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Guide to Getting Diagnosed – For Tweens & Up

Written by

Mira

in

Originally published 8/6/2024 as “Guide to Getting Diagnosed”

Do you think you might be neurodivergent? Are you considering getting diagnosed and starting treatment? Here’s how to get started on your journey.

Start By Identifying Your Challenges

You might think you’re neurodivergent, or maybe a family member, teacher, or guidance counselor does. 

Either way, get curious.

  1. Notice patterns in your thoughts, feelings, and behavior.
  2. Do research and see if they match common neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions. You can scroll through my blog to get started.
  3. You may want to fill out an online screening test for your age group to bring to your appointment. ADDitude has some great ones.

Steps to Getting Diagnosed and Starting Treatment

  1. Talk to a family member, primary care doctor, therapist, or another trusted adult (like a school counselor). Ask if they’ve noticed the same issues and what they think you should do. Family members can be helpful because ADHD and autism are often genetic. 
  2. Get tested. You may do testing through your school. If not, ask your regular doctor or therapist for their opinion. They will likely recommend seeing someone who can diagnose neurodivergent conditions, like a therapist or a neuropsychologist. Note: Free testing through your school is often less thorough and takes longer. Neuropsychological testing might be covered by your insurance, but it can still be expensive. However, there are many resources to help cut the costs.  Marker Learning is a great one.
  3. See any specialists your doctor or therapist recommends. Your therapist, specialist, or primary care doctor will diagnose you and discuss treatment options. 
  4. They might send you to another specialist for more evaluation, especially if medication is an option. 
  5. Evaluate treatment options with the help of your parents or another family member. This includes medications or therapies discussed with your regular doctor and specialists, and school or work accommodations.

Example from a Friend with ADHD

  1. Her guidance counselor in high school recommended she take the Vanderbilt ADHD test because she was struggling in school.
  2. My friend asked her primary care doctor to give it to her.
  3. She took the test, and her doctor diagnosed her with ADHD.
  4. She was able to get medication, school accommodations, and other self-help resources, which really helped her.

References

  1. Anxiety & Depression Association of America. Types of Mental Health Care Professionals. https://adaa.org/find-help/treatment-help/types-of-therapy/types-of-mental-health-care-professionals
  2. Mental Health America. Types of Mental Health Professionals. https://mhanational.org/types-mental-health-professionals
  3. Ross Kidder, K. Assessment for Adults with LD and/or ADHD. LD Online. https://www.ldonline.org/ld-topics/evaluation-ld-testing/assessment-adults-ld-andor-adhd
  4. Seladi-Schulman, J. Occupational Therapy vs. Physical Therapy: What to Know. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/occupational-therapy-vs-physical-therapy#about-occupational-therapy
  5. Mattheisen, M., Grove, J., Als, T.D. et al. (2022). Identification of shared and differentiating genetic architecture for autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and case subgroups. Nat Genet (54), 1470–1478. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-022-01171-3

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