I keep seeing people suggesting

[Trix]

That I should take difficult child to a neuropsychologist. (She is being tested by a[FONT='Palatino Linotype', serif] child psychiatrist in April)[/FONT] How do I go about finding a good one? She is on mediciad so they would need to accept that. I am in upstate SC so we have several big cities to consider I would be willing to go to Columbia, Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson etc... I am making the assumption the better ones would be in the big city is it possible to find good ones in smaller towns?

 

[buddy]

It is very likely that you could find better ones in bigger cities, especially if there are children's hospitals or developmental clinics.
In my experience, A good psychiatrist is wonderful, but psychiatrists and mental health psychologists tend to stick to emotional/chemical/family systems types of causes and disorders. Even if they know of a documented neurological disability they will add a mental health diagnosis like ODD or Anxiety (Which may be valid, but they dont treat the neurological condition)

A neuropsychologist is a psychologist who has additional training in neurology. Their specialty is connecting how the brain works with behavior. That includes chemical imbalances, neurological/hard wiring conditions, emotional disorders, personality disorders, conditions resulting from trauma, etc.

It is much more comprehensive. They can help you sort out how your difficult child learns, what their strengths and weaknesses are.

It is well worth the effort. And there is no saying you can't do both....the psychiatrist is the only one that can rx medication if that is needed (or a neurologist). Neuropsychs are typically PhD level docs. (some very few are dual MD/PhD)

You will see lots of experiences here, many of us have great neurologists, psychiatrists etc....but for that evaluation that helps sort things out, it really does help to get a neuropsychologist. I prefer to get private Speech Language and Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy evaluations because the neuropsychologist does testing that touches on these areas but the individual professionals go deeply into those areas. THEN I gave the results to the neuropsychologist who can put it all together.

 

[InsaneCdn]

We don't have access to neuropsychs in Canada for this type of testing, so we have found that there are a couple of other good alternatives...
1) child behavioural/developmental evaluation teams out of childrens' hospitals
2) PhD-level psychologists with extensive experience (at the PhD level, they have learned to do the analysis well, and we found that this type "noticed" things in the results that others missed)

If your ins doesn't fund neuropsychologist, these are other options.
What you are looking for is a comprehensive evaluation. Usually 6-8 hours of testing.
And I'd recommend looking for separate Occupational Therapist (OT) evaluation...

 

[Trix]

She is getting an Occupational Therapist (OT) evaluation now it is just having to be drawn out over several appointments because she is not being very cooperative with the evaluation.

 

[TerryJ2]

Oh, so sorry she is not cooperating.
There is a huge difference in how psychiatrists and neuropsychologists think, not to mention how they are trained. Keep looking! It's worth the drive.

 

[Star*]

Hi and welcome,

I live in Columbia. I think living here due to the bevy of doctor care available is about the only reason that kept us here for so many years. Some services and doctors have been wonderful; others were sub-par, and that would be everything from (if you will pardon the expression soup to nuts). I'm not sure that I'm going to be of much help, and not sure that it's allowed but Richland Memorial Hospital has several neuropsychologists that are very competent and caring. I can't name names because it's been over fifteen years, but the testing they did on Dude was very thorough, and so intense to the point that they ruled out via CT scans anything organic vs behavioral and set us on a path towards one of the best psychologists (again in my humble opinion) that I've ever had the pleasure of working with whom I've sent many, many people to over the years; none of which ever came back to me and said "Star, he was not for us." Moreover I think that the key to learning and getting on the right path to wellness in any mental health situation is learning HOW to communicate through effective communication (which is a learned behavior not natural) and thorugh psycho therapy ALL family members attend for YEARS....not months, YEARS. If not? I think to say "It's you not ME'..is an effort in vain and you may as well open your front door, write a check or toss cash out in the yard each week and go to square one each day of the week you start your week on.

Our son is among one of the most difficult humans ever to grace the planet. To see our psychiatrist learn that he is now.....working, paying rent, actually paying his fines for tickets, in jail but then out and being responsible? The man clutched his heart. (so do I quite often......probably should have gotten and AED for the house but at times without therapy I think I'm down as DNR) anyway.......the thing MY SON told us was that out of all of the places we sent him and put him and all the medications and ALL the things we FOUND OUT (ie psychotherapy) the TALK thearpy worked the best. And to find a good one of those///YOU have to believe in the person you are sitting across from and TRUST them......and SEE results in your own home and life. and STRESS levels may go up......but come down and you have to be willing to PUT THE KID......out and LISTEN and ...well it comes and ebbs and flows......but you have to not try to put YOUR thoughts into a cookie cutter and say well yes but MY idea....nope.....you have to be willing to follow the rules, and for once not bend them to suit you.

I'll help you however I can.......but if you want to know if one is better than another? I'm sure there may be ......Like I said just do your homework......see whose saying what-----who is recommended. (google the doctor) and go from there. You're already stressed out - why stress yourself further to drive 2 hours......when the same info.....(not organic vs organic) is going to be obtained 20 minutes away???? They're not Godz they're doctors and they're going to read test results about the same no matter where you go. Find a good psychiatrist.....a GREAT psychiatrist ------one that works M-Sunday.......and see if you like him/her.....and get the whole family involved. We went 3x a week for years.......Family day, SON day.....and ME day (yeah for me). Because if Momma aint happy7 - TRUST ME......NO BODY happy. NO BOOOOOOOOODY.

Hugs
STar

 

[Trix]

Thank you so much for all the advice. A side question I have tried to google the Dr they are sending us to in April and I can't seem to find much on him? Is there a specific website or a specific wording to find info on him? I know his degrees and where he went to school etc but I can't find any reviews or anything.