How to get your child tested for add

Symptoms and Diagnosis of ADHD

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Deciding if a child has ADHD is a process with several steps. This page gives you an overview of how ADHD is diagnosed. There is no single test to diagnose ADHD, and many other problems, like sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, and certain types of learning disabilities, can have similar symptoms.

If you are concerned about whether a child might have ADHD, the first step is to talk with a healthcare provider to find out if the symptoms fit the diagnosis. The diagnosis can be made by a mental health professional, like a psychologist or psychiatrist, or by a primary care provider, like a pediatrician.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that healthcare providers ask parents, teachers, and other adults who care for the child about the child’s behavior in different settings, like at home, school, or with peers. Read more about the recommendations.

The healthcare provider should also determine whether the child has another condition that can either explain the symptoms better, or that occurs at the same time as ADHD. Read more about other concerns and conditions.

Why Family Health History is Important if Your Child has Attention and Learning Problems

How is ADHD diagnosed?

Healthcare providers use the guidelines in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth edition (DSM-5)¹, to help diagnose ADHD. This diagnostic standard helps ensure that people are appropriately diagnosed and treated for ADHD. Using the same standard across communities can also help determine how many children have ADHD, and how public health is impacted by this condition.

Here are the criteria in shortened form. Please note that they are presented just for your information. Only trained healthcare providers can diagnose or treat ADHD.

Get information and support from the National Resource Center on ADHD

DSM-5 Criteria for ADHD

People with ADHD show a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity–impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development:

Inattention: Six or more symptoms of inattention for children up to age 16 years, or five or more for adolescents age 17 years and older and adults; symptoms of inattention have been present for at least 6 months, and they are inappropriate for developmental level:
- Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, at work, or with other activities.
- Often has trouble holding attention on tasks or play activities.
- Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly.
- Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (e.g., loses focus, side-tracked).
- Often has trouble organizing tasks and activities.
- Often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to do tasks that require mental effort over a long period of time (such as schoolwork or homework).
- Often loses things necessary for tasks and activities (e.g. school materials, pencils, books, tools, wallets, keys, paperwork, eyeglasses, mobile telephones).
- Is often easily distracted
- Is often forgetful in daily activities.
Hyperactivity and Impulsivity: Six or more symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity for children up to age 16 years, or five or more for adolescents age 17 years and older and adults; symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity have been present for at least 6 months to an extent that is disruptive and inappropriate for the person’s developmental level:
- Often fidgets with or taps hands or feet, or squirms in seat.
- Often leaves seat in situations when remaining seated is expected.
- Often runs about or climbs in situations where it is not appropriate (adolescents or adults may be limited to feeling restless).
- Often unable to play or take part in leisure activities quietly.
- Is often “on the go” acting as if “driven by a motor”.
- Often talks excessively.
- Often blurts out an answer before a question has been completed.
- Often has trouble waiting their turn.
- Often interrupts or intrudes on others (e.g., butts into conversations or games)

In addition, the following conditions must be met:

Several inattentive or hyperactive-impulsive symptoms were present before age 12 years.
Several symptoms are present in two or more settings, (such as at home, school or work; with friends or relatives; in other activities).
There is clear evidence that the symptoms interfere with, or reduce the quality of, social, school, or work functioning.
The symptoms are not better explained by another mental disorder (such as a mood disorder, anxiety disorder, dissociative disorder, or a personality disorder). The symptoms do not happen only during the course of schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder.

Based on the types of symptoms, three kinds (presentations) of ADHD can occur:

Combined Presentation: if enough symptoms of both criteria inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity were present for the past 6 months
Predominantly Inattentive Presentation: if enough symptoms of inattention, but not hyperactivity-impulsivity, were present for the past six months
Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation: if enough symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity, but not inattention, were present for the past six months.

Because symptoms can change over time, the presentation may change over time as well.

Diagnosing ADHD in Adults

ADHD often lasts into adulthood. To diagnose ADHD in adults and adolescents age 17 years or older, only 5 symptoms are needed instead of the 6 needed for younger children. Symptoms might look different at older ages. For example, in adults, hyperactivity may appear as extreme restlessness or wearing others out with their activity.

For more information about diagnosis and treatment throughout the lifespan, please visit the websites of the National Resource Center on ADHD and the National Institutes of Mental Health.

Reference

American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition. Arlington, VA., American Psychiatric Association, 2013.

How to Prepare for Your Pediatrician Visit

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

But teachers can’t diagnose ADHD. If you suspect that your child might have it, start with a visit to their pediatrician. It’s especially helpful to see a doctor who has special training to diagnose and treat ADHD and learning disabilities. Or you might be referred to a mental health professional, like a psychiatrist or psychologist.

How to Get Ready for the Appointment

Gather some key information to help your pediatrician or specialist make a diagnosis.

Make lists of any:

Symptoms or troubles that your child has at home and school
Recent life changes or big, stressful events they’ve gone through
Other health conditions
Medications, vitamins, herbs, or other supplements they take. Note the dose and how often they take it.

Round up your child’s recent school report cards and the results of any formal tests or evaluations that you’ve had them take, too.

Make a list of questions for the pediatrician or mental health specialist. For instance, you could ask what psychological tests your child might need, and whether something other than ADHD might be causing their symptoms.

You can expect the doctor or specialist to ask you questions, too. They’ll want to know things like:

When did your child start having symptoms?
Do they have behavior issues in certain situations or all of the time?
How severe are these issues at home and at school?
How does your child’s behavior affect them and the rest of your family?
Have any other close relatives been diagnosed with ADHD? The condition can run in families.

The doctor or specialist may also ask you about your child’s daily routine, grades at school, sleeping habits, and more. They may have you fill in a checklist or a rating scale about your child's behavior.

What to Expect in an ADHD Evaluation

Your pediatrician or specialist will need to put together information that they get from you, your child's school, and your child's medical records. This information will help rule out other possible causes of their behavior.

The pediatrician or specialist should learn as much as possible about your child's behavior. They will talk with you, your child, their teachers, and possibly with other adults who are part of your little one’s life, like tutors or coaches.

They should also ask you and your child's teachers to fill out standardized evaluation forms. If possible, they may also observe your child in their classroom.

They may recommend an evaluation that checks on your little one’s education and classroom needs, too. This is called a psychoeducational evaluation. It’s used to diagnose ADHD and learning disabilities like dyslexia.

It includes:

IQ testing
Achievement testing
Measures of their attention, memory, and more

The pediatrician or specialist might also suggest doing a brain scan that can help diagnose childhood ADHD. It’s called the NEBA System, and it’s FDA-approved for children 6 to 17 years old. It’s meant to be just one part of a complete medical and psychological exam.

The scan measures theta and beta brain waves. Some research shows that kids and teens with ADHD have a higher ratio of theta-to-beta waves than children without the disorder.

If the evaluation process leads to an ADHD diagnosis, your pediatrician or specialist should tell you the specific type of ADHD your child has. They should also help you build a treatment plan to take charge of the symptoms.

In most cases, an ADHD treatment plan will involve both ADHD medication and behavioral therapy.

Medication can ease ADHD symptoms. Therapy can help your child practice good habits. For instance, therapists can help parents create a program of rewards for good behavior and consequences for bad behavior. Or they can set up a system to help an inattentive child get organized.

Have your child’s doctor or ADHD specialist explain what treatments might help and which ones they’d recommend. If they suggest medication, ask what the possible side effects are. You can also ask if there’s a less-expensive generic version of the drug.

Sometimes your child’s school can help with accommodations to your child’s learning and testing environment. If you choose treatment with ADHD medication you will need a prescription and follow-up from a medical doctor (such as your pediatrician, a pediatric psychiatrist, or a neurologist).

Some children diagnosed with ADHD may also be experiencing depression or anxiety. In such cases, therapy is often recommended as part of the treatment plan.

What You Can Do Now

If you’re thinking about having your child evaluated for ADHD or you’re waiting for an appointment to get the process started, you can do several things to help your little one right away:

Set up a schedule. Your child should have the same routine every day, with time for homework and play included. Post this schedule somewhere they can easily see it at home.
Be clear about expectations. Make sure your child knows what you expect. Be consistent with consequences if they don’t meet those expectations. At the same time, be quick to reward them when they follow your rules.
Praise your child for good behavior, rather than nagging and criticizing them.
Help them organize everyday items. Work with them on finding a place for everything. This includes clothing, backpacks, and school supplies.
Jog your child's memory. The same system you use to remember tasks or appointments -- a watch alarm, lists, sticky notes, or a calendar -- may work for your child. Find a system that helps them remember appointments, chores, school assignments, and so on.
Set a good example. When you're with your child, manage your own emotions the way you want them to control theirs.

how to get a certificate for additional education for children, activate and find out the number

Elena Maksimova

issued a PFDO certificate for a child

Author profile

My son graduated from the third grade. Since the new academic year, I wanted to enroll him in English at an educational center.

But they warned me: I would have to dispose of a certificate for additional education in favor of the center.

I had never heard of such certificates before. It turned out that they have already been introduced in many regions, including here, in the Arkhangelsk region. A certificate is required for every child aged 5-17. The state transfers money to it to pay for additional education: circles, studios and sections. According to the certificate, the child will be able to visit them for free.

In the article I will tell you what certificates give, and describe step by step how I got one for my child and how I disposed of it.

What is the PFDO program

Free children's clubs have always been funded by the state. The palaces of creativity planned how many children would enroll in a circle, and received money for a full group, for example, for 10 people. But then fewer children were enrolled in an unpopular circle, for example, only 4 children, and there were more empty seats than needed. At the same time, paid circles were expensive: for example, for a year of my youngest son’s classes in a robotics circle, I gave 21,600 rubles.

But in 2019-2024, the Ministry of Education is conducting a special project, which includes the PFDO program - personalized financing of additional education. According to it, the state will not transfer money directly to circles, but to each child for a special certificate, and parents will be able to pay for their classes.

PDO group on Vkontakte

Under this system, the free circle will receive state money for those children who actually go there, and not for those whom the management planned to attract, but could not. If the club organizers want more money, they will have to change the program so that more children can sign up.

Paid mugs will be able to become free to accept money for this certificate if they pass government verification. That is, they will prove that they have a quality curriculum and experienced teachers. After that, they will be included in the register of educational programs and it will also be possible to pay for them with a PFDO certificate.

How to get a PFD certificate in Arkhangelsk

As of February 4, 2022, 75 regions participate in PFD. Until the end of 2024, the rest will also join.

Each participating region has a program navigator site. There you can issue a certificate and enroll your child in circles and sections. Some navigators are based on the PDO website, others are based on Inlearno. You won’t know where yours is in advance - you will have to look for your region both there and there.

How the PFDO certificate works

The PFDO certificate is electronic - it does not have a paper form. It is personalized and assigned to every citizen of the Russian Federation aged 5 to 17 inclusive. With its help, the state pays for classes in circles where the child has enrolled. The main thing is that they pass the state check.

Order of the Ministry of Education of Russia dated September 3, 2019

City municipalities themselves determine how they will conduct the PFDO program. They decide how much money to allocate for it and how much each child will get in the new school year.

Decrees on PFDO:
in the Moscow region,
in the Leningrad region,
in the Arkhangelsk region

Each region may have its own list of destinations that will be paid with certificates. For example, in the Moscow region it is technical, artistic, physical culture and sports, military patriotic, natural science, cultural and social and pedagogical. These include circles on the basics of programming, speech development, sports tourism, entertaining ecology, intellectual games, and others.

The certificate has a face value - the amount that can be spent on additional education in the next academic year. It is replenished every academic semester. The denomination depends on the budget of a particular city. For example, in Balakovo, Saratov Region, 2191.6 RUR was allocated for September-December 2019. And in Syktyvkar in the Komi Republic in September-December 2018, the nominal amount was 4163. 7 RUR.

The price of classes in each circle is determined by officials. It is called the standard cost of educational services. When a child enrolls in a circle, funds are deducted from the certificate as payment. There may be several circles. If there is not enough money on the certificate for everything, parents will have to pay the rest of the amount themselves.

I have friends in Bratsk, Irkutsk region. From January to May 2020, the nominal value of the certificate was approximately 9800 R. English cost 1250 R per month, and individual violin lessons - 1650 R. The cost of two circles for 5 months turned out to be 14 500 R. The nominal value of the certificate for this was not enough, and my friends paid 4700 R themselves.

In Urai, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, from September to December 2017, the face value of the certificate was 11,623.52 R. I don’t know how much it was in 2019year, but I know the cost of mugs at this time. If the denomination remained the same, then it would be enough for a short course in robotics for 5030 R, but it would not be possible to pay them a full course for 30,530 R.

The certificate cannot be cashed. If the child does not attend any circle or goes only to paid ones, the money will be returned to the state budget.

PFD certificate comic PDF, 2.8 MB

How I got a PFD certificate for a child

The certificate is issued once and is valid until the child is 18 years old. I live in Arkhangelsk. I issued the certificate online on the navigator for additional education in the Arkhangelsk region. You can do it in person at one of the schools or gymnasiums from the list in the navigator. But the Internet is more convenient for me.

How to get a PDO certificate - video on YouTube

Here's what I did for this:

I registered in the navigator and confirmed my email. After that, she got access to the parent's personal account.
In my personal account, I indicated the last name, first name, patronymic and date of birth of the child.
Sent an application for a certificate. A few days later I saw that he was assigned a number. This meant that we already had the certificate, but now we need to activate it.

To register, I indicated my last name, first name, patronymic, phone number and e-mail I confirmed the mail and received a link to the parent's personal account In my personal account, I simply clicked the "Get certificate" button

How I activated the certificate educational institution in your city. When I clicked the "Activate Certificate" button, a list of children's centers, schools and gymnasiums appeared. My son's gymnasium was also there. I was going to take the documents there, but the class teacher said that you can submit them remotely.

Here are the documents needed:

A copy of my son's birth certificate.
SNILS son.
Application to be included in the PFDO system.
Consent to the processing of personal data.

The school already had a copy of the birth certificate. I sent the rest of the documents as scans to the class teacher. Three working days later, a note appeared in the personal account that the certificate was activated. But I didn’t see the denomination - I had to request it separately. I'll tell you more about this.

/prava/school/

Parental rights at school

In 2022, navigators in the regions work differently. For example, in the Arkhangelsk region, you can enter your personal account through public services and not register separately. In the Leningrad and Omsk regions, you need to fill in all the fields on the site.

Parent's passport or other identification may be required for activation.

I clicked on the “Activate certificate” button and saw a list of organizations where you can do this After activation, the status of the certificate in my account has changed In the application for inclusion in the PFDO program, you need to confirm that you know its rules

How I paid for the circle with a certificate

In August 2020, before the start of the school year, a list of all circles in our city appeared in the navigator. I asked in the search for the municipality, the direction of study, age and the ability to pay with a certificate. And I quickly found the right English circle in the list. He had already passed all the checks, and classes could be paid for with a certificate.

On the page of the circle there was a schedule of classes, the number of free places and cost. Lessons lasting 45 minutes were to be held once a week. Subscription for the first half of the year cost 1091.7 R, and for the entire two-year course - 4366.8 R.

/dance/

English, I saw the schedule, the number of children in the group and other useful information. This is convenient: you could immediately figure out when you would have to take your child there.

I pressed the "Sign up" button, and the application went to the educational center. At the same time, I still did not know the value of the certificate. But I hoped that the money would be enough for the first half of the year. To find out the denomination, I requested it in a separate application on the child's page.

The first application was considered for 3 business days. The center checked whether my son had a certificate and invited me to come. There I filled out two applications - for teaching a child in PFDO and for determining a certificate. She also signed an agreement with the center for the provision of educational services.

By this time, the municipality had also considered the second application. The amount appeared in the personal account - 2800 R. Of these, 1091 R have already been reserved for the English circle.

While my son is studying, 60.65 rubles are deducted from the certificate every month. And if he quits the circle, I will write an application for deduction, and the money will no longer go to the center.

In 2022, money is also credited to the certificate account in different ways. In Arkhangelsk, the account is replenished only after the parent signs an agreement with the educational organization. Exactly the amount that is indicated will come, if it does not exceed the set face value. For example, six months of classes cost 12,000 R, and the face value is 15,000 R. Therefore, 12,000 R will be credited to the account. There will be no more “extra” money on the certificate.

At the same time, in other regions, the accrual system may be different - you will have to find out about this from your regional operator.

I tracked the status of the application in the "History of applications" menu. First it was written “new”, and then “studying” We could spend another 1708 R to pay for other courses. But we didn’t do this, and the money returned to the budget

What you need to know about the PFDO certificate aged 5 to 17 years inclusive. He must be a citizen of the Russian Federation.

To issue a certificate, you need to find your region on the PDO or Inlearno portal and go to the desired navigator site, register, confirm your email and fill out an electronic application.

In a few days, the certificate will be issued and its number will appear in your personal account.

The certificate needs to be activated. In your personal account there is a list of schools and educational centers where you can do this. There you need to take or send a copy of the passport or birth certificate of the child, an application for inclusion in the PFDO system and consent to the processing of personal data. After three business days, the certificate will be activated.

To pay for a circle with a certificate, you need to select it from the list in your personal account, fill out an application, and then come to the educational center and sign an agreement. Money from the certificate will be credited to the center's account every month.

If the child does not like it in the circle, you need to write an application for deduction, otherwise the money from the certificate will continue to be debited.

Parents about additional education certificate - Kindergarten №101

What is an additional education certificate?

Certificate of additional education is an official confirmation of the child's ability to study in circles and sections of additional education at the expense of the state. The certificate itself is not material and the only important thing is that the child is included in a special register - the register of certificates of additional education. The presence of information in the register about the receipt of a certificate by a child is a signal to the state that it is necessary to pay for his education. That is, the certificate is, in fact, a tool for realizing the "right" of children to receive free additional education.

What is the additional education certificate for?

What we know to be free is paid for by someone else and remains free for us as long as it is consistently paid for.

Despite the importance of additional education, recognized, including at the highest level, neither the Russian Constitution nor any of the federal laws enshrined our rights to receive additional education free of charge. No one will take away the right to education as such, but the state is not obliged to pay for additional education. So what does this mean in practice? After all, today we can enroll in free clubs without any certificates.

Indeed, the current system of additional education implies that there is at least one institution in the municipality where we can come and enroll for free. But today it is this institution that determines what kind of circles they will be, and we sign up where there are places left. If we do not sign up, there will be someone who will sign up for us. As a result, the circle will still be filled (often due to postscripts). After all, the state does not owe us anything directly, it simply finances the activities of the institution. But the essence of additional education is not to give development opportunities only to those children whose interests coincide with the directions of the institution's work, but to take into account the needs of all children and give them the opportunity for individual development. The most striking illustration of the absurdity of today is the situation when children study in paid circles and sections or in private organizations, at a time when free circles are not in demand by them. It is good when a family has money for education in a private organization, it is bad when the education that a child needs is given only where it is necessary to pay for it.

How does a certificate work? Specifying in it that the certificate is nominal. Giving a certificate to a child is intended to change the situation described above. Indeed, for an institution, a certificate is money that it can earn only when it interests a child to come to study with him. If a child wants to go to another organization to study, then the institution will lose money along with him. All this is designed to stimulate institutions to develop, taking into account the modern needs of children.

Imagine that your family budget has planned expenses for additional education for your child. Will you give them to an institution just because good people work there, or, by paying for their work, will you expect them to still give your child a quality education? And, if you have a choice between organizations, including private ones, will you really put the interests of the institution, and not the child, at the forefront? The answers of the state to these two questions change when the certificate of additional education is introduced.

So, a personal certificate of additional education is your money, which you can spend exclusively on the education of your child. The state, providing you with a certificate, guarantees you free access to additional education in the amount determined by the certificate. At the same time, as Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin noted at the end of 2014: no matter what you choose, “the main thing is that the child, the parents should have a choice: to receive additional education on the basis of a school, or in a municipal creative center, or in a non-state educational organization so that it is accessible and that really well-trained specialists work with children.

What does the Continuing Education Certificate provide and how can I use it?

Certificate of additional education is used by parents to choose and enroll in circles and sections offered by various organizations and even individual entrepreneurs, at no cost to the family budget. The certificate can be used to enroll in programs included in the regional navigator https://25.pfdo.ru/. Municipal and state organizations are required to enroll children under a certificate, private organizations are also entitled to accept certificates as payment under education agreements.

When you receive a certificate, you also get access to the personal account of the information system https://25.pfdo.ru/, which, in fact, is your access to your personal account. When choosing circles and sections, you use the available free "enrollments" and / or money directly assigned to your certificate, which can be used to pay for additional education received by children in municipal and private organizations. Organizations interested in additional education for children undergo independent certification of programs and are included in the register of educational service providers, which is displayed in your personal account. You just have to choose among them. And based on the results of the child's education, evaluate the chosen program. Thanks to you, the program registry will include the best organizations offering high-quality and interesting programs.

At the same time, due to the circumstances set out above, enrollment in municipal circles and sections without using a certificate will not be carried out from September 2021. But do not worry about this circumstance - you can always get a certificate as soon as you decide to apply for training.

How to get a certificate of additional education?

A certificate is not a “ticket” to an educational organization, it is enough to get it for a child once. Further, you can use the certificate until the child reaches the age of eighteen, but once you still need to get a certificate. You can do this in one of two ways:

Come to the department of education or an educational institution or other organization authorized to accept applications for a certificate, with a passport, birth certificate of a child, documents confirming a special category (if available). Fill out an application on the spot and receive confirmation of the certificate being entered into the register.

Information on which institutions can apply for a certificate, required documents, the application form is available on the portal https://25.pfdo.ru/, on the official websites of municipal educational institutions and education departments.

Fill out an electronic application for a certificate on the portal https://25.pfdo.ru/, select an educational program, submit an electronic application and, together with an application for enrollment, submit a signed application for a certificate to the selected educational organization.

Directly on the portal https://25. pfdo.ru/ there is a link to the state resource for registering applications for obtaining a certificate of additional education. By clicking on the link, you can send an electronic application for a certificate, after which confirmation of registration of the application, as well as details for accessing the personal account of the system https://25.pfdo.ru/, will be sent to your e-mail. From this moment on, you can use the certificate assigned to your child and even apply for enrollment in circles and sections on an equal basis with other families who have already received a certificate.

However, in order for the organization to accept your application, you must activate the certificate. Therefore, when enrolling for the first time, along with the application for enrollment, do not forget to provide the organization with an application for a certificate (the one that the information system will generate for you when submitting an electronic application). The organization itself will check your data and send the application to the Department of Education so that the latter activates your certificate.