2 questions about ADHD eval....long

[blaynesmama]

Hello, I took my 4.5 year old son into a psychologist for an eval for ADHD per his Dr. She said that she definately thinks it is ADHD but said that after we see his Dr we may want to see a neurologist as well. Why would we need to see one? He has no learning disabilities and all of his fine motor skills are good too, she even agreed. But we are dealing more with defiant behavior to all adults and hitting us and himself and calling us and himself names with NO regaurd to consequences. He is very hyper and gets out of control on a regular basis and so on and so on.
My second question is that if we did decide to try meds on him will they help his defiant behavior and his tendancies to be violent to us and himself? I understand they can help his hyperness and being distracted which is fine but the other stuff is more our concern. We go in Fri to see his Dr again and decide what to do but any other advice would be great.
Thanks
April

[Mayleng]

ADHd is considered a neurological disorder. A neurologist will check for other things that often accompany ADD, like Tourettes. Since there is no difinitive test for ADD, like a blood or urine test, they will want to rule out anything else before they say, "OK, He definitly has ADD" There are many other problems that can mimic ADD so your doctor is wise to recommend a neuro. Bipolar, seizure disorders, head injuries, etc... Its good to get these things out of the way before you decide if you will medicate.

His behavior could be from different things, it's hard to say. ODD, ADD-firetype, depression, conduct disorder. Sometimes delaying treatment brings out these traits or worsens them. You''ll need a psych to help figure that out. I will tell you, whatever it is, that behavior won't go away on its own and the sooner you address it, the better the chances are for a good out come. You should also seek family counsiling as dealing with him must be taking its toll on the whole family. Kids like ours can be very tricky to raise and dicipline, the regular rules and mommy insticts don't always work. Counciling will help you find a more effective way of parenting him.

[kluv2jazz]

what is adhd fire type?

[eaccae]

Millermom is correct. We took DS to a neuropsychologist. They can diagnose for other things and existing comorbids such as ODD, anxiety, sensory issue, etc. (My understanding from reading the boards is that IF your child does have ADHD accompanyied by a comorbid such as ODD then the medication would be different. For example - I have read that stimulants shouldn't be given to a child who also has ODD. My cousin's child has sensory problems and anxiety and therefore is on a combo of a couple of different meds.) The evaluation will be more extensive. It's a good thing.

[Mayleng]

kluv2jazz said:

what is adhd fire type?

Fire-type is one of the 6 types of ADD that Dr. Daniel G Amen (my new hero) has broken down.

Daniel G. Amen, M.D., is a clinical neuroscientist, a psychiatrist, and the medical director of The Amen Clinics. He is a nationally recognized expert in the fields of the brain, behavior and attention deficit disorders. Dr. Amen has pioneered the use of brain imaging in clinical psychiatric practice. His clinics have the world’s largest database of functional brain scans for neuropsychiatry.


He has done some of the most extensive and incredible work with ADD. He uses Brain scans with state of the art equipment and can actually "see" the ADD and separate them by the images, into 6 different types. Children with PIT (predom inattentive type) will have a certain brain difference, children with hyper activity will have another significant differences, there is al so a type calledd Fire-type whole brainscans light up light a christmas tree. This isn't a bogus procedure. This is real stuff and he is recognized as doing the most groundbreaking research ever on ADHD. If you can get to the library, get his newest book "Healing ADD" and go right to the chapter "Ring of Fire" You won't leave that library without the book.

He has also found relationships between what meds and suppliments and diet and behavior therapies work best by relating it to the Brain scan/type of ADD. I could write for another 4 pages but if you got your hands on the book, you'll be better off. The scans are very very expensive and not covered by even the best insurances usually. But reading the book alone helped me see that my sons diet was all wrong...too much carbs not enough protein. He also has a wesite and a forum, mostly adults though. Still the website is very intersting, but the book is awesome!
Forums;
www.amenclinic.com/treenic/default.asp
Home page
www.amenclinic.com/ac/default.asp

Check it out

[blaynesmama]

wow thank you for all the information...I will defiantely go to the library and look for it. Is it an older book? Thanks again
April

[augustnyne]

I read Dr. Amen's book a coulple of yrs ago, and I could not put it down. It was awesome! I'm glad you mentioned that Millermom, because I think I need to go find it and re-read that ring of fire chapter, because that just may be what we are dealing with (see, if you dare, my "novel" in the teen, preteen thread)<<LOL>>

[slins00]

Hi April I have a 4 year old son. He is very hyper and was having trouble focusing at preschool. He tends to get violent when he doesnt get his way such as bad temper tantrums where he starts hitting u. He just cant sit still i went to a neuropsychologist who is best for dealing with ADHD. We got him tested on the Connors scale rating wihich deals woth hperactivity, social skills, etc ( i cant remember the rest) but then they also run a test which deals withhow he feels your child is doing in things that are more related to developmental. I feel this testing gave me a great understanding of how ADHD is affecting my son. Now that we finally got the results our next step is to see a psychiatrist whom i understand will talk to us about meds(which im very scared about) I hope this gives u a little understanding and if u have a few more questions feel free to email me GOOD LUCK Sarah