ADHD Quick Facts: Finding a Professional to Diagnose and Treat ADHD

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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:

  1. Have you diagnosed and treated many children and teens with ADHD?
  2. Have you received training in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD? What types of training?
  3. What kind of information will you need when you do an evaluation? How long will it take?
  4. Do you screen for conditions that can look like ADHD? Do you screen for coexisting conditions as well?
  5. How do you usually treat ADHD?
  6. 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.

 

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