I just got the results from my son’s SNAP-IV screening for ADD. I don’t understand it very much. His scores were as follows:
Inattention
Teacher 2.67 Mother 2.89 Step-father 2.89
H/I
Teacher 0.89 Mother 2.56 Step-father 2.44
ADHD/Combined
Teacher 1.78 Mother 2.72 Step-father 2.66
ODD
Teacher 0.38 Mother 0.63 Step-father 0.50
I/O
Teacher 2.20 Mother 2.20 Step-father 2.20
A/D
Teacher 0.60 Mother 1.00 Step-father 1.00
Academic
Teacher 3.00 Mother 3.00 Step-father 3.00
Deportment
Teacher 0.75 Mother N/A Step-father N/A
They said although he shows signs of ADHD that his behavior at school and at home was significantly different and a there was a problem with distractibility that in turn could lead to problems in school.
They said that he may have ADHD or the following disorders could account for his inattention, impulsive/hyperactive behavior pattern. He said he might suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Personality Disorder, Maic Episode, Major Depressive Episode, Dysthymic Disorder, Adjustment Disorder, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
The exact wording used was “These results showed significant indication of ADHD in several areas. These results were fairly significant, but did not conclusively indicate ADHD Impulsivity /Hyperactivity type. Other possible disorders were listed based on high rating of specific items. An informal classroom observation did not show obvious signs of impulsive behavior, but clear indications of inattention. This examiner suggests that (the Parents) review this information and investigate the steps necessary to address the possibility that (the child) may be exhibiting other disorders or a combination of conditions including ADHD. Discussing this summary with their family physician or other outside agencies may be beneficial.”
What do I do now? The councler has already said that over the visits he has done in the past 6 months my son is not showing any signs of depression and is very well adjusted and happy. My son is a little insecure but because he feels “not smart” because he can’t keep up with the rest of his class. I can’t seem to get him to control his behavior or control himself. Everyone is saying because he is not aggressive or overly hyper he must be depressed or suffer from other physiological problems. That is his family life. This doesn’t explain his inability to focus before I got remarried. His father and I were never together at an age he can remember. He has always been this way.
I feel alone and like everyone is blaming us the parents. We are doing all we can. Now I don’t know who to go to a regular doctor or a psychologist. How do I find a specialist. If it is not ADD then what test to I do next? I don’t know what to do now and I am really confuse. I read so many books on ADD/ADHD and felt like I was finally seeing my son was o.k. that these books knew him personally. Now the school is saying he is not hyper enough to have a problem check him for deeper rooted problems. I want to rule out everything. I just feel hopeless.
What do I do next?
the district will never admit a kid has ADD
If they do then they will be responsible for his problem. Just because your son isn’t hyper doesn’t mean he isn’t ADD-inattentive. Most kids who are ADD inattentive get overlooked because they are nice kids that don’t usually cause trouble but they are easily distracted and space out when no one knows what they are looking for..My daughter is hearing impaired and has both ADD and CAPD. For years we thought it was just CAPD but there was always a problem with distractibility and inattention and at times she would get hyper.
Last year things hit the fan. I was the one that brought it up ADD this time and said, it isn’t just CAPD it is ADD as well. She was observed in the classroom by the school psychologist and we did some ADD scales. The school psyche said, she just isn’t using her visual skills to compensate for the hearing loss. That was a big understatement because that summer we took her into a pediatrician who specialzes in ADD and after looking at the drops in her IQ processing speeds over the years and the type of errors she was making in school and looking at the scales he diagnosed her with ADD. She has been on meds for about 8 months now and what a difference it has made. She can concentrate.
I would start with your pediatrician and see if they have some suggestions but getting the school to diagnose your child with ADD isn’t going to happen. They will never take responsiblity. I would recommend watching the video Windows into the ADD mind by Daniel Amen, MD… It will help you emotionally and give you some hope..
Re: new results from SNAP IV - don't understand
Hi Sondra,
First of all, parents do not “cause” their children to have ADD/ADHD. You are doing the best you can with the information you have, but you know you need more help, and are looking for ways to get it. Remember that, the next time you start to feel like you are being blamed for your child’s difficulties. ADD presents ongoing problems to kids and families, but as a responsible parent, you’re working on it. Give yourself a pat on the back!
The school has done their “screening” but you aren’t comfortable stopping there, and (apparently) neither is the school. So keep going. A psychologist can do a more thorough evaluation, and it sounds as though your son would benefit if everyone had more information. Talking with his pediatrician would be a great place to start. Every child, ADD or not, is going to have additional adjustments to make when a step father enters the picture. So the school is probably right about there being some “family issues” but that doesn’t necessarily mean that anyone is doing anything wrong. It just means you could use some guidance and support. I’m guessing the whole family would benefit from some counseling to help everyone adjust to their new roles. Good luck in getting all this sorted out. The sooner you start, the better it will be for your son, both academically and socially. JJ
Has he been assessed for CAPD? Auditory processing problems can cause inattention and difficulty with academics. This would be consistent with the observations in your post. At the very least, I would want to rule out CAPD before looking at other possibilities.
To get an accurate eval, you need to go to an audiologist who specializes in CAPD (most audiologists do not have the necessary training). You can find CAPD audiologists in your area at http://pages.cthome.net/cbristol/ (click on links, scroll down near bottom of page, click on audiologist search engine). If you have a choice, audiologists associated with a major university medical center tend to be very good. This eval is usually covered by medical insurance. I would call the audiologist’s office first, as they usually can tell you what you need to do to get insurance coverage (sometimes a referral from GP).
The good thing about a CAPD eval is that the tests are very objective. You are not relying solely on subjective evaluations for a diagnosis.
Mary