Pediatricians, are you and your staff overwhelmed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis, Evaluation and Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Children and Adolescents? 

We understand!  The diagnosis and management of ADHD in children and youth is especially challenging for you because of the limited payment provided for what requires more time than most of the other conditions pediatricians typically address. The procedures recommended in the AAP guidelines necessitate spending more time with patients and families, developing a system of contacts with school and other personnel, and providing continuous, coordinated care, all of which is time demanding.

We can help.  We have over 20 years of experience collaborating with pediatricians, psychiatrists, and developmental pediatricians to serve children, teens, and families struggling with attention disorders and we want to partner with you to help meet the needs of your patients as recommended in the AAP Action Statements.

AAP Action Statement 1 suggests that you should initiate an evaluation for ADHD for any patient 4 through 18 years of age who presents with academic or behavioral problems and symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, or impulsivity. 

Our secure website (www.pedia-partner.com) allows you or your staff to quickly and easily initiate our evaluation services.  In 10 minutes or less, your staff can provide the information we need to get started.  With your permission, we contact the family and keep you informed of progress in the evaluation process.  Once the evaluation is complete, we provide you and the patient’s family a complete report outlining diagnoses and recommendations.

AAP Action Statements 2 and 3 outline criteria to make a diagnosis of ADHD, rule out any alternative cause, and assess for other coexisting conditions.

Our assessment meets the research-based criteria established by the AAP including clinical interview with the individual and family, obtaining information about school functioning, and review of the medical, psychosocial, and family history.

We conduct a thorough clinical interview and ask the child/teen’s educators to complete the Child Behavior Checklist in order to achieve these two goals.

• Rule out any possible alternative cause for your patient’s symptoms.
• Assess for other conditions that might coexist with ADHD, including emotional or behavioral (eg, anxiety, depressive, oppositional defiant, and conduct disorders), developmental (eg, learning and language disorders or other neurodevelopmental disorders), and physical (eg, tics, sleep apnea) conditions.

AAP Action Statement 4 recommends following the principles of the chronic care model for those patients who are diagnosed with ADHD. 

This AAP action statement suggests an important part of ongoing care is bidirectional communication with teachers, school and mental health professionals, parents, and patients.  We are happy to partner with you to help families negotiate systems and collaborate with professionals in order to ensure your patient’s needs are met.  We keep you informed of this collaborative process by secure e-mail on an as needed basis.

AAP Action Statement 5 recommends treatment of children and youth with ADHD include evidence-based parent- and/or teacher-administered behavior therapy.  

We provide evidence-based parent behavior training as outlined in the AAP guidelines.  We utilize the parent training program developed for ADHD children and teens by Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D. and Arthur L. Robin, Ph.D. As outlined in Dr. Barkley’s book Taking Charge of ADHD, this approach has over 30 years of research supporting its effectiveness with all types of families.

We also provide evidence-based recommendations to help teachers manage and accommodate the child/teen’s needs in the classroom setting.  We utilize the research-based educational care recommendations of DSM-V committee member Rosemary Tannock, Ph.D. and her staff of the Brain and Behavior Center at the University of Toronto.   Using this information, we collaborate with parents and educators to ensure the patient’s school environment, placement, and programs are appropriate to meet his or her needs.

AAP Action Statement 6 recommends that the primary care clinician should titrate doses of medication for ADHD to achieve maximum benefit with minimum adverse effects

We are happy to gather and analyze information from parents and teachers on a regular basis in order to help you monitor the effectiveness of medication prescribed for ADHD in order to help you achieve this important goal.

How do we get started?

Go to our secure website, www.pedia-partner.com  to register your information.  Once you are registered, you will receive a password so that your staff can use this site to enter information about the patients you refer to us.

We are committed to collaborative, compassionate, and complete care

Because we know you prefer to provide your patients the best possible care, we are committed to collaborating with you in order to meet the unique needs of each child, adolescent, and family you refer.

Members: If you are already a member, click here to enter the password protected Pedia-Partner site.

Sign-up: If you are interested in becoming a member, click here to sign up today.

Pedia-Partner (c) 2012, Monte W. Davenport, Ph.D.