Dr Ann York is a consultant in child and adolescent psychiatry. She suggests some questions that you should discuss with your doctor if your child is diagnosed with ADHD.
What makes you certain that my child has ADHD?
Diagnosing ADHD involves the doctor in a lot of detective work, especially as the condition, in many cases, is accompanied by other developmental, behavioural or mental health issues. There is no single test for ADHD and reaching a diagnosis is based on a description and observation of symptoms that occur in lots of different situations, such as extreme restlessness and poor concentration, and by ruling out any other possible causes.
Will they grow out of it?
Teenagers with ADHD are often less physically active than younger children and certainly the older they get the more they can learn about managing their own symptoms. Up to 30% of adults, however, will still have some symptoms that trouble them, such as poor organisational skills.
Will my child have to go on medication?
The National Intitute on Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) produced a technology appraisal (links to external site), which found that the three most widely used drugs for ADHD were effective and should be offered. It is certainly something to discuss with your doctor if your child is diagnosed with ADHD. Some parents will have already looked into it and can decide there and then, but many will want to take information away before they decide. Older children will want to have their say, too.
What difference can medication make?
The drugs used for ADHD are not a cure but they do target the symptoms and make them more manageable, meaning children learn more easily and parents have greater success getting on top of difficult things like behaviour.
What are the options?
Some parents want to try the behavioural and psychological interventions first, to help their child control symptoms and worries, manage friendships and get organised, before considering drugs. For parents and teachers who have a good understanding of a child’s needs, simply letting them have a fidget ball or move around at certain times can make things manageable. The benefits that all these approaches can offer are very important, even when it feels necessary to include drug treatment.
What happens if we do decide on medication?
When medication is started, it needs reviewing frequently to check the child’s height, weight and blood pressure, and for side effects. Once the right dose is reached, those reviews only need to be two or three times a year and some can be done by your GP. Your doctor will also help you work out whether your child is best suited to long-acting (that might be taken only once a day) or short-acting (that are taken more frequently) drugs. For example, for children at school, long-acting drugs are very convenient.
