How Do I Get My Child Tested for ADHD?

Chances are you’ve heard of ADHD. You may have even rolled your eyes when you heard a parent say their child has ADHD, wondering, “is that even real?” ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is very real and it affects approximately 6.1 million children in the U.S. ages 2 – 17.

Although close to 10% of our children and teens are affected, many are not properly diagnosed and therefore, do not receive proper treatment. And those who don’t receive proper treatment are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression and relationship challenges. In addition, individuals with ADHD often experience higher levels of substance abuse. And because ADHD brains reach maturation later than neurotypical brains, social-emotional development can be affected.

Contrary to the condition’s name, ADHD is not an attention condition. New research illustrates that ADHD is a genetic, neurological, nutritional and environmental condition, in which an imbalanced brain triggers imbalanced behaviors. It affects executive functioning and self-regulation across attention, behavior and emotion. As a result, people with ADHD struggle more than most in two areas: (1) persisting toward goals while resisting distractions and (2) inhibiting impulsive actions.

People with ADHD often show characteristics such as difficulty letting things go, difficulty recognizing interpersonal boundaries, distractibility that is inconsistent and situational, a frequent sense of urgency, high sensitivity, impulsiveness, an intense aversion to boredom, memory lapses, poorly controlled reactions, and procrastination.

We receive calls from parents who contact our office after receiving calls and emails from teachers or school administrators. As you can imagine, children and teens with ADHD often struggle in school, and this is because many of the things students are asked to do are difficult for the ADHD brain. Another issue is that the condition is so misunderstood. Teachers may see a child as difficult, disobedient or oppositional when they see them easily paying attention and focusing in one area but not others. They don’t realize that this is classic behavior of the ADHD brain which is programmed for interest and has a much harder time generating motivation for things they are not interested in, do not enjoy, or are not good at. Other characteristic behaviors such as bothering classmates, calling out answers and moving out of their seat can also be signs to teachers that a student is not following directions or worse, being disrespectful. In reality, however, they are just being asked to do things that may be easy for other students, but not for them.

Neuropsychological Testing Explained

The next step after the calls and emails from school is often an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan. IEPs are documents designed by parents and schools in the public school system to meet a child’s unique educational needs and put necessary support services in place.  Many children and teens with ADHD benefit greatly from IEPs which can make the school experience more enjoyable, less stressful, and more successful.

What kind of doctor tests for ADHD?  

In order for your child to receive an IEP for ADHD, they need a formal diagnosis from a licensed psychologist or neuropsychologist. Sometimes it is the school’s preference that the evaluation be conducted by a psychologist employed by the school district, and you can request this from your child’s school administration. Unfortunately, this can be a lengthy process lasting a full school year or more, so the alternative is a private evaluation that can then be submitted to your child’s school. These evaluations, which we offer at Rising Lotus, are comprehensive evaluations that can include parent and teacher interviews, intelligence tests, executive functioning and memory inventories, behavior assessments, as well as assessments specifically for ADHD.  

How to Test for ADHD

We began to offer this service when we saw such a great need in our community. Licensed Psychologist and Nationally Certified School Psychologist Melissa Krulik, Ph. D. provides this service at Rising Lotus. Dr. Krulik has extensive experience in psychoeducational assessment for children through young adults ages four to twenty-two. She has worked in various settings including PK-12 schools, university-based diagnostic centers and private practice. And she is committed to addressing the wide range of neurodevelopmental, educational and behavioral disorders that present in childhood and adolescence.

Call us at 561.898.0708 or email at Info@RisingLotusCenter.com to get more information on having your child tested for ADHD.