Deciding to See a Child Psychologist

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Sitting in a psychologist’s office, I was a nervous wreck. The appointment wasn’t even for me. It was for my nine-year-old son.

It took a while for us to finally get there, but when you reach a certain point, you just know. You know you have to do what’s best for your child, even if it feels scary, uncertain, and uncomfortable.

I was there for the first time two weeks prior when my husband and I went to a parents’-only appointment and we met with Dr. B for the first time. We talked about ourselves, our family, and the things our nine-year-old son had been struggling with. 

Let me back up a bit. School has gone relatively well since kindergarten. While it was apparent he had a hard time staying on task and paying attention, it wasn’t really a big deal until last year (third grade). After a teacher conference, I sought advice from his pediatrician. She gave me three evaluation forms (one for me, my husband, and his teacher) to fill out and bring back. When I got the results from those, she said it showed the results were conclusive of ADHD and medication could be helpful. So we did it. The first one was not a good fit, but the second one has been much better.

Fourth grade started off rough, as he moved from number grades (1, 2, 3) to letter grades (A-F). We could see he was struggling, especially in reading comprehension, the ability to read and recall details, and math. After a conference with his three teachers, they all said the same thing about the areas he was struggling in. It was then that my husband and I decided it was time to get help from a professional. 

deciding to see a child psychologist

I found Dr. B through our insurance provider, and she was a wonderful choice. After her first meeting with C two weeks after our parent meeting, he told me as we were leaving that “she was so nice, asks great questions, and is a good person to talk to.” I think sometimes getting to talk about things with someone who isn’t in the situation can be a huge help. 

We went back two weeks later for his testing, IQ and achievement, and got some clarity into what he’s struggling with. She said that his ADHD diagnosis from the pediatrician was warranted, and she also added “adjustment disorder with mixed impairment of mood and conduct.” Basically, he has a delay in the ability to handle and respond appropriately to situations and in regulating his mood and emotions.

One of the things I learned about ADHD is that, while I thought it was just a kid being unable to sit still and just running around all the time (which mine doesn’t), it can be verbal hyperactivity (talking too much, asking a lot of questions or interrupting), constant fidgeting, not being able to focus, or inability to complete tasks and recall details. 

She plans to meet with him several times per month for a while and help equip him with the tools he needs and teach him skills to handle things in a more appropriate manner. 

While this was difficult for me to talk about, and especially hard to write this post, the more I do, the more I realize I’m not alone. So parents, whatever you’re going through with your kids, I promise that even though it may feel that you are alone, you’re not.

Here are several links where you can learn more about child psychologists and ADHD.

Taking Your Child To A Therapist

5 Things You Should Know About Taking Your Child to a Psychologist

What’s The Difference Between a Therapist and Psychologist?

CDC’s page on ADHD with information about facts, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.