Choosing a medical professional to evaluate for ADHD?

ADHD can be diagnosed by psychologists, family doctors, general pediatricians, developmental pediatricians, and psychiatrists. Accurate diagnosis takes time (often greater than 60-90 minutes) and many medical practices are logistically unable to allow adequate time for these evaluations. Ideally, the professional will have adequate time to perform a detailed parent and child evaluation, perform a thorough physical exam, provide ADHD information, provide recommendations and resources, make needed referrals and answer questions so that steps can be made quickly to improve future outcomes.

Photo Credit

It is very important that treatment options be discussed with a professional who is well informed about the significant, life-long consequences of delaying ADHD diagnosis, interventions, and treatment. It is also important to seek a professional who is aware of the benefits of early intervention with parent training for preschoolers with ADHD symptoms. Many general physicians are unaware of the importance of early intervention and will recommend waiting to see if the behavior resolves “with time”, but often the behaviors are not readdressed until the following year.

Few negative behaviors resolve “with time” and in many cases, the failure to start effective parenting leads to worsening behavior and more challenges at both home and school. This professional should also be aware that several other conditions can have ADHD-like symptoms like anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, sensory integration disorder, auditory processing disorder, and others.

At Next Step 2MH’s ADHD Specialty Clinic, we have Board-certified physicians and doctorate level psychologists who specialize in diagnosing and treating ADHD.

Call us at 502.907.5908 or email us at info@ADHD.doctor to book an appointment with one of our physicians or therapists.

If you don’t get help from us, seek help from someone with significant experience and expertise in treating ADHD.