Dr. Robert Needlman
Specialist in pediatric behavior and development.
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 Ask Dr. Needlman
Tips for Talking about Attention Problems | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Needlman,
Repeatedly I have asked different pediatricians to check to see if my four-year-old son has Attention Deficit Disorder (or something similar). When I explain the different drastic things he does, the doctors tell me that they do not want to put him on any medication. They presume that when I ask about ADHD that I am asking for medication for my son, which I am not. I am just trying to figure out why my son is drastically different than his siblings and other children his own age. I was wondering if there was another way that I could approach a pediatrician to help me on this without the presumption that I want to put my son on medicine. He is not in school yet but when he does start, I would like him to be ready to learn. I do not want him to be facing diagnostic problems that could delay his learning and put him behind his classmates.— Teresa in CA | | | ANSWER |
November 19, 2001 | | | Dear Teresa,
Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADHD, is such a charged issue these days that I am not that surprised at the way the pediatricians responded to your questions. Of course, as you suggest, there is a big difference between having a diagnosis of ADHD and being treated with medication for ADHD. In any case, the diagnosis of ADHD is very difficult to make in a four year old. One reason is that many young children are physically active, impulsive, and inattentive by virtue of their age and relative immaturity. In other words, they grow out of these behaviors. Children's temperaments also vary a lot, and some healthy children, who don't have diagnosable ADHD, have normally active, intense, fearless (if not sometimes impulsive) temperaments.
Perhaps, next time, rather than starting with a question about a particular diagnosis (ADHD), start with the specific behaviors your son has that are concerning to you. Mention a range of behaviors, not just ones you think might fit into the ADHD category. Mention the ones that seem most concerning, perhaps difficulties in school. Ask the doctor if there are any medical or neurological problems that might explain these symptoms. By not mentioning ADHD yourself, there is less chance that the doctor will misinterpret your very appropriate question for a request for medication.— by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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