Which Specialists Can Treat ADHD?
Living with ADHD is certainly not easy. It comes with numerous challenges and often severe symptoms. Also, it interferes with patients' quality of life both educationally, socially, and professionally. Therefore, proper treatment plans are vital for this condition. If you have ADHD, be sure to seek the right medication and treatment.
People suffering from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) encounter several challenges including social, academic or professional difficulties. These issues make it important for ADHD patients to receive definitive treatments that work for them. ADHD is also very common among children. Children that have this condition should seek assistance from their pediatricians, or from educational and mental health specialists. Some types of doctors that can help those with ADHD include:
Primary Care Doctor
Primary care doctors help in examining ADHD symptoms and providing proper treatment plans. Primary care doctors known as pediatricians are a valuable resource for children affected by ADHD. They attempt to find out the exact cause of the disorder in a particular child. The pediatrician might then prescribe certain medications if they confirm that ADHD is responsible for a child's symptoms. However, they are not able to provide additional counseling along with the medication. Therefore, primary care doctors often refer ADHD patients to a mental health professional that can help them to learn useful management skills for countless ADHD symptoms.
Psychologists
Psychologists are mental health providers who can offer social and behavior modification therapies to those with ADHD. All psychologists hold doctoral degrees in psychology. However, this means that they don not have any medical qualifications that allow them to prescribe medication. If a psychologist believes that medication is necessary in a certain case, they can refer patients to a doctor who can prescribe the drugs.
Nevertheless, they can help patients to tackle ADHD symptoms through other means. Psychologists might check the patient’s IQ and utilize other measures to assess their emotional or social skills before they figure out the proper treatment plans. Parents of children with ADHD can often become stressed and worried about their child's condition, so psychologists are a very useful resource for them as well.
Psychiatrists
Psychiatrists are medical professionals who have the capability to diagnose ADHD, recommend medications to treat it, and counsel people that suffer from it. A psychiatrist usually undergoes three years of additional training on the treatment of mental health disorders before being able to practice medicine. For parents of ADHD patients, it is imperative to look for a psychiatrist who is highly experienced in treating childhood disorders, and ADHD specifically.
Social Workers
Social workers are professionals whose main focus is to assist people in managing their living conditions and make sure they are suitable for children. Social workers can examine children, document behavioral changes or mood swings, and provide a comprehensive control plan. They can also help children cope with social activities. Social workers do not have medical qualifications and therefore cannot prescribe any medications whatsoever. They can, however, provide families with helpful management strategies and counseling.
Speech-Language Pathologists
ADHD patients often have difficulties with speech or language development and may need to be examined by a speech-language pathologist. These specialists often work together in schools to transform the classroom setting into a better place for children with language difficulties, including those with ADHD. Speech-language pathologists can also help children learn better communication tactics, especially in a social context. They also help children develop sophisticated planning, studying, and organizational skills.
How to Choose the Right ADHD Specialist
The first thing a parent of an ADHD patient or the patient themselves should do is to confirm the kind of medical services that are covered by their own insurance company. Then, you are able to request a doctor's referral to the specialists that are necessary. Pediatricians are typically able to provide parents with a list of therapists who focus on treating mental disorders in children. Another way to obtain recommendations is to consult other parents whose children are living with ADHD. They can be a reliable resource to find the best doctors.
Living with ADHD is not easy. It comes with lots of challenges, symptoms, and negative complication. It can also interfere with the patient’s quality of life in educational, social, and professional aspects. Therefore, proper treatment plans are vital for those who have ADHD. Be sure to seek the right doctors and treatment to help live with ADHD.
