A child with undiagnosed add/adhd should see a pedi psychiatrist or developmental pediatrician?

ADHD: Many physicians are capable of diagnosing and treating adhd. If you have a family doctor, discuss the matter with the doctor or with a pediatrician. Ask for a thorough evaluation by a doctor who works with children with adhd.

Sure, But...: Most pediatricians are perfectly capable of diagnosing, counseling and treating add/adhd. If not, the specialists are fine.

ADHD diagnosis takes: Adhd can range from simple to quick complex. Since 2/3 or children and adolescents with adhd also have other problems, it is best to get a thorough evaluation with someone who is expert in adhd. This can be a child and adolescent psychiatrist, a behavioral and developmental pediatrician, or a psychologist. The extent of testing needed depends on the types of problems and the age of the child.

Depends: It depends on who is available in your area check with your pediatrician first. Some general pediatricians, including myself can evaluate and diagnose adhd using various tools. Others refer the child to a psychologist for a battery of test, then may give medicine if needs too. Others refer to a psychiatrist or even a neurologist. A developmental pediatrician, if available, could also see him.

Either or neither: Most general pediatricians are more than comfortable handling basic add/adhd and may have the benefit of already knowing your child and your family. If a child is more complicated than what a pediatrician can handle then generally a psychiatrist would be next. In my experience, developmental pediatricians usually focus on complex conditions with developmental delays, i.e. Autism.

Who is available?: Ideally your child should be evaluated by the most competent, most experienced professional in your area, unfortunately that is not always the case.See your pediatrician first, ask how comfortable is he/she in doing a thorough assesment, not just a courtesy evaluation and symptom checklist.If your md is not an option, ask for a referral , chadds is a source.Serious diagnosis, often mismanaged!

Either one: While there are slight differences in our approach to diagnosis, treatment is well standardized. About 30% of kids with adhd have learning disabilities. Standardized tests for these are done by child psychologists or neuropsychologists.Ask your child's teacher if his adhd symptoms are impacting his learning, peer interaction or behavior at school. He may qualify for accomodations, a "section 504.".

Primary pediatrician: Although psychiatrists and developmental pediatricians are certainly able to diagnoses and treat ADHD, most primary care pediatricians are now well versed and capable of diagnosing and managing ADD/ADHD. In our community, the developmental pediatricians and psychiatrists prefer to see complicated patients, or those who are not responding to standard therapies.