#diagnostic process

[moss-opossum]

Got my official POTS diagnosis today! That’s another condition down, hopefully only only three or four left lol

[stillfuckingtired]

LOVE paying a bunch of money I don’t have to have a doctor tell me my labs came back normal. Never gets old.

[fizrig]

i am. so happy. i had my intake appointment to begin the asd diagnostic process today and they were able to determine medical necessity so i only have to pay $75 for the testing instead of the $550 i would have had to pay if they weren’t able to determine medical necessity. i dont think i would have been able to get tested if i had to pay $550, i dont have that kind of money. i have my testing in like a month and a half. this is exciting and nerve wracking and ahhh!

[adhd-asd]

hello! so sorry if you already got an ask like this, but i just wanted to know what the process for ADHD testing is? what "questions" do they ask? is everything completed in one sitting? i live in the US and i'm going to get testing done soon at a local health center.

     As far as I’m aware, there isn’t a single universal diagnostic process. If you want to know the specifics of the place you’re going to get evaluated, I would recommend Googling that centre specifically and seeing if there’s any information available, or asking someone who works there for a summary of what you can expect. You could also ask your diagnostician for a rundown of how your evaluation is going to work at the start of it, assuming they don’t begin by offering one anyway.

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     Personally, I’m from Canada, so I don’t know how relevant my own diagnostic experience will be to yours in the US, but I can at least share a bit about how it worked for me if you’re curious:

      My own evaluation took place over two sessions that were a month apart and lasted a few hours each. Both were done entirely verbally, but I’ve heard of other people filling out questionnaires and written tests, so I think it changes depending on the diagnostician’s preferences and the standard practices of the specific place you’re being tested at.

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     When I went to my first ADHD evaluation, I brought this article with me and spent the majority of the time methodically going through it and talking about the parts I related to and how. The doctor diagnosing me had a document of questions relating to specific ADHD symptoms and took notes of any that I addressed while I spoke, then followed up by asking any questions I hadn’t already covered in my explanation. Eg: “Do you often miss small details? Do you have trouble sitting still?”

     She and my therapist also both had my permission to compare notes and discuss their thoughts together during the time between my first and second appointment, but I wasn’t present for that myself so I don’t know what all was involved. Then in the second appointment, the doctor and I finished answering the remaining questions and discussed her conclusions regarding my diagnosis. Overall, it was pretty straightforward.

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     Again, though, that’s just how my own diagnosis went, and I unfortunately can’t really say how similar or different yours will be. I had the advantage of being recommended to a diagnostician that was already working closely with my therapist, and compared to my ASD diagnosis which was done by a different person and took place over the course of several months, this one felt like a breeze. I was also very lucky to have a good diagnostician who was easy to get along with and willing to listen, which definitely makes a huge difference.

     I wish I could help more, but you probably really are better off gathering information relating to the specific health centre you’ll be visiting if possible. Regardless, though, congratulations on the evaluation and good luck, whatever ends up being involved; I hope it goes really well!

[actuallyadhd]

Hi, sorry if this is over reaching, how would one go about finding out if they have adhd?

Sent February 20, 2019

This page of our FAQ deals with the diagnostic process and talks about self-diagnosis. It also includes a link to our self-diagnosis post.

-J

[thewonderzebra]

A blog about rare diseases: gastroparesis, mastocytosis, unnamed connective tissue disorder, and POTS

Did you know: it takes an average of 4.8 years for rare disease patients to receive a diagnosis. If you want to know more about why the diagnostic process takes so long and what needs to change in the healthcare system to speed up this process, give this post a read.

Feel free to share to help spread awareness!

[literatemermaid]

Tomorrow’s my appointment to get assessed so that I can hopefully make another appointment to get tested for ADHD. Wish me luck gals and gays this should be inchresting

[tribulationsofgeorge-blog]

Just had the “why wasn’t I taken to a professional until I asked to at 16″ talk. I probably sounded ungrateful but I DEFINITELY wasn’t a normal kid. I feel like shit. Maybe I should’ve stayed quiet. My sister wanted to have me taken to get screened but my parents refused to/didn’t have room to care because of their own diseases. It’s not their fault, but it is, but it isn’t, and I’m confused, and I’m mad, and I have nothing to be mad at but the natural order of things.