Should I Get My Child Tested for ADHD? What Parents + Teachers Need to Know

“Is this just a phase…or something more?” It’s one of the most common (and most stressful) questions parents ask when they start noticing ADHD-like behaviors. Should you wait it out, or is it time to take action?

In this episode of Raising ADHD, we’re breaking down exactly when to consider an ADHD evaluation, who can actually diagnose, what the process looks like, and how parents and teachers can work together to get kids the support they need sooner rather than later.

As a former teacher and ADHD mom (Apryl) and a child & adolescent psychiatrist who also lives with ADHD (Dr. Brian), we’re here to demystify the diagnosis process and give you the clarity you’ve been looking for.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• 📝 The key signs it’s time to consider an ADHD evaluation (hint: persistence + multiple settings)
• 👩‍⚕️ Who can (and can’t) diagnose ADHD: pediatrician, psychiatrist, psychologist, nurse practitioner, and the teacher’s role
• 📄 What the testing process looks like (including Vanderbilt and Conners forms)
• ⏳ Why early diagnosis matters and how delaying can make school struggles worse
• 😶 How “masking” hides symptoms in the classroom and what to watch for at home
• 📚 Why a diagnosis isn’t a label to fear—it’s the doorway to accommodations, support, and thriving

Why this matters:

An ADHD diagnosis doesn’t put your child in a box, it opens doors. From 504 plans and IEPs in the classroom to better self-esteem and family harmony, understanding what’s going on brings relief, not stigma. And the sooner you know, the sooner you can put the right supports in place.

Resources + Next Steps:

• Subscribe to Raising ADHD so you don’t miss next week’s episode on Back-to-School Behavior Tips every parent needs.

Transcript

Speaker 2 

Best starting age is going to vary child the child, but really what you're gonna want to look for is impairment in in function of some sort. If they're not doing well in school or they're not doing well at home, this will be your first sign that, Oh my, my child may be being impaired by something else other than just, you know, their environment. 

Speaker 1 

Welcome to raising ADHD, the podcast for parents and teachers raising ADHD. If you've ever felt frustrated, overwhelmed, or just unsure what to do next, you're not alone. I'm April Bradford, a former teacher and ADHD mom, and alongside my husband, Doctor Brian Bradford, a child and adolescent psychiatrist. We're here to give you the clarity, strategies and support you've been looking for every week. To break down the misconceptions, answer your biggest questions and share real tools you can use right away at home and in the classroom. So if you're ready to feel more confident and less overwhelmed, you're in. The right place. Should I get my child tested for ADHD? It's one of the most common questions parents ask. Is this just a phase? Is it something I should wait out or is it time to take action? 

Speaker 2 

I see families on both sides of this somewhat years before seeking help, while others worry they may be jumping the gun. In this episode, we're gonna give you a clear picture of when testing makes sense and what the process looks like, as well as how both teachers and parents each play a role. 

Speaker 1 

So whether you're a parent who's noticing, struggles at home, or a teacher wondering what you can and can't say legally, this episode will help you feel more confident about the next steps. Hey there, welcome back to raising ADHD. We're going to dive into this conversation about when and if you should get your child diagnosed. So first we're gonna dive into point #1, which is when to consider an ADHD evaluation. So we start out, let's start with the signs. Parents usually notice things. Like homework battles, kids making. What looks like careless mistakes or constant fidgeting and moving. They might also notice the hyperactivity. Is this, you know, you hear, like boys being boys. Is this just boys being boys or is this actually something that is more than that and teachers might notice the daydreaming? The blurting out, or the trouble falling? Directions, but here's the tricky part. All kids do these things. That's why it makes it so hard, right? So how do you know when it's ADHD? 

Speaker 2 

One thing that you should be looking out for is persistence as well as a multiple settings. Things like anxiety and depression and other things that can also mask as ADHD. Will often occur for brief periods of time or only in a few settings. ADHD should occur in multiple settings and it should go for at least six months, which in which case it's usually home and school where we're looking for settings. 

Speaker 1 

Let's talk about then who can diagnose ADHD and who can't. 

Speaker 2 

Who's actually going to make the call in this case with ADHD, it could be diagnosed by a pediatrician. It can be diagnosed by a psychiatrist who's an MD or. Geo a psychologist. Somebody like as ID or a PhD or also could be diagnosed by a nurse practitioner with the ADHD diagnosis. They they usually require extra collateral information. So teacher and a parent also have to add in their input. 

Speaker 1 

And another thing I want to point out here too is because I know that this gets confused when people ask what is your husband doing? And I say he's a child and adolescent psychiatrist. The difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist, can you tell us that really quick? 

Speaker 2 

A psychiatrist and a psychologist both have. An abundance of training there's. There's very long trading paths for both of them with the psychologist. They specifically are going into a pH. D path and there's no medical school involved where a psychiatrist will have medical school and they will be a prescriber of medications where a psychologist will be will administer therapy. And psychological testing and. And other things, but not medications. 

Speaker 1 

So to put it simply, a psychiatrist is the doctor. The psychologist is like the therapist. 

Speaker 2 

Yeah, the medical doctor there. 

Speaker 1 

Yeah, that's true. Just like I psychologists can have a doctor degree. True, now we know. 

Speaker 2 

They'll. They'll. They'll both out to me. Doctorate degrees. 

Speaker 1 

When to start looking at the diagnosis? Who diagnosis? D let's look at what the process actually looks like. 80. 

Speaker 2 

For the the majority of adolescent or school age ADHD diagnosis are gonna happen with either a psychiatrist of some sort or a pediatrician. When you go talk to them, they will usually ask for extra collateral information, usually in the form of some forms that outside people will. Well. If they're in daycare, maybe, maybe like a daycare setting or a preschool setting, but oftentimes it's the school teacher and either a parent or multiple parents, depending on the living situation. This can vary a little bit. There's some fairly standardized ones that are pretty common. You may hear, like a Vanderbilt form or a Connors. Form. They're also gonna do, especially with the psychiatrist, they're gonna do a a rollout of other medical and psychological things such as anxiety or sleep issues. Or. Learning disabilities. These kind of things that can mask themselves as ADHD. But if you tried to treat it like it was ADHD would potentially either worsen things or would likely be ineffective. 

Speaker 1 

Well, a couple of things came up when you were talking. Number one, you said a daycare specialist, which tells me that that would be younger than school age SO5 when is a good time? Is there an age that it's too young? Young. To look at diagnosis. 

Speaker 2 

There isn't really an age where it's too young, it's it's not necessarily a bad thing to get an early ADHD diagnosis. And when we do studies the early age ADHD diagnosis tend to be pretty consistent with continued ADHD symptoms all the way through the rest of their childhood and into adolescence. That being said, when when you're diagnosing at a very young age, the medications may or may not actually be the best option. So it's kind of up to them and their provider, but. Just know that the the treatment options can vary a little bit in the really young kids. 

Speaker 1 

So when would you say the average? I'm saying this in quotes starting age to live at a diagnosis would be. 

Speaker 2 

Well, the best starting age is going to vary child the child, but really what you're going to want to look for is impairment in in function of some sort. If they're not doing well in school or they're not doing well at home. This will be your first sign that, Oh my, my child may be being impaired by something else other than to. You know their environment. 

Speaker 1 

Another thing that when you were talking it just reminded me there are some health issues that can actually look like ADHD and show up like ADHD for example, when we were, you know, looking at getting our daughter diagnosed, I took her in. I think in December. She had really big tonsils, and so the pediatrician was like, actually, sometimes sleep apnea. And kids can look like ADHD in the daytime because they're not getting enough sleep because of the sleep apnea. So we actually had her tonsils taken out. Then we didn't. Get her officially diagnosed and put on medicine till after all that had happened. To rule that out that had been in. Health situation before. 

Speaker 2 

And that happens all across the lifespan. This can be adolescents and adults also with sleep apnea depression, one of the core features of depression can be poor concentration anxiety. We know leads to poor concentration in the older kids or adults. Also, substance use can be. Another thing that masks itself as ADHD, I mean there's there's so numerous issues that really needs to be done by a medical professional. 

Speaker 1 

Yeah. And I think that's where too where you're saying. You call it collateral from other sources, being able to see different things. As a teacher, I have filled out many forms. The Vanderbilt form for kids that were going through the diagnosis process and these forms just so you know, they're not difficult. They're not hard, they're not. You know pages and pages long. It's like a one. Like a one document, you open it up and you rate on a scale like one to five or something if I remember correctly, it's the same thing for the parents. The parents fill out the parent Vanderbilt form. The questions are just slightly different based on the environment really. 

Speaker 2 

Right. And the Vanderbilt forms an interesting one. And it's actually free online. You can just Google Vanderbilt ADHD form and see exactly what it. Is. But there is a parent form as well as a teacher form and they have slightly different questions. But among those questions are also questions related to anxiety and depression and other behaviors to try and rule out things that may be masquerading as ADHD. 

Speaker 

Oh. 

Speaker 1 

So as a parent then if I googled that and you know I go through and I'm like, Oh yes, this is my kid. This is my kid. This is my kid, really. Can't necessarily. Again quotes diagnosed my kid like oh, we got all fives or I don't know. I think it was 5 was like the frequently happens or whatever. Like I couldn't diagnose that like you as a. The provider would look at that and do a. 

Speaker 2 

Yeah, I mean, it would still need a medical diagnosis and it would kind of depend provider for two provider if a, if a parent brought in filled out Vanderbilt forms and just said I I think my child might have ADHD. This is what I'm seeing. I mean I I personally be grateful. I think this would save a step in in doing this. That being said, if they aren't using the Vanderbilt. Form the Connors form or something else? I mean, they'd be. They may have their own process, so I can't speak for everybody, but. Using. If you're looking at the Vanderbilt form and it's man, this is really seeming like my child has ADHD. That's probably a good sign that you should seek some medical attention for him. 

Speaker 1 

Yeah, good point. So as a parent, sometimes it can be overwhelming and kind of scary too to. And I'll be like, oh, my kid might have this, I think, but really it it's very simple. There's no needles involved, there's no scams, there's nothing. It's really just, hey, I think my kid. Has this. At least this was the experience? That I had. Hey, I think she might have this. We'd love your input and the the pediatrician was, like, great. Here's the forms. Fill this out. Give this to the teacher. Have the teacher fill it out. Bring it back and it was easy so. So it's not scary. It's not difficult. It's not scary for your kid. They really don't even know that it's happening sometimes in the school setting, depending on. What has happened? You know, maybe this can sometimes be triggered by behaviors at school, too, so there might be the school psychologist or the school counselor who would maybe come into the classroom and watch the child and take, like, anecdotal notes and stuff like that, too, which? Could be very helpful. To take to the pediatrician. 

Speaker 2 

Well, right. And also with the with the teacher, I mean they they're probably going to be fairly familiar with filling out these forms and they can also be advocates where you can go to your teacher beforehand and just say, you know, I'm considering take my child to the doctor. Just to see if they have ADHD, do you think this is worthy of my time and that the teacher will be able to tell you? Yeah, I mean, they do seem to be a little more distracted than a lot of the kids or honestly, I don't see any distraction at all at school. I would be very surprised if they had it. Could give you some of you know some additional advice on on kind of what, what steps to take next? 

Speaker 1 

Yeah. So 2 important points there. I hope I don't forget the second one, number one. I mentioned this in the last episode, but I'm in a lot of parenting like ADHD, parenting, Facebook groups, and right now it's back to school time, and there's a lot of chatter about the emails coming home from teachers about kids. But one thing that I see coming up is my kid and it's interesting cuz it sounds like their kid is not actually. Diagnosed, yeah, but my kid. Has been in school for two weeks and the the teachers already sending emails saying that. They're off tasks. They're not following directions, they're just doing all the things that we know, you know, kiddos that struggle with ADHD are doing. But here's what I want to tell you because. And again, This is why. We're doing this podcast is to create the relationship between parent and teacher and not make them on opposite sides. So one thing to know is that your. Child is in a room with probably a minimum of 20 other kids their age, and the teacher is watching age appropriate behavior all day long for 8 hours a day, right? And so they have a lot of really, really good data. Of what looks again normal. Versus what is not typical or normal behavior for that age of child and so when they're writing these emails home? Especially if your child has not been diagnosed yet, they're not doing it in a way to be negative about your kid. It's more of a hey, this is what I'm seeing in the classroom. And I think it might be a good thing to have looked at, right. And so know that know that the teachers. Are not coming at this from like a negative space. It's a. Concern space. 

Speaker 2 

Right. And it's important to know that the teachers themselves can't make this diagnosis, but what they can't do is record their observations. And I mean kind of like you suggested. Like, they're sitting in a in a classroom with, I mean, more than a dozen, most likely in your typical kids and. The the Neurodivergent kids or the kids with ADHD are gonna stand out as, hey, this, this child's gonna need a little extra help. And so oftentimes those emails come from a good place. You know your your child could could benefit from. 

Speaker 1 

Something looking into this more for sure. Yeah. Yeah, so know that. Another thing is is that the earlier your child is diagnosed as far as school setting goes, the better, especially because. You know, early elementary is such a foundation for all of those learning skills. The Reading foundation, right? You've got your phonics education, all of that stuff. You've got the basics of math that's happening. All of those foundations and so. The longer that you put off getting them diagnosed and getting them the help that they. Need. The more. Behind they're going to get because they're not able to focus and get those those foundational skills. So it's from a the teacher point of view, this is super important. That you know. OK, let's get them diagnosed. Let's get them the help that they need so that they don't fall farther and farther. 

Speaker 2 

Behind. Yeah. So we're kind of talking about this delay in diagnosis and definitely like if if the child's having ADHD symptoms. And not being treated, I mean it's it's really doing the child a disservice and if we're delaying this for years and years and years, they're they're spending all these years slowly falling behind in school and not. Not ever really being given the opportunity to be able to make those up. 

Speaker 1 

Just another note is teachers what they can do, they can't say, hey, I think your kid has ADHD. They can't say that to you or hey, I think that you should put your kid on medicine. They can't say that to. You they can say just like I was saying. You might have gotten the e-mail of. Hey, I notice your child is having a hard time focusing on assignments or your child's having a very hard time staying in their seat. Those kind of things. They can say that. They just, you know, they cannot say your child has ADHD. They can't say things like that. 

Speaker 2 

Right. Yeah. And they, I mean, they most likely wouldn't say that and even if they do, they, they can't make that formal diagnosis, no. 

Speaker 1 

Yeah. But like we said it, they are in a classroom full of neurotypical kids. And so they see the difference, for sure. Oh, I remember the other thing that you were. Talking about, you were saying that if the teacher doesn't see anything at all, but then you're seeing stuff at home that made me think of masking. Some kids go to school and they mask though, right? And they can, like, keep it all in at school. But then when they get home, that's when the big meltdowns happen. Because they've been trying to hold it together all day long, and then it's like. Complete fall apart. 

Speaker 2 

Right. And and these kids who mask all day long, I mean, they're they're able to mask a lot of the hyperactivity and they're able to mask like. Some of the inattention, like the outward inattention symptoms others may notice themselves. That being said, it's it's so difficult to mask everything 100% of the time, and it's very difficult to to mask and attention on a task where you don't want to be involved in this. And so even if it's even if it's master, the appearance of others, it's probably not gonna be masked on their. Report card and it's not going mask in in what kind of progression they could make through their education. 

Speaker 1 

Yeah. So. This is something that teachers need to be looking for is are those kiddos masking? Are they the inattentive type that they're not getting in trouble? They're quiet, you know, and so then it may just look like I had a girl in my class, for example, and I knew that she was definitely. Inattentive. I brought it up to the parents. Hey, she's having a really hard time paying attention, that kind of stuff. But she could have totally just flown under the radar. She was. A good, quiet girl. She didn't bug anyone, but she could not pay attention and therefore she was falling behind in reading and stuff like that because she couldn't pay attention to the instruction that was happening. And so you've just got to watch for those kiddos that. Don't show the hyperactivity side of it. They're more the quiet or masking, which we can do and talk about masking in another episode, but that's where they literally like, you know, think about putting on a mask. They're just covering the symptoms. To try to fit in with their peers. OK, another thing that I actually just heard this recently, which I thought was so interesting because I think it's because I'm married to you, that I'm. I'm like, wow, that was so interesting. I would never think that I am the type of mom I want people to know. Hey, my child has ADHD and I tried to do it in a way like if she doesn't want me to say it then I won't. But like I definitely want parents or teachers to. You know. So then they can, you know, help her and be aware. So I never realized this. But one fear that parents have is labeling their kid and then having a stigma because their child has this diagnosis of ADHD. 

Speaker 2 

A diagnosis doesn't put your child in a box. It's it's really opening up doors. And there should be very little, if any, stigma associated from from anybody with the ADHD diagnosis. This is one of the most incredibly common diagnosis, and it's one where highly successful people have ADHD. They're celebrities with ADHD. There's politicians with ADHD, there's sports figures with ADHD. It's. It's not something that that should be really stigmatized at all, but more something that should. People should be made aware of and something that we, I mean, it's pretty easy to make the commendations for this. 

Speaker 1 

Yeah. And at school, it definitely opens that the doors to, you know, 504 plans and iep's and those extra supports put in place to help your kids life be easier than having to struggle all the way through. So. And a lot of times without this diagnosis and those kids. Fell through the cracks because they don't get the support and help that they need. Is. They don't have that. So Russell Barkley, who I brought up in the last episode, which will probably bring up a lot because he's a. Psychologist. Who's like life work is about ADHD, but he said a precise label allows access to special education laws and protections under the ADA. Without it, many lose these hard won rights. And it's very true that, you know, and this is another reason I put, you know, I got my daughter a 504 last year. She didn't have one in Kinder, first or first, but for 2nd grade because I knew, you know, third grade, it becomes harder in Tennessee. They have crazy laws about testing in 3rd grade. So I was like, I'm going to get out around a 504 just to put those protections in place. 

Speaker 2 

Really, one thing with this diagnosis is something that we all. And to do is avoid avoid the testing things like this and it's like, oh, if I don't get my labs drawn, then I clearly don't have diabetes. I don't have thyroid problems I don't have. Whatever, and we avoid just going to the doctors with the hopes that I don't actually have. This. But regardless, if you get the diagnosis or not, the symptoms are still going to be present and you're you're just doing a disservice by not pursuing that diagnosis. 

Speaker 1 

So if you've been on the fence about getting a diagnosis, getting your child tested, remember. There's no needles involved, so there won't. Be. Crying. Remember, this is a diagnosis. It's not a judgement. It's not a judgment about you. You're parenting. Your kid, it's really just a diagnosis. Like you said, like anything else. Like, if your child had. The symptoms of diabetes would you be like? I'm not getting them tested because I don't want. Them to go to school and. Have the school thinking they have diabetes. No, you would get that the test because you want them to have the help that they need so they can live the best life that they can, right? Same thing with this. It's all about. Once you know this, then there's clarity around it. There's you can find resources like this podcast right? And you can get support for your child and help them thrive. 

Speaker 2 

Right. And the earlier get the clarity, the sooner you can put the right tools and strategies in place and also know that that pursuing this diagnosis is really what you're looking for is is just a test to get some of that clarity. And when people come into the hospital and it's like she's. It's something just seems a little off, like nothing's quite making sense. This is when when doctors order all the tests when the X-rays come and the the labs come and things like that. And this ADHD assessment is just one more of those tools. So when a kid comes in with cheese, he's really anxious. Let's just let's do an 88 assessment. Just in Case No suspicion, but just in case because I mean, it's literally free. 

Speaker 1 

Yeah, it doesn't cost you any money. There's no extra. Like I said, no needles, no labs, no, nothing like that involved. It doesn't. It's not like a CT scan or brain scan. It's just literally some paperwork that you have people fill out. So it's really simple and. Easy. And you know. You either friend out yes or no, and if it's a yes, you can start putting the supports in place and get your kid to help that they need. So if this episode helped, we would love for you to leave a review. Because the more reviews we get, the more that this podcast gets spread out to all the people. We want to help all the parents and teachers. We can so leave a review, hit, subscribe and share it with another parent or teacher who might be struggling with these same questions. And in the next episode. We're going to be diving into back to school behavior tips because. I said I've been. Lots of people are getting all of the emails, all of the texts and the phone calls. I've been there with you. So we're gonna talk about behavior, tips back to school behavior tips. So see you in the next. 

Speaker 2 

Thanks so much for joining us for today's conversation on raising ADHD. Remember raising ADHD kids doesn't have to feel overwhelming. Small shifts can make a big difference. If you found this episode helpful, it would mean the world if you would hit subscribe, if you would leave a review or if you shared it with another parent or teacher who needs this support. And don't forget to join us next week for more real talk, practical tips and encouragement. Until then, you've got this and we've got your back.