Should I get an official diagnosis of ADHD for my four year old son?
We are fairly positive that our son has ADHD. All of his past and present educators and a few others have suggested he has it also.
He will entering kindergarten next year and I'm wondering if he will benefit from an official diagnosis from a specialist.
To anyone who has done this, what difference does it make? Will the specialist just confirm yes or no and that's it? We are not looking to medicate our son. He does struggle to concentrate and has a very short attention span. We have had to remove him from a few activities such as swimming lessons as he is just too disruptive to the other children and loses interest in following instructions.
He is not hyperactive however and is otherwise a sweet and gentle boy.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Benifits of an official diagnosis, ADHD
Benifits of an official diagnosis, ADHD
Posted in:
Health & Wellbeing, Kids
10 Replies
Please, yes, get him seen by a pediatrician. They will listen to you describe your son and observe him and decide if an assessment for a disorder is appropriate. While ADHD has been suggested, they don’t replace the expertise of a diagnosticians. There are specific criteria and assessments that need to be done.
Having a formal diagnosis does help your child’s teacher set your child up for success.
My sister is a teachers aid, she has a few students who don't have an official ADHD diagnosis.
If they had an official diagnosis, the school would be able to apply for additional funding that would provide taylored resources and extra TAs for those kids. Without that official diagnosis, they have to try and teach those kids as if they were neuro typical.
So there's one benefit.
An official diagnosis also opens up opportunities for therapies.
Just as a side note, my brother has ADHD, he was unmedicated as a child.
He struggled all through primary school.
At 13 he turned to pot to cope, dropped out of high school, nearly ended up in prison. He's nearly 30 now and has finally turned his life around because he's being properly treated for something that should have been managed from an early age.
Not trying to scare you, I'm just saying it would be wise not to dismiss the idea of medication indefinitely.
This ^ please, look at the research on outcomes of untreated ADHD/ADD. Also talk to adults with the diagnosis about how they feel medicated vs un-medicated.
Official diagnosis doesn't have to come with medication! It makes it an option, but it also opens up a bunch of options for assistance while in school.
And as an adult with ADHD and autism who didn't get picked up on either when I was a kid, I knew I was different. I just didn't know why. I would have loved to know why certain things seemed so much harder to me than other kids.
I’m almost thirty trying to get a diagnosis. As an adult I can see so many things that should have lead to my parents getting me a diagnosis younger.
I know my life would have been so different just having better supports in place to cope as a kid.
I am an adult with ADHD and have a son with ADHD. Since I already had a few things in place I don't think it was overly helpful for our house, but it is for the school and for advocating for your child so that they get the help they need. I haven't sought medication for him yet but it will make it easier if and when he decides it's time. I am on medication myself and it's hard regardless, but they do make things a bit easier. I think you might have to wait for diagnosis? I was advised to wait until atleast 5 years old. Goodluck whatever you decide, but make sure your child knows when they are older so they don't spend their life asking what the hell is wrong with them. (undiagnosed ADHD can lead to anxiety and depression and drug addiction)
Going to post from two perspectives:
Parent of younger, recently diagnosed ADHD child:
* Child care have been able to apply for a support worker to come in some extra hours specifically to support
* Paed talked about other options before medication, OT and diet in particular
* we’ve been able to use the recommendations from specialists to modify what we do and have seen drastic improvements without medication
Learning Support worker in a school:
* additional support is not funded through most public systems for ADHD
* teachers are automatically aware of the learning difference for your child and can cater for this better
* while many teachers will do a great job at catering for this learning difference, unfortunately, some will label this as “bad behaviour” and your child as a “naughty” child
As someone who works in schools, yes it definitely pays to get an official diagnosis.
If he has anything he will be able to get funding for a teachers aide. I've worked with some very hard kids that have not received a diagnosis because their parents haven't gotten one (for many reasons). It can't hurt to get one.
Get the diagnosis, get linked with NDIS. You don’t need a diagnosis for early intervention which will help with the costs of a behavioural therapist. By doing so you can apply for funding for a teachers aide to assist in the classroom to help your child ❤️
Don’t think about you, and what you want, think about him. Think about how he’s going to struggle to fit in, how he’s going to find it hard to sit still, how he’s going to be distracted by noise, flicking sunlight through the trees, that whirling sound the fan makes but only he can hear. How he’s going to be labeled the naughty boy from day one. How he’s going to be lonely with no friends, and maybe alienated. How teachers are going to manage with your son and 24 other students, maybe 4 others like him.
Now ask yourself should your get a diagnosis which will bring answers and maybe help and therapy, strategies.
And don’t dismiss medication. Read everything I’ve written and think about how controlling his urges to move will help him concentrate, help him learn.
Think about him.
From a mum of a 9 year old ASD and ADHD that didn’t realise their was a medication that would help my son. I deal with him every day and it’s become my normal, just like you would. But it can be easier for you and him. Not all the time, just for 6 hours so he can concentrate at school.