Re: Had my assessment… not what I expected

[Patte Rosebank]

Report cards can be helpful, but should never be considered the ultimate word on the subject, because they only paint part of the picture. For a more accurate picture of your childhood, the doctor should look at as many factors as possible: report cards, interviews with family members, and of course your own memories.

Report cards only reflect what your teachers may have observed. Or they may simply be a cold, clinical, record of your marks. But what if you’re a studious little mouse in class, but a wild, bouncing-off-the-walls character in the school Drama Club? How can a single report card take both of your “personalities” into account? Especially when you don’t get graded on extracurricular activities?

If the doctor doing your assessment places too much weight on the report cards, this will skew the results. If he dismisses your own personal memories, and relies solely on the report cards which he claims don’t support your theory that you have ADHD, then that is definitely a problem. It also feels like a personal attack on YOU, saying “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Report cards don’t lie.” (Which is, of course, bollocks.) And if you feel like your doctor is not allowing you to participate fully in the process, then he’s not the right doctor for you.

Is that doctor an ADHD specialist, or just a regular GP? How old is he? If he’s fairly old, then he has not had access to the newest information on ADHD. Would it be possible for him to interview you and your parents together, to help in the assessment process? After all, the memories of a “former problem child” AND the memories of that child’s parents, are much harder for a doctor to just dismiss.

Being cautious is one thing. Dismissing a patient’s childhood memories and basing an assessment primarily on old report cards is quite another. This will definitely require some discussion with your doctor.

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