Anyone had a dx of ADHD withheld?

[Tjololo]

Recently, ourselves and school completed Connors forms for our son. I have now been advised that our son scored very high on the scales, more than enough to qualify him for a dx of ADHD. However, the professionals involved are withholding a formal dx in order to give our son, 'a bit more time as he might grow out of it'. I can accept this reasoning, however flawed it may be, but I was wondering if this is common practice? Anyone else had a similar experience? Our son is almost 5yrs old. Thanks.

[madme]

My son was dx at age 6. They rarely dx Adhd or hyperkinetic disorder below that age. I can therefore understand the concern. Have you tried the website adders.org- you may get some useful answers there. Even if they wont label yet you and the school should worl on the basis that it is so that he gets the right type of help. Perhaps you can get the doctors to write to the school stating this. Good luck

[mummy]

Yes I was going to recommend adders.org too.

I can't believe that they said 'He might grow out of it'!!!!!!!! der?

 

ADHD is a medical condition that is treatable and they have admitted he fits the criteria. How can they not treat?

 

There are many areas in the country where it is very difficult to get a diagnosis and some where it is easier. a bit of a post code lottery.

 

Anyway check out the adders website, it is superb for help and advice re ADHD.

[Tjololo]

Yes, it does strike me as slightly odd that they want to give him 'more time'. I know for a fact that had I been given the Connors questionnaire 1, 2 or even 3 years ago, our son would have scored just as highly as he has done recently. We'll see, but my prediction is that our son's ADHD symptoms will not dissipate too much over the coming years.

[TuX]

If am remember from what have heard,correctly-the brain is supposed to be going through a lot of changes around five years old, this might be why they're not being quick to make an official diagnosis.

[kellyanne]

my son has been dx ADHD since 2005 about 2 weeks before his 6th birthday, it maybe that they are holding off dx'ing him because, if i remember correctly, they don't like to give medication to kids under 6, something to do with it slows their growth down. the reason they gave J some medication early was because he is a tall lad and they weren't worried about his growth at all. ( i hope i have remembered this correctly)

[LizK]

I've heard of this too. ADHD is often not given to under-6s as sometimes it is not actually ADHD as such but developmental immaturity presenting as a pseudo-ADHD like picture. If you son has proper ADHD he will not outgrow it, that's rubbish but maybe the team are wondering whether immaturity is giving the ADHD like presentation. The diagnosis is given though in under-6s in barn door or severe cases and it will do no harm managing him like a child with ADHD (no additives, omega3s, behavioural management strategies) whether he ends up the diagnosis or not. Medication is rarely prescribed to under-6s for safety reasons

 

Lx

[Tjololo]

Thanks for all the replies. We're happy to wait and see what happens in the future, with regards to a formal dx. In the meantime, it's just business as usual. We have no desire at the moment to put our son on any form of medication but that could change going forwards. We had been advised that an additional dx of ADHD may help our case with S.S. but being the unregulated body that they are, it beats me why it would make much difference!

[Caroline-]

My son's paed has seen my son since he was 1 & a half, even at that early age he said about ADHD even then, but obviously as my son was so young a dx couldn't be done. Every six months he'd go back to the paed & he always said the same thing, that he could have ADHD. Finally, just before my son's 5th birthday & before he started school, & after all the assesments & input he'd had done by the paed, health visitor, OT, speech & language therapist & a whole host of other people who were involved he got his dx of ADHD (which we all knew all along) my son has the very extreme case of ADHD, thankfully without the violence. My friend's little boy has ADHD & he is very violent with with it. My son this year had the dx of Autism, but not extreme.....the paed said they usually go hand in hand, so was no surprise.

[Lucas]

I'm baffled by the reasoning(which I've heard before somewhere) that an ADHD diagnosis can be held back on the basis of medication not being prescribable: it suggests that an ADHD diagnosis inevitably requires medication. It's NORMAL for someone to take serotonin inhibiters or anti-psychotics just because lay understanding of their neurotype is so poor.

 

I've been in verbal battles with ADHD-deniers all over the interbutt and one thing has always stood out: it always comes down to medication. They don't think the condition exists because of the powerful drugs associated with it, so they explain it away as the kind of behaviour seen as normal before society became *insert Daily Mail pet peeve here*. Whilst I always make a good case in these arguements(see Peter Hitchens' blog), I can't ignore the rebuttal arguement that there are issues with the medications often used and it's anxiety over them that lead to denial of ADHD.

[cmuir]

Hi

 

I've encountered this and I know of others who have also encountered this. My son's connors scale results showed that he was certainly outwith normal range for oppositional behaviour, activitiy levels and concentration, etc, but not quite elevated enough for a diagnosis. I don't see the sense in withholding a diagnosis. Surely if you have eg AS then you have it for life - there's no miracle cure. Sure you can learn strategies how to manage and cope with it, but it doesn't just disappear - same goes for ADHD. In addition, I'd question the fact that surely others may perceive your son as being boisterous, whereas with an ADHD diagnosis, he may get the understanding he deserves and support.

 

Best wishes

 

Caroline

[Tjololo]

Thanks Lucas, I think you have a very valid point; there does seem to be a connection between willingness to dx ADHD and the age of the young person in question. Whether this connection is due to a genuine belief that age may attentuate ADHD symptoms or whether it is due to anxieties about medication is a moot point.