of vomiting on some occasions. He had hearing tests done at Children's Hospital (massachusetts) and was found to have no hearing problems.

He aged out of Early Intervention and went directly into preschool recieving speech therapy twice a week and occupational therapy once a week for low motor tone. He continues with these services now and has just finnished first grade in an inclusion classroom. Last year in kindegarten his teacher drew my attention to the fact that he is extremely impulsive. He had a core evaluation through the school this year and that was when I decided to take him to a neurologist. I went once again to Childrens to a highly recommended neurologist. He conducted blood tests and an EEG on my son. I was extremely pleased with the first visit because I thought I was finally going to have a name for what was going on with my son and a reason for it. I went today to see the doctor for the tests results. The EEG was perfectly normal, all blood tests were normal, no chromosomal abnormalities. I was handed and prescription for clonidine and told to try that and that it would help to decrease my son's impulsivity. When I asked what the diagnosis was I was told he could possibly have ADD but it was too early to tell. I am very dissapointed and don't quite understand I guess. I think my son MAY have ADD... his impulsivity and temper tantrums are extremely difficult to deal with and causing issues at home and at school. But how does that explain low motor tone and speech problems? Also I am extremely nervous about giving my son medication and have been reading up on clonidine and it is flipping me out even more.

It is actually really hard to describe my son but he doesn't seem to fit into the ADD category except for his severe impulsivity. He is very aware of right from wrong and has a wonderful huge heart but in the heat of the moment or the argument he cannot control himself at all. He has been having "meltdowns" since he was about 2 and a half. He is extremely emotional as well. I don't know if there is anyone out there who recognizes this type of behavior. Is it typical of ADD or ADHD? He is an extremely intelligent kid, like I said with a very loving heart but very difficult to deal with on a behavioral level. It is ripping everyone apart and I am desperate for a solution and dissapointed with the neurologist. I don't know if I was expecting too much from the appointment today or what. Also I would love to know if anyone has any info on clonidine I am not so sure it is the answer for my son.

Thank you so much in advance for listening and any advice you might have. I am so overwhelmed right now.

Thank you,
Tray

TrayC,

just as a suggestion about clonidine(or ANY medical drug). don't buy into anything you read - absolutely anything - unless it comes from a peer reviewed medical journal with the citations and references included. only then does it have SOME relevant facts. most stuff on the internet is BS. I found the info on my add meds on "PUBMED" and "LexusNexus academic" (these are journal nexus's that buy up 1000s of journal subscriptions at a time) you usually have to be a student at secondary institution to gain access or pay an annual fee.

My suggestion, try researching on your own all the options and possibilities in regards to medicine (peer reviewed medical journals!!). Walk in and show your psychiatrist/neurologist what you have and why you have it. Then tell them what you want. That is what I did.

- Just another dumb teenager.

Very well said mistaben.I'm impressed.It pays to be an informed consumer.

it absolutely *does*!
:)
there's a lot of information "out there" (not just the 'net, though!;-), and doing your homework gives you *power* (*yea*!;-)...

Thank you so much for your reply. I didn't start him on that medicine because it just didn't feel right in my gut. I talked to his pediatrician and he referred me to another neurologist for a second opinion so I am going to go that route for the moment. That appointment is in August so we are just waiting for that. Thank you again I will definitely take your advice. _TrayC

P.s. You are not a dumb teenager by any means :)

My daughters teacher is the one who recommended that I have Elyce tested. I always knew something was wrong, but I had seen a couple kids that I knew personally on Ritalin and they had severe side effects.

But once the teacher told me Elyce was failing and reading at a kindergarten level (she was in 2nd grade) I took her to a psychologist that our Childrens hospital recommended.

I am glad I did,, By the end of school year she was back up to her level of reading and doing well in everthing else

Denise

Don't forget neuropsychologist. We found one that did such an extensive evaluation, it also included an educational evaluation so we could take the report and get the help our daughter needed in school.

Maureen

I think in a lot of cases teachers don't try to diagnose ADD. Many parents just perceive it that way.
I wish my 2nd grade to 4th grade teachers would have suggested that I get checked for ADD, but instead convinced my parents that I had another learning problem (can't think of what it was) and put me in a special class they called chapter 21. A class that was designed to get me caught up. I hated it and would end up not going have the time, would tell my parents that they canceled it or something for the sort.

Hey, my teachers in elementry school always thought something was wrong with me but never knew. i had to go to the 'reasorce' room which was almost hidden. it was terrebly embarasing untill i went to a school designed for students with learning disabilities. i went there for my dyslexia, and then wasn't invited back after my second year (end of junior high) because i constatnly lied about doing my homework (which i wasn't doing because of my inability to concentrate on it). i figured out half way into my freshman year of highschool that i had add. it just hit me one day and i forced my parents to take me to someone, and he confermed it right away saying how obvious it was. What i find so funny is that i got kicked out of a school designed for students like me just because they didin't know i had add, even though they should have figured it out when most of thier students have similar learing disabilities. oh well... i remain proud that i figured out i had add before anyone else

-Bright Shadow

Most parents do not have good/any information about ADHD and all the many different ways it affects children. The amount of time spent actually interacting with the pediatrician/GP at annual visits is rarely longer than 5 minutes, so unless the behaviors are along the hyperactivity lines, ADHD isn't brought up.

On the other hand, a teacher often spends almost 7 hours a day with our children. I wish my daughter's 1st or 2nd grade teacher would have come to me and said that Rachel's behavior was hindering her learning and that it might would benefit her to have her checked by a medical/trained counseling professional to see if there is something causing those behaviors or to get assistance in helping her decrease the behaviors. I know that once I got past that instant defensiveness that we all have about our children, I would have done whatever would have helped her be a success.

I agree that teachers shouldn't diagnose or label children, but with compassion and tact, they can talk to parents about specific behaviors that may be hindering learning.

Don't forget neuropsychologist. We found one that did such an extensive evaluation, it also included an educational evaluation so we could take the report and get the help our daughter needed in school.

Maureen
A Neuropsychologist falls under the title of psychologist.

Indy Celt that was very well put.

teachers are not allowed to diagnose ADHD they are not clinicians, they can say that the child is having problems in this area or that area and in their experience.....Depending on the parents and their insurance. There is no test to see if you have ADHD specifically, actually I got diagnosed with the questions at the end of Driven to Distraction by a psychologist.

A teacher should not be the one to give a diagnosis, right. However, teachers have one thing going for them, and that is that they see A LOT of kids on a daily basis. If one stands out due to ADD behavior, enough for a teacher to mention it to a parent, that's a BIG clue that the kid might have ADD.

I was diagnosed with ADD in college, just a couple of months ago. I went to several psychiatrists and psychologists, counselors...you name it. What I found out is that a lot of it is caused by anxiety plus I was diagnosed with severe depression. My parents don't understand that having ADD is like having a disease. It affects your everyday life from academics to having a conversation with a friend or peer. Anyone have any advice for me to give to my parents about it. Or any advice to me to keep my head up?

I have been trying not to write this post, but I have OCD and need to do this. When I read the list of people qualified to diagnose ADD, I couldn't help but notice one profession was missing.

Bartender I have to laugh, but when I found out I had ADD, I went to visit my friend who is a bartender. I told her that I finally knew what was wrong with me. She blurted out ADHD. I was shocked and asked her why she hadn't mentioned it before. Her reply was that I would not believe her. She was right on that one too.

I still find my friends observations interesting. Sometimes she doesn't have to say a word to me and I know what she is going to say. On occassion she tells me when I have not taken my Strattera. She has been right 100% of the time. I am grateful for this friend, because I did not think the Straterra was working. But then again she did the same thing when I was on Adderal too.

The bartender thing is a funny hah ha. :p

stranger, I agree that teacher should not make a diagnoses, but they have valuable insight into the child's behaviour and the milestones that are "normal" for that age. Bythe way I don' like that word. My feelings are the teacher needs to sit down with the parent in a teacher /parent conference with her supervisor there and bring the concern up at the meeting along with any other issue. As a student in the Education field I would be ethically bound to report behaviours beyond the norm to my supervisor or boss, but would never take it upon my self to diagnose a child, in which that label could do him or she harm. So in the end, teacher are very valuable in that they are trained to be a good observer. Then the parent can take it in to their hands to have the child properly diagnosed / tested. auntchris

I think that add is a very,very difficult dissorder to dicover. It is so wowen into life and life experience. If you are a boy, and have the "H" ..... But then you often is only a problem....

I have mixed feelings about teachers and Diagnosing. I failed and repeated kindergarden, and failed and repeated 2ed grade before anybody ever relized I had ADD.

Teachers cannot and do not diagnose anything;anymore than I teach school.

However,they can be referral sources, as well as valuable members of a "team" approach in treating ADHD across multiple settings.

Sorry, did'nt mean to insult. I never saw anybody outside of school. The testing for ADD was all in school for me. Your right, I was young and all I saw was me going to a lady for a half an hour out of my other class. After that year, they skipped me a grade and put me in a LD class for two years.

NP,

You didn't insult at all.

I just wanted to clarify that they can't (and don't ) dx.

tc