Has anyone's child gotten a *negative* ADHD eval?

5*Mom

Sun, Feb 16 2014, 7:43 am

Has anyone taken their child specifically for an AD/HD evaluation and been told that their child does not have AD/HD? And if so, by what kind of specialist?

Cookie Monster

Sun, Feb 16 2014, 7:45 am

5*Mom wrote:

Has anyone taken their child specifically for an AD/HD evaluation and been told that their child does not have AD/HD? And if so, by what kind of specialist?

I love this question. And I'm curious about any kind of evaluation not specifically ADHD.

amother

Sun, Feb 16 2014, 7:45 am

Yes, neurologist in Israel. Did the tova exam and answered a questionnaire.

Rodent

Sun, Feb 16 2014, 8:00 am

Cookie Monster wrote:

I love this question. And I'm curious about any kind of evaluation not specifically ADHD.

Not ADHD but one of my boys was assessed for Aspergers and was negative (which I knew but it was because of teacher comments which had the paediatrician order it).

amother

Sun, Feb 16 2014, 8:21 am

Yes. I have one child with ADHD and another child who presents the same. I got two neg evaluations.

5*Mom

Sun, Feb 16 2014, 8:46 am

amother wrote:

Yes, neurologist in Israel. Did the tova exam and answered a questionnaire.

I'm assuming that there were behaviors that led you to seek an evaluation in the first place, so I'm wondering if you ever did get to the bottom of the problem? Did you seek further help? Did you get the help you needed?

5*Mom

Sun, Feb 16 2014, 8:50 am

Rodent wrote:

Not ADHD but one of my boys was assessed for Aspergers and was negative (which I knew but it was because of teacher comments which had the paediatrician order it).

The pediatrician sent you for an evaluation specifically for Asperger's and nothing else? What kind of professional performed the evaluation? Did he/she look for anything else? Do you mind sharing what it was that the teacher had said?

5*Mom

Sun, Feb 16 2014, 8:54 am

amother wrote:

Yes. I have one child with ADHD and another child who presents the same. I got two neg evaluations.

What kind of professional performed each evaluation? How is your ADHD child being treated and do you find the treatment method to be successful? Have you sought additional advice for your other child? How are you managing his issues?

amother

Sun, Feb 16 2014, 9:02 am

wont be able to really answer further questions but my 10yo brother was evaluated for ADHD a couple years ago in the schools insistance. he does not have it but has other focusing issues and is on the daytrona patch for school.

amother

Sun, Feb 16 2014, 11:14 am

Yup. Once by a developmental pediatrician/psychologist team and then a year later by a highly respected pediatric neurologist.

willow

Sun, Feb 16 2014, 11:47 am

amother wrote:

Yes, neurologist in Israel. Did the tova exam and answered a questionnaire.

Please tell me who the Dr was?

Isramom8

Sun, Feb 16 2014, 11:55 am

I have one child diagnosed with ADHD, and asked four teachers four years in a row if another of my children does, in their opinion. I also brought the child to our very respected family doctor. All answered definitely NOT. This child is doing well in school and socially but can be annoying at home.

jackiejoel3

Sun, Feb 16 2014, 12:48 pm

I have given a negative eval for ADD (with or without hyperactive symptoms) not every kid has it that is sent for an evaluation. BUT by the time they get to the neurologist the chances of them actually having it increase as they already went through the pediatrician and perhaps a SW or psychologist as well.

m in Israel

Mon, Feb 17 2014, 1:34 am

jackiejoel3 wrote:

This is an important point. As a special ed teacher for many years who often had to recommend to parents to take their child for an evaluation, I definitely had kids who came back without a diagnosis of ADHD (sometimes they were labeled with something else, like auditory processing disorder or ODD, sometimes with no clear "label"). But I'd say about 85% of the kids I sent WERE diagnosed with ADHD. I don't think it is because of over diagnosis -- I think it is because as a professional I only made the recommendations for an eval when it was pretty clear there were issues of this type. After enough experience I could usually tell when a child was presenting with ADHD or even ADD type of symptoms. And it was often difficult to get parents to go through the process of an evaluation, so the ones we really pressured to do it were the ones that we were pretty sure had the disorder. I think for many parents, the psychiatrist or neurologist doing an evaluation is the last step in a string of professionals, and those who actually get to that point are those who have been recognized by other professionals as very likely having it.

amother

Mon, Feb 17 2014, 5:04 am

yup, by a pediatric neurologist--dr. ginot in ramat gan.
He did say he saw "something" but not ADHD.
a year later my kid was diagnosed with aspergers.

amother

Mon, Feb 17 2014, 5:30 am

willow wrote:

Please tell me who the Dr was?

It was a few years ago and I don't remember. Someone in Jerusalem. He was recommended to me.

amother

Mon, Feb 17 2014, 5:33 am

5*Mom wrote:

We never really got to the bottom of it, though we went to many evaluations. Some doctors said he had Aspergers, some said he didn't (so much of the aspergers evaluation depends on the parents' answers anyway). I guess not everything has a label, tho we managed to work thru some of his emotional issues with a therapist.

5*Mom

Mon, Feb 17 2014, 2:29 pm

m in Israel wrote:

I'm sure you are a wonderful professional teacher with lots of teaching experience, but if I'm being honest I'd say that the bolded is quite worrisome. A teacher is in an excellent position to offer observations--facts--but a terrible position to offer medical, neurological, developmental interpretations. In doing so, a teacher (or parent, or under-qualified professional such as a social worker or psychologist even) may unintentionally cause more harm than good.

ADHD is a description of a cluster of behaviors, not an organic illness that can be tested for definitively. As a result, ADHD is one of those things that cannot be confirmed until all other possibilities have been ruled out. It is largely a process of elimination: if it is not this thing and it is not that thing then we describe it as ADHD. This is what is known as a *differential diagnosis* and it involves evaluating for all other possibilities and providing evidence for ruling them out.

And with ADHD, those other possibilities are many: Sleep disturbances, emotional distress (even mild) including frustration in school, bullying, learning difficulties, allergies, vision, hearing or sensory processing problems, hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, lead toxicity (even mild), iron deficiency anemia, seizure disorders undetectable without an EEG, side effects of medications such as antihistamines, ASD including PDD which can be very subtle, NVLD or executive function disorders, etc.

Some of these are physiological and require a thorough medical history and exam and possibly further testing, while others are developmental or emotional and require a broad evaluation by a professional who is trained to evaluate for all or most of them and provide a differential diagnosis--that is, diagnose what it is only after ruling out what it isn't. A social worker, psychologist or neurologist is not enough. IME, a pediatric neuropsychologist is the professional that is most likely to have the broadest expertise in evaluating for psychological, neurological, social, emotional, developmental and didactic conditions and providing a differential diagnosis and recommendation for treatment. Professionals with a narrower field of expertise are limited in the evaluation that they can perform, and thus the value of the diagnosis will be limited.

Presupposing ADHD and referring a child for an evaluation for ADHD exclusively is irresponsible because it ignores the many other things that present like ADHD but have different treatment needs. This can leave a child with *help* that won't solve his problem (and may very well make it worse) and without the help that might.

So imamothers, please, if you or your child's teacher are concerned that he/she may have ADHD seek out a professional with the BROADEST range of expertise who can make a differential diagnosis, and not just a professional who will evaluate for ADHD.

Ruchel

Mon, Feb 17 2014, 2:57 pm

Definitely know parents who were told to calm down...