ADHD: Understanding the Diagnosis Process and Support Options in Pittsburgh Area
January 18, 2024
If you’ve ever wondered if your child has ADHD, you’re not alone. It can be hard to know whether a backpack stuffed with forgotten permission slips or frequent distraction means your child just needs to learn to be more organized or the child needs a bit more support.
An estimated 6 million children between the ages of 3 and 17 were diagnosed with ADHD between 2016 and 2019, according to the CDC. That number continues to grow as more parents and caregivers seek support for their children. But talk to a few different people who’ve sought a diagnosis and you’ll hear a wide range of experiences.
One parent from the north Pittsburgh suburbs told Kidsburgh that after long wondering whether their child had ADHD, they approached their child’s school with concerns each year. They were regularly told that their child was doing fine in school, so no screening was needed. But once the parents were able to get a screening, their child was quickly diagnosed with ADHD.
Meanwhile, another parent from Allison Park has two diagnosed children who have had two very different experiences. The first child had a battery of assessments done in a neuropsychologist’s office and an extensive interview. The second child was diagnosed during the pandemic, so the family “met with a psychologist for a couple of hours with interviews over Zoom.” The older child had been referred for testing by the family’s pediatrician, while the younger child had been referred by the therapist.
WHO CAN HELP?
There has been much debate over whether too many kids are being diagnosed with and medicated for ADHD, when they are presenting challenging behaviors or coping with anxiety. At the same time, some children in need of diagnosis are missed. It can be difficult for parents to find that there isn’t a straightforward, recommended route for obtaining an ADHD diagnosis for a child.
“There truly is not only one route,” says Christina Jolley, a registered nurse practitioner who evaluates, diagnoses and treats children at the be
