ADHD Testing

We had my son tested at Alexian Brothers in Hoffman Estates. Dr. Cesar Ochoa is the doctors name. He is specialized in childhood issues like ADHD. More specifically he is a pediatric developmental behavioral health pediatrician. He's great! Good luck.
866-ALEXIAN

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Neuro Psych Institute in Palos,or Dr. Bob Egel at Christ,

how old is this child? there is no real screening for adhd? a nuerologist can help but if this child is younger than 2nd or third grade then it is too early to diagnose. young children have many of the same attributes as adhd.

You need to contact a pyschiatrist or Ph.d. for the most accurate testing available. We went to Learning Diagnostics in Chicago (Dr. Cherie Laaperi). Dr. Laaperi and her associates did 3 half-day testing sessions with our child and provided us with a very comprehensive report (which determined our son was ADHD). Like many parents, we did not want our son medicated and tried behavior modification and some diet changes. When my son started the next school year, his behavior was 10x worse than the previous year when he was diagnosed. So, we went to a pyschiatrist for medication. The medicine has proven to be the best treatment. He's happier, his teacher is happy and we're happy. By the way, all along, everyone recommended medication, but we were the ones not willing to try it.

The family doctor should be able to refer them to an educational psychologist. Both my boys were tested for dyslexia by a psychologist. Best wishes for your nephew.

I was just at my son's pediatrician and asked the same thing, but for ADD. He said (and my mom, an elementary school teacher concurred) that preschool is too young to get an accurate diagnosis on something like this. That sort of behavior still falls under the realm of typical for preschoolers. He said to wait until 6 or 7 years old for an actual diagnosis.

For my son I searched around and found a good kids psychiatrist and they did all the testing there. I suggest you find someone who specializes in that field to do that kind of testing.

You don't say how old the nephew is but most doctors won't do the testing until a child is at least 6. They can monitor but wont' do all the tests until then. We see Doctor Blair. My son is 13 now and has been with him since he started 1st grade. Parents can tell way before a family doctor can because they start getting notes home that say things like "very active" "hard to keep on task" etc. In my case it was that he could not keep on one thing is this child easily distracted? is he in school yet? why does she think this? If its that he is 2 and doesn't want to sit still that is not really adhd but if he is 6 and can't listen and follow directions then their is a problem. If your in the aurora area dr. blair is adhd only. they also have a program at mercy center hospital. good luck

Depending on where you are, I know of a good psychiatrist in the St. Charles area who did my daughter's screening. You can message me if you'd like his name and number. It is expensive.

If your nephew is in public school, he is entitled to services through the school - however, not sure if preschool qualifies. Those services are free, but depending on what public school system you are in, they can be terrific or terrible. Also try Children's - see if his insurance covers that.

Definitely have her check with her insurance company. We use Dr. Maureen Stress in Chicago(she is a preferred provider for BCBS plans) to test our son, she was great. Testing costs a lot, but we are still working with the insurance company they should pay.

Have her look for a child psychiatrist or psycholigist through her insurance company.

You may need to see a psychologist for the testing (?)

S

I don't know the location you're looking in but Beacon Therapeutic Diagnostic and Treatment Center in the Morgan Park/Beverly neighborhood (southside) is a great resource for diagnostic assessments. Have your friend call them at ###-###-#### to set up an appointment.

Can't the family doctor recommend anyone?

Hi J. ,

How old is you your Friends nephew , testing is really hard for toddlers thru age 6 , my concern would be if he is still young and they feel he is little more active then normal wil they give him meds . Does this little guys get enough sleep daily , lack of sleep can cause adhd like symptons as well as a poor diet . His ped should be able to reccomend a psychologist , however if he is already in school the schools offer a similair service . Have your friend do her homework because today doctors are so pill happy . Tell you r friend good luck

I recommend Kathy Borchardt, Psy. D., P.C.
Clinical Psychologist
1212 S. Naper Blvd., Suite 119
Naperville

###-###-####

We used her for our daughter, who had "fallen through he cracks" for years at school for not having the outward signs...she had developed great coping skills...

Be persistent!

I had my son tested by Dr. Appleby in the neuropsychology department at Loyola Maywood. They do a pretty detailed workup and it was expensive, but eventually covered by our insurance.

Can you have early intervention come and do it. It oculd jsut be sensory issues being misdaignosed as aDHD.
good luck
J.

I've heard great things about Rush Neurobehavioral Center at Rush Hospital, but if the child is in preschool, I would also consider looking into other causes for the ADHD like symptoms that are being observed...

Have you tried the easier stuff yet? Remove all artificial colors from the diet and see if that makes a difference. We notice a big difference in our daughter when she has that junk, and when you start looking for it, you find it everywhere. We also removed artificial flavors, MSG and preservatives.

There are other things that can affect kids this way too - like the chemicals in cleaning products. I found they are causing huge rates in the rise of asthma and allergies in kids as well as ADHD and other behavioral issues. Switching to non-toxic products makes sense anyway plus it could help the child as well as everyone else who is exposed. I am with Shaklee and could give you more information if you like. Our products are non-toxic and also very concentrated so they save you money rather than costing more.

Good luck!
K.

Most psychologist will do testing or know a professional who does. Please shop price and find out the name and how many tests given. There are different kinds depending on age and other symptoms. I have been there! Make sure she gets copies of the results in case the schools challenge it later(they do not like iep). Good luck!

Hello J.,
We do ADHD evaluations and counseling. The counselor that works in my practice that specializes in this is Kathy Biel, LCPC. She is on my website: www.ginaspielman.com

Let me know if you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment.

Thank you,
G. Spielman, LCSW, C.H.
Counseling Offices in Naperville & Oswego, IL
###-###-####
____@____.com

Sounds like he needs to go to a developmental pediatrician. I don't know if anyone other than a doctor can diagnose. My son was diagnosed with very high functioning autism by a dr through Children's. Dr. Bradzinius (or something like that).

Illinois Masonic has a good reputation for diagnosing and working with children with special needs.

Make sure the child gets tested for sleep apnea, which ADHD often gets the wrong diagnosis. her Family Doc should be able to do this one. Here is a good article:

http://www.drgreene.com/21_621.html

Here is one on how fish oils can help ADHD

http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealerts/ea200705/ea20070502a....

Good Luck,
J. W. MPH
Wellness Educator

J.,

My son is also ADHD but has not been tested (I'm sure he has this.) Anyway, for the preschool there is a place called "Tuesday's Child" which deals with the disorder and you pay according to a scale (based on income.) Sadly, my son is too old to be tested and seen there, so preschool-age should be ideal place for your friend.

Take care,
Hilarie