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ADHD Diagnosis- The what, how & WHY? - My Pery Blog Featured IMG

ADHD Diagnosis: The what, how & WHY?

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ADHD evaluations. Who needs them? What should you expect? And how might an ADHD diagnosis help your child regain their self-esteem?

Interruptive behavior at school? Difficulty preparing for activities or handing in homework? Outbursts, the really frustrating kind for you and them? Have any or all of these things been happening in your home, and you find yourself going… “Should I test my child for ADHD”? “What exactly does “test” or “evaluate” mean”? “Let’s say they do have ADHD. Why would I want that label”?

We’re here to answer all those tough questions and more.

ADHD Diagnosis. The “What”?

Let’s start with the “what” behind ADHD diagnoses.

What are some common ADHD-like symptoms that may be signs your child could benefit from being evaluated?

  • Trouble paying attention
  • Fidgety
  • Difficulty sitting still
  • Interruptive
  • Impulsive
  • Emotional outbursts
  • Disorganized
  • Forgetful
  • Time management issues
  • Hyperfocus

Children with ADHD commonly display these symptoms in above-age-appropriate amounts. The behaviors typically emerge before the age of 12 and can present in children as young as 4 or 5.

ADHD Diagnosis. The “How”?

“Ok, suppose my child ticks the boxes on many of the above. What would an evaluation look like?”

ADHD evaluations are typically done by pediatricians, specialized developmental pediatricians, child and adolescent psychiatrists, neurologists, psychologists, or neuropsychologists. An ADHD evaluation involves gathering as much information as possible from the people that help care for your child. Parents. Teachers. Social workers. Primary doctor etc. The goal is to try and gain a broad understanding of what’s going on for your child in their different environments. Home. School. Social.

The process begins with speaking to you, the parent, and taking a medical history. Topics covered include:

  • Development
  • Emotional and behavioral regulation
  • Medical problems
  • Family history of ADHD
  • Family history of mental health problems

Once the initial medical history is complete, the goal is then to gather information from other areas of your child’s life. This can include reviewing school performance, collecting previous testing and evaluations, and answering standardized ADHD questionnaires such as the Conners or Vanderbilt questionnaires.

A quick evaluation may take a couple of weeks. But generally, ADHD evaluations take 2-6 months as it can be difficult to gather all the necessary feedback, obtain records, and schedule follow-up meetings.

Whatever the time frame – it’s worth the wait.

ADHD Diagnosis. The “why”?

“So why go through all the headaches and cost of testing?” “What about the ADHD label, I’m afraid of the stigma attached”?

The answer is when you know what you’re dealing with, it’s much easier to treat it and get services. Children with ADHD often suffer from issues of self-esteem. Chronically losing your assignments can feel debilitating over time. Repeatedly making silly mistakes on your homework can be maddening. Difficulty making friends leads to painful feelings of loneliness and rejection. It chips away at your child’s sense of self.

Once you and your child, however, understand these things happen because of a physiological problem, it’s a lot less frustrating. For everyone.

It also opens the door to receiving school and health resources. Untimed testing. Learning strategies. Therapy. Teacher recognition. Possible medication. And coping insights for you, the parent, on how to better help your child succeed.

Our ultimate goal is to help your child be their best self and improve his or her self-esteem. Putting a term to the problem and correctly identifying what the core issues and difficulties are (through evaluation) allows for applying targeted and effective treatments and tools to deal with it all.

Summary

  1. Impulsivity, self-regulation difficulties, and emotional outbursts are all potential symptoms of ADHD.
  2. An ADHD evaluation is recommended to help get your child recognition and resources.
  3. ADHD treatment and resources will help your child succeed and their self-esteem recover.
The simplified science behind ADHD- What you need to know - My Pery Blog Featured IMG

The simplified science behind ADHD: What you need to know

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Genetics, neurotransmitter and parenting style – how do they play into ADHD? In this article we explain the medical background behind your child’s ADHD diagnosis, and replace commonly held myths with facts

So…your child has been diagnosed with ADHD; now what? The questions then start to run through your mind. Why my child? Whose fault is it? What could I have done differently? How can I help?

ADHD Factors

In the post below, we’ll address many of those questions by talking about the following factors at play:

  • Genetics
  • Neurotransmitters
  • Environmental factors
  • Parenting

1. Genetics

Genetics play a role in ADHD. Studies have proven it. Families with one ADHD parent or child are more likely to have another child or sibling with ADHD. At Pery, we’re pretty familiar with that genetic truth. Many of us have children with ADHD, as well as manage ADHD ourselves.

2. Neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitters play a role in ADHD. We’re about to get a bit scientific here, so bear with us if that’s not your thing. Basically, the brain has neurons that send signals to one another at a set pace. These neurons “pass” brain instructions and commands by releasing chemicals called “neurotransmitters,” firing off messages from one neuron to the next. ADHD brains have demonstrated an imbalance in regulating those chemicals. That’s where the use of medication to treat ADHD comes into play.

Norepinephrine, Dopamine, and Serotonin. Heard of any of those? They’re commonly known neurotransmitters, and people with ADHD tend to have lower levels of them. Stimulant ADHD medications like Adderall or Desoxyn, increase those neurotransmitters to treat the imbalance.

They make it easier for messages to pass along the brain properly and are proven to decrease ADHD symptoms.

Methylphenidate, the chemical in commonly prescribed Ritalin and Concerta, is another type of ADHD medication aimed at restoring balance, but in a different manner. It works by slowing down the removal of the neurotransmitter dopamine as it’s transferred from one neuron to the next.

Whether you stimulate more dopamine, like in the above, or remove less dopamine, like in the below, the proven result is increased brain harmony and fewer ADHD symptoms.

3. Health factors

Environmental factors have also been shown to play a role in ADHD. Common environmental factors that have demonstrated a higher rate of ADHD occurrence include:

  • Lead exposure. In childhood or the womb
  • Alcohol & tobacco. Usage during pregnancy.
  • Premies. Babies born before 37 weeks or at low birth weights
  • Epilepsy. Can be a risk factor for ADHD

4. Parenting

ADHD is NOT determined by good or bad parenting. We want to be very clear about that. A child with ADHD will undoubtedly benefit from their parents’ help in dealing with it. But it is not your parenting style that brought on ADHD in the first place.

Now What?!?

In the pragmatic words of Dr. Nicholas Grumbach, Pediatrician at Pery and Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, “Many successful people have ADHD. We want to assist you in helping your child achieve their best. The “why” doesn’t matter. What matters is how you, as a parent, help assist them reach their true potential”

The fact that you’re reading this is already a great start. It means you’ve dedicated your time and attention to helping your child navigate a difficult problem. So pat yourself on the back, take a deep breath, and know that #we’vegothis!

Summary

  1. ADHD is genetically common.
  2. ADHD is correlated with an imbalance in neurotransmitters. There are medicines that treat ADHD symptoms by helping restore balance.
  3. Good parenting can help deal with ADHD. Bad parenting cannot cause it.
Fighting Myth with Fact- 7 ADHD Truths - My Pery Blog

Fighting Myth with Fact: 7 ADHD Truths

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Navigating ADHD is complicated. While its symptoms are visible to the eye, the common mental health disorder is not. And so the myths begin… Here are 7 valuable ADHD truths to help you set the record straight.

Judgment. Criticism. “I bet you she’s thinking.”

We all spend a lot of time in our heads, assuming what others think. We also blame ourselves for what we think. As the expression goes, we are our own worst critics.

We’d like to add a subset to that expression.

When it comes to ADHD, blame is your worst enemy.

ADHD, the Blame Game

Your child’s not performing. They keep turning in assignments late. They lied. They got caught. They’re more difficult than all your other kids combined. The blame questions pop up like mushrooms after the rain. Whose fault is this?

My spouse’s bad genes? My bad parenting? My child’s personality? Maybe it was the playdate that developed into the disastrous friendship that ended in his getting kicked out of school.

So many thoughts. So many questions. So much blame.

We’re here to tell you that you’re not alone in playing the blame game. Just about all ADHD parents do. When things go wrong, looking for a direction to point a finger at is common.

Also, (though you probably knew this), it doesn’t help.

Here’s what does. Separating fact from fiction.

Here are 7 FACTS about ADHD kids.

For you, your spouse, your child, and that obnoxious mother that pointed a finger at your kid re: his “rude” behavior.

7 Facts About ADHD

  1. ADHD is an actual medical condition
  2. ADHD is NOT a result of bad parenting
  3. No, your kid doesn’t have an unfair advantage at school
  4. No, you didn’t overmedicate your child
  5. Yes, ADHD did exist when “so and so” was growing up
  6. No, your child doesn’t need to be “fixed”
  7. Yes, they have every opportunity to become a successful adult

1. ADHD is an actual medical condition

The medical community officially recognizes ADHD. The DSM-V, the accepted diagnostic standard for mental health, classifies ADHD as a “Neurodevelopmental Disorder characterized by 6 or more symptoms of inattention.” The symptoms? You’re probably highly familiar with them. If you’d like to have the satisfaction of going “check, check, check” or simply disproving a mouthy know-it-all, feel free to check it out here.

2. ADHD is NOT a result of bad parenting

You can quote us on that. ADHD can, and often is, inherited by genetics. It also can be managed ‘better’ or ‘worse’ by ‘good’ parenting. But it was not ‘caused’ by your parenting skills. Look around at other ADHD families (or your own). You’ll often find a ‘well-behaved’ sibling without ADHD and a ‘poorly behaved’ one with. Sometimes, vice versa as well. Was the parenting that different between kids? Highly unlikely.

3. No, your kid doesn’t have an unfair advantage at school

“Why should your kid get untimed testing?” “Why does she get a tutor? She’s smart enough. She’s just lazy!” If any of these sound familiar, see our response in item one above. ADHD is a medically recognized disadvantage. It may not be as visibly obvious as, say – a broken foot. But it is just as real. The Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) recognizes it as a disability as well, which is why they provide public school kids with ADHD special resources to help.

4. No, you didn’t overmedicate your child

Giving a seven-year-old medication to manage their emotions is a hard pill to swallow (pun intended). But many times, it’s the right move. Dr. Nicholas Grumbach, a pediatrician and Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University explains, “While some ADHD children are treated with therapy alone, medication and therapy combined are proven to effectively manage ADHD best .” Furthermore, “effective ADHD treatment enables your child to close emotional and educational gaps.” Lack of proper treatment, however, “adds to both your and your child’s exasperation, making it cumulatively harder to do so.”

5. Yes, ADHD did exist when ‘so and so’ was growing up

This is one of our personal favorites. Just because no one knew what was wrong with the hyperactive kid who never followed directions doesn’t mean ADHD didn’t exist. It means previous generations were less mentally health aware than ours is. And thank God we are. With awareness comes constructive discussion around treatment.

6. No, your child doesn’t need to be “fixed”

Your child may have a (common) neurodevelopmental disorder. And there are certainly ways that you can help them function better. But they don’t need to be “fixed.” Nor can they be. Dr Grumbach explains, “ADHD children function differently, for better or worse. As a parent, the best thing you can do for your child is help them navigate the worse and embrace them for their positive qualities.” Your child doesn’t need to be “reset” or “fixed. They just need the proper care and support to navigate their world.

7. Yes, your child has every opportunity to become a successful adult

Your ADHD child may have it harder during their structured school years. But as they enter adulthood, ADHD offers unique benefits that will serve them well: reams of energy, a creative way of thinking, cultivation of resilience, and hyperfocus, to name a few. Take a look at Mozart (composer), George Bernard Shaw (playwright & Nobel Prize winner), and Richard Branson (owner of Virgin Records & British billionaire). They seem to have made ADHD work for them.

Speaking Your Child’s Truth

If you’ll notice when reading the above, some of the facts were aimed at providing you with practical information. Others were aimed at providing you with a response to people that give you or your child a hard time. We hope it helps you clear up any myths and better serve as your child’s advocate.

You can help your child be recognized for the fantastic human being they are.

It starts by understanding their truth and then speaking it.

Summary

  1. There is no party to blame for your child being diagnosed with ADHD
  2. You can, however, seek school resources & treatment that will help
  3. Met an ADHD bully or two? See above for what to reply.