ADHD Quick Facts: Finding a Professional to Diagnose and Treat ADHD
Questions to Ask
Many healthcare professionals can diagnose ADHD: psychiatrists, pediatricians, neurologists, psychologists, clinical social workers, nurse practitioners, and licensed counselors or therapists.
Only certain medical professionals can prescribe medication and conduct tests to rule out other possible causes of symptoms: physicians (MD or DO), nurse practitioners (NP), and physician assistants (PA) who are supervised by a physician.
Be a savvy consumer. Before making an appointment for your child, find out if the professional has training and experience in diagnosing and treating ADHD. Make sure they will conduct a comprehensive ADHD evaluation, too.
Here are some questions to ask:
- Have you diagnosed and treated many children and teens with ADHD?
- Have you received training in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD? What types of training?
- What kind of information will you need when you do an evaluation? How long will it take?
- Do you screen for conditions that can look like ADHD? Do you screen for coexisting conditions as well?
- How do you usually treat ADHD?
- For any needed treatments that you don’t provide, can you recommend specialists who do?
To find a healthcare professional, consult CHADD’s Resource Directory.