Confused, upset and new here | ADHD Information
IDK where you live, but in my area, my child got his neuropsychological evaluation through the children's hospital. Since this hospital is on my insurance plan, the expense was greatly reduced. It also happened to be one of the two best places in this area to get testing done, so I didn't compromise quality at all.
If you have no other options or that place is your best option, I'd call them and ask the value of the achievement tests for a child doing well in school. It could be beneficial to rule out learning disabilities. Even kids doing very well in school can have LDs. It also might help them diagnose the ADHD to see if there are issues w/ working memory and other things. This is common w/ ADHD, and it would help them give a better list of recommended strategies for your child.
I paid 00 out of pocket.We paid 1200.00 for our testing, We also had the school do it for free. The pscyeducational testing took 8 hours to complete with my son going to do tests for 3 days 2 hours at a time. Then we had the Big meeeting with the psychologis and got our diagnosis. I know for some people 380.oo is alot of money that's why I suggest the school test him for free. All you have to do is request dx testing to be done in writing to your principal or vice principal.My insuraNCE PAID NOTHING TOWARS THE TESTING. My mom thank god helped us out. spamula39947.1911921296I would not have the acheivment testing done until you actually meet with the NeuroPsycologist. The list of tests requested is probably a generic list that all patients who get scheduled for an appt, to eval adhd, take. Your instincts are probably right. Just try to keep in mind though that if, once you talk to the psych yourself, he or she insistes on the test then you probably should find a way to do it. The doctor can best treat your child if they have the whole picture. Also, your sone may excel now, some adder's are even geniuses, but Kindergarten is not as structured as the higher grades and quite often problems don't show up until a little later. Welcome to the board it's a great resource.
My 9 yr old just completed 15+ hours of private testing, cost was 00 (insurance paid half). His private school administered some tests which were helpful but not definitive enough. My son is very smart, high IQ, etc. But there were pieces missing. He was dx with adhd at 6, has been medicated for 2 yrs, very successfully. I hated paying extra dough but it was worth it. He has surface dylexia (textbook case) that all other testing missed. It is very helpful and his IEP was just modified to reflect this. I have one chance to educate this kid to the best of my ability, and this was something I was not willing to take a pass on. This is just one example of some of the extraordinary medical expenses we have incurred. His pediactric neurologist insisted on an MRI (he had to be sedated, my out of pocket was almost 0) I hope that not every parent is subjected to costs like these, but we have learned to expect them and cut back in other areas. Good luck finding a solution that works for your family. Welcome to the board, it is a wonderful resource.
BTW, I am holding off on a computer program called Cogmed that is supposed to improve memory for children with adhd. At 00, we cannot do everything.
Our insurance covered everything. We too went to a Children't Hospital for a pediatric Neuropsychologist.
Our school wouldn't evaluate until 4th grade level. But I would suggest doing it privately. A lot of schools try to avoid services, etc trying to avoid responsibility for payment, thus letting the child suffer!!
Best wishes!!
why do people pay such ungodly amounts of money for "testing"? There is no "test" for ADHD. That's what makes its diagnosis so complicated. Evaluation is really quite simple and cheap. Sure, you can get brain scans and take blood work of chemicals and such but all of that is really unnecessary. All that's needed is a qualified professional (child psychologist or even perhaps a psychiatrist) and a medical professional (pediatrician or psychiatrist). They'll ask a series of questions, maybe have the teacher answer a questionnaire and from that, they'll make their diagnosis. In the DSM-IV is from where these professionals make their diagnosis.If anyone can professionally clarify "testing", I would appreciate it. Anyone who spends hundreds of dollars on "testing" for something that can't be tested is getting ripped off in my opinion. Evaluation for ADHD is difficult because of the subtlties and the mere fact that you can't "see" the problem like you can "see" cancer or diabetes. Any condition in mental health has that problem - with the exception of perhaps schizophrenia which clearly shows signs on brain tests of differences. And that's why behavioral problems are a problem.
School psychologists are supposed to aid in the evaluation process but often they are totally overworked. That's why people look to private professionals. But it may be worth the while to make sure that the school district will approve of the private professional's diagnosis so that you can be assured proper IEPs. Schools will do all they can to avoid having to spend more money on yet another kid with an IEP.
Good luck to all of you. I'm sorry to hear that there are still professionals out there willing to rob you of both your pocketbook and your child's mind.
Okay, hold up, testing is not a rip off!
The schools are concerned with the budget. Yes, isn't that nice, they're
worried about the children, blah blah blah. They have to meet their
budget. They don't have specialists who test kids, and they try to get
away with doing the least possible. My son's school balked at giving him
a wipe off checklist - that's one laminated piece of paper, he was using
his own crayons.
Schools also legally can't diagnose a child - you still have to take their
test results to a doctor to get a diagnosis.
If you're going to test, don't waste your time and money, go to a
neuropsychologist. Why? Because you won't get the knee-jerk solution
or pressure to medicate your kid. When my son went we got an 8 page
report of very specific interventions. And when we did them all they
worked as well as medication and also helped him learn how to handle his
ADHD.
The other thing the tests are great at are telling you why your child acts
like they do. The IQ test done for my son - who cares about the number
- showed that he was off the charts in matrix reasoning, which is the
ability to figure something out without having directions. That's how he
got by in school!
In addition to getting the diagnosis of inattentive/hyperactive type ADHD
we found out he has very poor executive skills, which are the ability to
understand, remember, and follow rules. The school decided he had
Oppositional Disorder (which he doesn't!) and their solution to that was to
discipline him to death. Exactly 180 degrees from what actually would
help him.
I knew what he needed for him to get it together at school. He performs
extremely well with a variation of the marble technique described on the
board. That's not how they do things. When I first came to them telling
them what to do to get my son to act properly they completely ignored
me, until I showed up with the doctor report. Granted, I had to email and
fax it to the school and SPED department managers about 20 times, but
when they finally read it, they did it. A doctor's report gives you
ammunition with the school.
I know it's expensive. Here are some suggestions:
1) Take on your insurance company. Don't take their claim rejection
laying down. Get your kid's ped to request it. Keep on them to see if
there's any wiggle room at all.
2) Talk to the doctor about the rate. It's possible you could get a break.
3) Look into bartering. How it works is you do something, then you get a
credit, and you can use that credit to get something else. Look for
bartering groups. They either work on a $ basis or an hour basis. If it's
the latter than 1 hour babysitting = 1 hour legal service, it's all the same.
Most likely you won't get a doctor that way, but you could barter for
advertising, and then ask the doctor if you could pay them with free
advertising. It's great when it works. Takes a bit of footwork, but cuts
the scraping for cash element out of it.
So testing - expensive, but so so worth it in the end. It just gets you
right to the heart of the matter - you learn exactly what to do to make
your kid's life better. I highly recommend it.Corrina - thank you for your detailed information. I can see where additional tests are helpful but I guess the point I was trying to make is that there is no test specifically for ADHD. Like there IS a test for diabetes or some other disease, there is no "test" for ADHD. Spending money on these other things may be helpful to get additional educational requirements met or to get insurance to pay for things but they aren't necessary for an ADHD diagnosis. ADHD isn't a disease, it is a mental disorder. There's no test for
depression either.
Although, according to my son's neuropsychologist they are testing a
theory that kids brains grow at different rates, like kids whose ears are
humungous and then they grow 4 inches and everything's back in
proportion. The theory is the same thing is happening in the brain and
the disproportion could be a cause of ADHD. If that's the case it might
lead to a test for that sort of ADHD.
But there are many causes of the disorder. For example, people who
were in accidents that lead to ADHD - out of sync tests wouldn't
necessarily be able to pick those cases up.
Some doctors are script happy. But those doctors, in my opinion, should
have their licenses revoked. Just because a kid has a lot of energy does
not mean they can't function due to ADHD, and that's when kids need to
be medicated. Just because it takes a little more work for a teacher to get
through to a kid does not mean they should be medicated.
Specialists test things like the speed it takes a child to do something, and
the differences in how well they can attend to boring vs interesting
topics. They do many tests so they don't make a snap judgement, vs
schools which do a 10 minute test squeezed in when the kid is stressed
about being pulled out of class. Specialists watch when kids test to see
how their eyes move. One of the suggestions I got (which didn't turn out
to be a problem, but still) was that my son had a vision tracking problem.
The tests take a long time. It took 3 days for my son, because instead of
squeezing it in the doctor took the time to make sure he completed the
tests so he had an accurate picture of what was really happening.
It really is worth it. It takes a lot of time and money, but I don't trust
school tests. They're worthless. Doctors who see a kid for 10 minutes
and write a prescription should be ashamed of themselves. Parents
might have a hunch about what's happening, but without the background
they can miss a lot of things. I had never heard of executive skills before
my son was tested, but now that I've been working with him on them he's
had a great improvement.
I can't change your mind. But even if you get a quicky diagnosis, I would
still recommend you get your child the whole battery of tests. It's like
putting a bandaid on skin cancer. Find out what's really happening so
you can help your child the best way possible!
Corrina - Again, thank you for all this wonderful information. It really is helpful. What I was getting at was that these tests aren't necessary for an ADHD diagnosis. When I was a kid, I was diagnosed with hyperactivity and I didn't endure a barrage of tests. I'd remember. Sure, these tests are probably very valuable and helpful but I was recently re-diagnosed by my licensed child psychologist with adult ADHD and we didn't need a conglomerate of tests. maybe because I'm an adult and can make decisions and hopefully, can express myself better than a child can. I don't know.
I do agree that many doctors just whip out the script pad without really getting to know your child. And schools don't do the job adequately that is for sure. And parents want answers as to how best to help their kids. It's good that there are qualified professionals out there. It's just a maze to find the right ones.
True, you can't put a bandaid on cancer (I like that analogy) And also true, there is no "test" for depression but depression is more widely known and accepted and understood. ADHD doesn't have those things going for it. And for an individual such as myself who has both conditions (I'm not diseased or "ill"), I don't need a test to tell that something is not quite right. I also realize that kids don't have the vocabulary or verbal skills to express themselves and thus depend on parents to do that for them. Kids also don't know what's best for them - that's a parent's job.
I don't know if I'd spend thousands of dollars on evaluations if I had a child with ADHD - I certainly can't/won't do it for myself. And I'm sure there's many insurance policies that won't even cover these things. But if parents feel it's necessary for peace of mind, for IEPs or for other reasons, then that's certainly their perogative. Not trying to make anyone angry here. Just expressing my opinions and experiences. I do appreciate the information. It is very informative. Thanks.
Things have changed in the last 20 or so years. When I was a kid if
someone was a little active they put them on Ritalin faster than you could
say the word "test".
Kids are different from adults, that's for sure. They can't articulate what's
going on, and they absolutely have to master knowledge that they can't
make up later. If a kid doesn't learn to read by the end of 2nd grade
they're going to be playing catch up for the rest of their life. There just
isn't time to mess around, and there are so many options once you know
what's happening.
And I'm not mad at you, although the idea that there are still doctors who
just hand out prescriptions to kids really irks me. It's so unprofessional,
and could harm a child. There are a ton of things that might "look like"
ADHD - there could be physical issues with the child that need to be
addressed with occupational therapy, there could be emotional problems,
it could be low intelligence levels (which the IQ test would rule out), they
could have autism or oppositional disorder or they could be bipolar, none
of which would be helped at all by ADHD medications. And they are
stimulants - for non-ADHD kids they can be harmful. It's just not a good
situation!
I am so strongly for testing, interventions, and proper medication
because they work so well. Absolutely transformative when everything
comes together. It is one of the most incredible moments when the kid
who drove you so nuts you were afraid you would never like them again
gets what they need not to be so frustrated and stops frustrating you and
your favorite person in the world reappears in front of you like magic.
You just don't know how great it feels to not have to fight with your kid
every day anymore. It's the best 00 you could ever spend.I was diagnosed in the 1970s when ADD wasn't even a term yet. I remember in the 80s hearing about all the hype about Ritalin and how it was being over-prescribed.
I totally understand what you're saying about kids having to play catch up. Maybe that's why I struggled so badly in school. I'm glad that there are options for parents these days. I didn't have any. Just strong discipline and a few medications.
I totally hear you about doctors who dispense medication like it's candy. And that goes for all types - not just ADHD. Some doctors just think if they shove a pill down your throat that you'll be magically better. That's not always the case. And of course, there's all sorts of doctors that don't know that much about ADHD (or all conditions, diseases, etc). and they want you to believe they do. Fortunately, my GP acknowledged that she DIDN'T know it all and sent me to a specialist. I have more respect for those doctors. I can't tell you how many times on these boards that I suggest to people "talk to you doctor" because many people have incorrect information. Many times people have kids who have these other things you mentioned and it's not ADHD at all. A misdiagnosis can be more harmful than no treatment at all.
I'm glad you've had a positive outcome with the testing and evaluations, etc. My mother probably didn't like me (LOL) because I was quite the handful. I know my parents spent a ton of energy and time on me - i'm sure grateful my siblings don't hate me for that.
Unfortunately, not everyone has thousands of dollars to spend on that kind of deep "research" on their kids. I'm sure they'd love to if they could. I don't know how great it would be not to fight with MYSELF anymore! I have these internal battles sometimes like you wouldn't believe! I'm glad for those of you who have kids with ADHD and are able to invest in their kids. I know some people might say, "do anything you can for your kids" but if the $$ isn't there, the $$ isn't there and you can't do anything for your kids. But save that for another discussion.
Thanks again Corrina. I became a little more educated today.
I would also support the full range of tests. We
learned so much about DS11, and the achievement
tests were an important part of the picture. We
discovered that even though DS was doing well in
school, he was still performing below his potential.
I know what it is like not to have enough money to do
everything. And unfortunately, testing turned out to be
only the beginning of the expenses for us. We are
also considering the Cogmed program, and are
holding off for now because of the expense.Our son EXCELLS academically, why do I need to have this (achievement) test done?
Reasons for testing have been thoroughly covered...I am not sure if it was mentioned that in checking for LDs an achievement test is compared with the IQ test. A strong difference in the scores may be indicative of LDs. Specific subtests can be selected based on this to ascertain exactly what difficulties exist and may need to be addressed. As a child progresses through school, extra time may be needed for tests and assignments. While my son had informal accommodations for extra time in school, we didn't realize that he would need formal accommodations to take College Board tests in high school. His poor handwriting (disgraphia) required an extensive papertrail to get a computer accommodation. Had he been tested early on I wouldn't have had all the headaches later. We didn't have him tested early because he was bright, received informal accommodations and recognizing special needs in his strengths and weaknesses, I tutored him through seventh grade. When we finally had him tested in high school we ended up with some names and numbers which accurately described the kid we new. There were no surprises. He is ADHD combined, Gifted, LD in Reading and Language and dysgraphic.
It's been a long road with him, but I couldn't be prouder of him. What's he doing now? He's an honors math major, honors physics minor, physics major at a top college. And what pleases me even more, is that he is able to manage his ADHD well and is happy.
Good point - learning disabilities can also "look like" ADHD, and treating
ADHD alone missing other problems won't help, either.
And I love to hear about success stories! Thanks for sharing about your son!
I am glad to share some of my experiences. Hopefully some of the things I've learned along the way may be passed on to others. Also, I think that it is important for parents new to the diagnosis to look beyond their present experience. Difficult as it may be when one is overwhelmed by problems, seeing what older ADHD kids are doing gives one perspective. It shows them the possibilities....and success stories give one hope.
On your question about the achievement testing: Tell the neuropsych that you want to do that test last and only if it's necessary. They may find out enough about your ds to make a dx without the extra 0.Our testing cost 0 and fortunately the doc took payments. What I would say about the cost is that if you don't have the cash to do it with, put it on a credit card. That 0 was the best money I've ever spent when it comes to DS. Knowing what you're confronting is soooo important. Without info you can't make good decisions, only guesses. I know that nobody, me included, wants to put anything on credit right now, but if that's the only way I could do it, I would.
Hello All,
Our school tested my kids and we did not have to pay for anything. I guess we all pay for it as taxes which the state in turn funds the district for their special education department.
The first Psych I contacted wanted all sorts of testing-2 days worth to the tune of @00. I could not get an appointment with her for 2 months. My son could not wait that long, as he was in the middle of a breakdown. She referred me to a different Psych., who we still see, who did minimal testing, she has just been following my son-mostly for meds. The school did most of the testing for free (funny-when your son has his breakdown in school, getting the testing is easy!) I had academic testing done on my son because his teacher had him classified as "average to below average". After the testing, they put him in Gifted. It turns out that he just could not concentrate. He still has trouble starting a paper without a push from the teacher, but once he starts, he does fine.
Your child is not my child. If he's doing fine in school, then I say, don't spend the money. I would also ask if the school could do the testing themselves.
Good luck,
Stacey
jfla2 that is so true, I think it helps to see other kids who have gone through school with adhd and to see them succeed is the best thing. and gives hope to us with kids who are still young and we are struggling with. I wonder what will become of my child, will he be able to live on his own, will he get married...or will he be living with us for the rest of his life because he can't even focus to go to the bathroom on his own sometimes...I also have a comment about DR over medicating.
I have a brother in law in Med school now and he laughs when this is brought up, the DR pushing medication.
I think that a lot of people think that medication can cure all. If you have a bad cold or are sick you go to the dr for a antibiotic. people want a quick fix and they know there is medication for all sorts of sicknesses. So what is the DR. to do when patients come in for a quick fix, they write a prescrition because that is waht the person wants. My son once jammed his pencil in the top of him inner mouth and it looked bad. I wasn't able to get him into the dr for a couple days.. then when I went I thought is was healing nicely but still wanted a professional oppinion about infection. The Dr. said it was nicely healing but for the mouth it still taking a bit longer, but didnt' look infected. I was worried about infection so I just got the antibiotic anyway and gave it to him. Although she was in no way pushing it and was more not into giving it. Oh well, I think we are all guilty of wanting a safe and quick fix. The dr have learned to deal with people like that and get a bad rap.
now not all DR are like this but just a different perspective to think about.
K, so a bit of a back story is probably needed here since i am NEW to this board... My name is Shannon, I have a 6yr old in Kindergarden who may have ADHD. We are in the process of testing.. and thats my main problem right now. He has 90% of the signs, and on a family trip to a close friends home (who happens to be a child psycologist) was told that he showed signs and needed to be tested. I made the decision years ago when this happened that if it caused problems in school, THEN I would worry about it.. and so about 4 months into school, the phone calls started coming from the teacher... so we went through his DR to find out what to do.. so here we are now..
We have approval through insurance for the testing, except for the "achievement" testing thats going to cost us 0!! Are you serious?? Our son EXCELLS academically, why do I need to have this test done? I called to school, and there is a 6 week process to determine if the child needs it done for them to do it.. and I know he won't need it, he has zero difficulty learning new things. His issue is specifically implusivity, emotional outbursts, and hyperactivity... so WHY does the NeuroPsycologist need this test? I have asked the question to the lady at the front desk who called to set the appointment and she is following up with the DR.. but I was hoping to find out from yall if you think its necessary right now... He is constantly performing above grade average, and is an excellent reader.. does this mean he may NOT have ADHD, and possibly has something else.. such as horrible parents that don't know how to discipline him?? Ugg.. I am just a little frusterated.. and confused.. and to top it off... a gal here at work had the audacity to ask me "If its not causing problems academically, then why are you testing him and giving him that stigma"... 
which just about set me off... she is not married, no kids, and has no clue...
If anyone has any input on this testing thing, please share.. 0 is a lot of money for a test that I feel is just going to tell the Dr that he has no learning disability.. Can't she take the teachers word and copies of his report card/school work for proof??
Thanks in advance... 