<p>Longhaul~ has your son worked with any coaches? There is one in my area when I checked a few years ago, at that time DD was not interested. She may go for something over the computer.</p>
<p>“She referred me to another psychologist for treatment, and my son has also seen a medical doctor. Nobody combines all those specialties.”</p>
<p>Wouldn’t a Psychiatrist provide all those treatments? Medicine and therapy if needed?</p>
<p>Many psychiatrists around here anyway actually do very little in the way of therapy and mostly do medicine management. They also bill at about twice the rate of psychologists.</p>
<p>neuropsych testing was done by a psychologist (same practice as S1’s therapist who said he didn’t need to be tested, but I disagreed and eventually so did S1) who does testing for ODS at the U, we felt he was thorough and unbiased. He referred us to this (large) practice’s physician’s assistant for medication choice and management after saying that he does not prescribe, and he does not have the breadth of knowledge that she does. Practice also has 3 psychiatrist’s who are mainly involved in medication management if you are an ADD patient, but they are extremely difficult to book. OR we could see our family doctor, who I don’t think could possibly be as experienced as a mental health clinic’s PA. So we’re going to the PA and see what she recommends trying first. I worry about the “suicidal thoughts” side effect, I won’t lie. </p>
<p>Also referred us to a former colleague who is practicing privately with ADD patients – a blend of behavior mod and coaching. Honestly, I have no hope that anyone can call or Skype my son and get him to effectively finish any task on the planet so I’m not in a rush to get him a coach. </p>
<p>@Cardinal Fang – your $200 is hereby awarded 
S1 did 'fess up to fabricating the whole thing. He was going to pretend to go, or go and make the appointment in person. Even S1 looked sheepish as he told me this. I just try to see it as a flight response to stress. </p>
<p>Tao: “You can only step forward from where you are” is our current favorite saying</p>
<p>Greenbutton, are you concerned at all with robyrm2’s post regarding the medication?</p>
<p>“Many psychiatrists around here anyway actually do very little in the way of therapy and mostly do medicine management. They also bill at about twice the rate of psychologists.”</p>
<p>If you can find one who does both, and especially if they are good, and covered by your insurance, it provides that perspective I referred to. I think more psychiatrists would provide all those services ( and around here, we do the evaluation too, (but not psych testing) if people thought there was value added. People who refer but don’t treat leave both the evaluator and the prescribing doc in the relative dark about where patients are coming from, and where they are going. </p>
<p>Anyway, best wishes to the OP and her family.</p>
<p>We have sent both our sons to a psychiatrist who does both. He is NOT in our insurance network, but we think it is worth the cost. From observing the boys’ frame of mind and behavior, he frequently tweaks their meds. He is also great about responding to my phone calls and emails.</p>
<p>Our older son is doing well enough that the doctor transferred him to Community Counseling Services for weekly therapy. The doctor still sees him every two weeks. Our younger son is still struggling (recently diagnosed as bipolar), so we’ll keep him with the doctor for now. I hope our small business continues to thrive so that we can pay all of these bills!</p>
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<p>When my son was at home, his coach came here. She stood right over him as he did his tasks. If he needed to go somewhere, let’s say to meet with a professor, she drove him over and stood outside the door, or sometimes she went in with him. Interestingly, she doesn’t have medical training or formal education; she’s just the perfect combination of cheerleader and drill sergeant, always positive, yet never letting anything slide. I can’t imagine paying psychiatrist rates for that sort of help, nor do I think it would make sense for psychiatrists to adopt that sort of role.</p>
<p>My son is now at college again, with a variety of supports, but we were sorry to have to say good-bye to his coach.</p>
<p>I looked up the certified coaches- there is one in Seattle area & she charges $340 a mo for phone calls.
So I am still looking cause that is a tad out of our budget. I also think for our D- texting might work better ;)</p>
<p>@Ohiomom3000 – concerned in what way? I wasn’t taking the psychologist’s cursory remarks about meds to heart; he wasn’t advising so much as pointing us in the direction that the PA or family doctor would be taking. I am aware Strattera is based on accumulating a blood level, and as such, you couldn’t get effective clinical results unless you are taking it regularly. I’m confident the PA will be more useful and experienced, and if not, we’ll find someone who is. (S2 has a chronic, serious, medical condition. So we are pretty adept at navigating medical offices)</p>
<p>@Cardinal — haven’t been able to find a coach here, and am pretty sure we don’t have that kind of money. Not to mention, I just had a prolonged conversation with S1 and he is obviously not ready/willing to go there right now.</p>
<p>I wish coaches were more available and more reasonably priced. Perhaps they will be, in the future. With all the Aspies and people with ADHD nowadays, and unemployment as high as it is, seems like there’s a niche to be filled. Someone who is organized, gregarious, positive, empathetic and persistent could make a nice living coaching. I envision a woman in her 50s, whose children have grown, and who is finding it difficult to get a job, would be a great candidate. For the right person, not much training would be required-- I really think it’s more about personality, though potential coaches would have to learn how Aspies/people with ADHD tend to differ from neurotypicals.</p>
<p>I seriously need a coach myself. Especially since an empty nest means I don’t have the external structure of PTA meetings & sports practice.</p>
<p>I was so frustrated with all the parenting books on parenting kids on the spectrum cause they seem to be written for right brained folks who have little problem establishing structure for their kids.</p>
<p>Doesn’t anybody realize that kids on the aspie/adhd spectrum, probably have parents who aren’t far behind?</p>
<p>Cardinal ~ Wow! I had no idea that there are coaches who do that! The one that I talked to in our area would meet once a week, at her house, to talk and “coach” I guess. She charged $80 session. DD didn’t want to have anything to do with it, but I don’t think that at their lowest point a kid would. Now that DD is back on track it would be nice for her to have someone to help with organizational skills and getting ready for college. BTW~ that was the only coach that I found in our pretty large metro area. There definitely is an opportunity there.</p>
<p>DD’s first psychiatrist did a little bit of counseling, mostly it was just questioning to determine what he was dealing with. DD was also seeing a psychologist. DD saw them both for about 3.5 years, but never really got into a good place. We decided to make a complete change, found a psychiatrist who specializes in ADD/ADHD, and a new therapist and things have been so much better. Psych does not counsel, but he is a great med doctor. It was just amazing how the right meds can make so much difference.</p>
<p>emeraldkitty4~ I am right there with you!</p>
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<p>Oh my gosh yes! I can’t even establish that kind of structure for myself, let alone someone else. Where do they think our kids got their ADHD? It didn’t come down with the rain.</p>
<p>My little apple didn’t fall far from the tree. I think it’s easier for kids with executive function difficulties if they inherited their problems from Dad, not Mom-- 'cause Mom is supposed to be the one in charge of the household structure.</p>
<p>oops it wouldn’t let me change- but LEFT brained folks are the ones who are organized and logical.</p>
<p>I married my H because he seemed to be so organized. But it was all directed at his tools, not the way he worked & he certainly couldn’t teach anyone else.</p>
<p>Thats what I get for being impulsive & marrying so young ;)</p>
<p>OP here – so we’ve done neuropsych testing, etc… with a firm diagnosis of ADD inattentive. Did a bunch of nagging to get the report from the doctor and took it to disability services at the U, who have now kicked it back with a form letter saying his request for accomodations has been denied based on missing elements in the report. It also says we can provide the missing elements but that still does not guarantee the request for accomd. will be accepted. </p>
<p>They want different tests than the ones already administered, and also want documented proof of ADD prior to the age of 7. The question now is — is it worth it to undergo more testing (which our insurance does not cover) if we already know there is no documentation for prior to age 7? And does this mean the mental health provider ran the “wrong” tests, and the dx is wrong too? S1 just started on Strattera – too soon to see if it will help. That is also not covered by insurance, btw. The original tests covered processing, memory, attention, depression, anxiety and intelligence…he had a higher-than-normal intelligences report, with a huge gap between those numbers and retention/memory scores (which the psych tells us is another clear indicator of an issue).</p>
<p>Documented proof before the age of 7??? There are many people that are not identified until adulthood, long after college even. And is anyone in the disability office a MD? Of the adolscent psychiatric/psychology type? And MD’s try not to diagnose ADD until all else is ruled out at such a young age. That seems like such an arbitrary age to choose…</p>
<p>I would send the letter from the disability office to the psych, and see what they say about the recommendations. It may be as simple as the psych explainnig further that he had symptoms at an early age, but his high intelligence made him successful despite the ADD. If he had been properly diagnosed at a younger age, he would be better prepared to manage the college transition…yadda yadda yadda…</p>
<p>There are also education attorney’s that may be able to offer you a free consult so you can learn more about the disability laws in the state where your student is in school. It will probably have to be an educational attorney from that office though. </p>
<p>This could be an effort by the disability services office to encourage you to go away hoping that providing the documentation is too much work for you. It may be something they do to many students. </p>
<p>Also, my son tried straterra when it first came out. Hated it. Made him throw up every morning, that did not wear off. Ended up trying 5 or so meds before he found the one he currently uses. So do not be surprised if you go through a number of medications before he finds a good fit.</p>
<p>Hi everyone, it’s the OP here with my current gray-hair issue…So S2 contacted counseling services on campus when it became apparent that his current health care providers are not really interested in a complete diagnosis. At our insistence, another set of tests were run because the U requires them as part of the paperwork package, but other tests were not, because the psychologist said he saw no need for them ,etc. etc… Without a complete and accepted ODS referral, S2 can’t get a foreign language waiver, and it’s the foreign language that is the biggest problem. So we decided to change providers.</p>
<p>Anyway. I discovered today that (of course) he never did contact counseling services. DH says enough is enough. If he doesn’t want help, he has that right. I feel like he’ll be living at home at 30 if we can’t get him more help than he has right now. Just today he started an online language class, but I don’t have any idea how to support him. Tell him to go sit there until part A and B are done? Instead of queing up all the notes and then watching online tv? Or just let him fail, again? That seems cruel. We did have him pay for the class, and he is required to put aside paycheck money (yes, he’s got a good job in his field) for the fall tuition $$ he’ll need. He has to show me his bank account about every 10 days, to verify he hasn’t blown it all on food. (He hates to cook, so he just goes out for lunch, yes he does know HOW to cook) I helped him clean out his room so it wasn’t so cluttered, and it was full of old food, gatorade bottles, stacks of linens (clean! mine!) he was “going to put away”. It was scary, I felt the full force of his inability to organize, but how do you create an artificial system for a person like that? And when does support become enabling, or can it? What a lousy day :(</p>
<p>What you describe are symptoms of the ADHD, procrastinating, lack of follow through, anxiety. If he is seeing an expert or a coach, they can help with understanding what is going on, with strategies and with help managing his time/responsibilities until he gets a handle on it himself.</p>