First and foremost, this is not a simple answer. Find the “right” doctor and poof, many of your worries go away. However, when I needed medical and treatment advice for Addy, I was at a loss as to where and who to go with. Therefore, I thought it would be helpful to outline our process and how we got to where we are today (which I am mostly happy with).
First, we started with our pediatrician. She’s wonderful and as I have previously stated, listened to my concerns early on and helped me find a team to not only help Addy, but our family as well. With that being said, the first step is to find a knowledgeable doctor you trust with references for neurodivergent children. You can also look at seeing a developmental-behavioral pediatrician, if your pediatrician is not a good fit.
Their main role is to evaluate kids who aren't developing, learning, or behaving the way their peers are. They have advanced specialty training in the physical, emotional, behavioral, and social development of children.
Next, you might want to see a pediatric neuropsychologist. They can diagnose (extremely important for insurance) and treat children with neurodivergent learning and development needs. They focus on how learning and behavior are tied to brain development. They use the same tests that school evaluators use while utilizing additional tests or assessments as well.
Finally, taking your child to a pediatric neurologist may also be beneficial. A pediatric neurologist is a doctor who treats children who have problems with their nervous system. Problems in the nervous system can be linked to seizures, headaches, amongst other issues leading to developmental delays.
It’s a lot, I know. Addy has seen all these types of doctors and it has helped us rule things out, get different opinions as well as approaches in treating her. Just like anything in life, the more information you can acquire, the more informed your decision-making will be. To that end, we haven’t only sought the opinion of doctors on this journey – therapists, teachers, parents, siblings, and friends have all been integral to Addy’s progress and development.
Much love,
Raising Addy
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