ADDA has a great list of questions you can ask your doctor about ADHD (Sadly deleted) before getting diagnosed or treated medically.
It’s a great way to find out if they’re a knowledgeable doctor that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. You can’t assume they are, sadly. I wish it were different. Finding a knowledgeable doctor or psychologist or pschiatrist who can diagnose and treat ADD, especially Adult ADD can be extremely difficult. It’s a complaint I’ve heard far too often in Canada and the US.
ADD medication can be very useful for dealing with the neurobiology component of ADHD. If someone wants to deal with the skills and behavioral component, they might consider ADHD coaching.
Here are two excerpts
Proper Training:
• What specific ADHD training or education does the physician have?
• How long has the physician been diagnosing and/or treating individuals with ADHD?
• What ADHD organization/s is the physician affiliated with?
• Are they on any advisory boards of any organizations that disseminate educational information about ADHD?
• When did the physician last attend a CME seminar or course covering topics related to ADHD diagnosis and treatment Join us
Practice:
• What percentage of his/her practice is ADD?
• How long have they serviced this population?
• What ADD specific training has the physician received?
• How long has the physician been treating individuals with ADHD?
• What do they consider to the key components for successful long-term management of the challenges of ADHD?
If you live in the Vancouver BC area, I have a List of People known to Diagnose/Treat ADD that I email out. It’s not a referral list or recommendation, just a list of people known to diagnose and treat ADD.
If you live anywhere else, and are looking for some names to try, you might ask your local ADHD coach or find a local ADD support group. Here’s my list of Canadian ADD Support Groups, I also have a list of US and International ADD support groups.