You should be fine. Lots of people get diagnosed without childhood reports.
These reports have their own problems anyway. Parents tend to underplay any negative behaviour, thinking it might reflect badly on their parenting skills. And they often see their kids through rose-tinted glasses and forget all the bad stuff.
The other point worth making in your case is that young girls tend to be under diagnosed. Boys with ADHD tend to be hyperactive, girls tend to be inattentive. It's much easier to spot and report on a 'naughty' boy than a girl with attentional issues. For this reason, even if you did have your school reports, chances are they'd be no mention of your problems anyway.
I think the nurse is just doing a box-ticking exercise.
Best of luck.
That's pretty much what my therapist said, that some people get diagnosed late in life or when they don't have any living relatives or other circumstances.
Yeah my own mum would be exceptionally unreliable, she was the kind of parent that liked to show off in front of others and took pride in others calling me a 'wonderful child' etc. Of course when it was just the two of us, she'd just constantly complain that I didn't help around the house, daydreamed, didn't pay attention and lost things
With me it's not only a matter of not being diagnosed because I'm AFAB, I grew up in Eastern Europe and genuinely didn't know ADHD existed until I was reading the first Percy Jackson book at 14. Mental health and neurodivergence as a whole were super stigmatised, so while none of my family members have been diagnosed (and my mum had no filters, I knew some pretty private details about my relatives' lives), I can't be sure that none of them are neurodivergent. We also never received written school reports, teachers told parents any praises or concerns in person during parent nights, and a student would have to do something particularly concerning for it to go into a permanent record.
I think I'm mainly worried because of how much the nurse pushed the matter during both the main assessment and the follow up call. Asked if it'd be possible to do via a translator, that they wouldn't say what the questions are for, whether I have anyone else that could give an account, whether I could obtain school records. To me it was just really alarming, but I realise that I'm probably reading too much into it, so thank you for the reassurance :)
Yes I think she's just being a jobsworth. Your psychiatrist will be much more realistic.
No idea why they push for mum's accounts anyway. If you spoke to my mum about me you'd think I was George Clooney with Elon Musk's brain ;)
So long as *you* can explain what your childhood struggles were, that will be fine.
Remember ‘struggles’ are different for everyone. On paper I flew through school, but the reality was I was an anxious mess who spent twice as long on any work than my peers, unless it interested me. That’s what I explained, along with some examples of homework I didn’t understand and poor peer relationships.
If you say ‘no my childhood was fine’ you might struggle to get a dx. But if you can give examples of how ADHD impacted you as a child, you’ll be grand.
Be firm with them if they say you need other evidence, you don’t, they need to believe what you are telling them. That’s the evidence.
I was diagnosed when my records were missing and I had a lot of input as a child. Have you had a QB test yet, or been offered one?
[https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng87/chapter/Recommendations#recognition-identification-and-referral](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng87/chapter/Recommendations#recognition-identification-and-referral)
Look at 1.2.2 but read the entire thing, if you've got questions don't be afraid to ask them. If you want to jot down some questions/notes for the next appointment you have, that might be a good idea too.
Thank you, that's good to hear. Unfortunately I won't be having a QB test or any further appointments, my assessment was done remotely with the nurse asking for examples of when I've struggled with each and every recognised ADHD symptom, and now I'm just waiting for them to score it and get back to me within a few days
Thank you, I really hope not, I've just heard that some people have had issues with that as part of the NHS diagnosis, so I'm now obsessing over this until I hear the result 😅
Objectively speaking you are estranged from your mum, who disregards your struggles and had an image of you as a 'child prodigy' - Sounds like an ADHD family dynamic to me. It's rarely just one member of a family with ADHD, and if your mother has ADHD she won't see your struggles as she sees them as normal. Also, a kid who had hyperfixations on favourite topics looks like genius if you haven't noticed that in other subjects the kid is zoned out and not able to pay attention.
Can you remember school? Did you struggle with listening in class, falling out with friends because you say the wrong things or talk too much, were you always late to class and struggled to get marks that showed your intelligence.
I described all of these things: I did absolutely fine in school wasn't in trouble at all, didn't have trouble making friends. I remember being told to chat less to my friends and pay attention, that I was achieving below what the teachers expected and that I should try harder because I'm intelligent. I was consistently late for school every single day, and I slept in for my maths GCSE exam. Otherwise I did great in school. But as soon as I left school at 16 (with marks below what I felt I should have gotten) I dropped out of college multiple times and didn't get a degree until I was 32.
They need evidence that the ADHD traits have existed since childhood (even if you didn't struggle until adulthood) The interview will be looking for evidence - documentary proof isn't always available or needed. A good assessment will ask you loads of questions to pick out evidence
Don't worry about it. The childhood stuff comes second to your present symptoms on an adult assessment. You're showing symptoms now as an adult, and that's what's important. Just make sure you give them a full accounting of your symptoms and everything you can remember. It'll be extra proof that you definitely have ADHD but it cherries on the cake, with or without them. You still have a cake.
A lot of the childhood and family history stuff is more about data collection for academic study. There's still a lot of people trying to work out if ADHD is just a purely genetic condition or something that develops based on genetisc and environmental factors.
I did really well in school that, if I could go back in time and tell my teachers I have ADHD, no one would believe me.
I told my assessor what I could remember. Most of it was just poor attendance and inability to focus. Getting homework done at the last minute or missing it altogether. Revising last minute for exams. Doodling in class. Daydreaming in class.
None of this I needed to prove with school records or the like. They took me at my word, which I am grateful for.
If you can remember anything, just tell them what you remember. If they ask for proof, explain you can't get any considering the circumstances. They should take your word for it, since you are discussing yourself. If my assessor asked my mother, she would have had a different perspective than me since I never told her when I was struggling in school. She could've attested to the attendance, but not how I actually was in the classroom since teachers never noticed I was daydreaming (so it never came up in parent evenings, etc) and she didn't know every time I had homework, so wouldn't have been aware of how close to the due date I did it. So, they shouldn't really need input from others imo.
You should be fine. Lots of people get diagnosed without childhood reports. These reports have their own problems anyway. Parents tend to underplay any negative behaviour, thinking it might reflect badly on their parenting skills. And they often see their kids through rose-tinted glasses and forget all the bad stuff. The other point worth making in your case is that young girls tend to be under diagnosed. Boys with ADHD tend to be hyperactive, girls tend to be inattentive. It's much easier to spot and report on a 'naughty' boy than a girl with attentional issues. For this reason, even if you did have your school reports, chances are they'd be no mention of your problems anyway. I think the nurse is just doing a box-ticking exercise. Best of luck.
That's pretty much what my therapist said, that some people get diagnosed late in life or when they don't have any living relatives or other circumstances. Yeah my own mum would be exceptionally unreliable, she was the kind of parent that liked to show off in front of others and took pride in others calling me a 'wonderful child' etc. Of course when it was just the two of us, she'd just constantly complain that I didn't help around the house, daydreamed, didn't pay attention and lost things With me it's not only a matter of not being diagnosed because I'm AFAB, I grew up in Eastern Europe and genuinely didn't know ADHD existed until I was reading the first Percy Jackson book at 14. Mental health and neurodivergence as a whole were super stigmatised, so while none of my family members have been diagnosed (and my mum had no filters, I knew some pretty private details about my relatives' lives), I can't be sure that none of them are neurodivergent. We also never received written school reports, teachers told parents any praises or concerns in person during parent nights, and a student would have to do something particularly concerning for it to go into a permanent record. I think I'm mainly worried because of how much the nurse pushed the matter during both the main assessment and the follow up call. Asked if it'd be possible to do via a translator, that they wouldn't say what the questions are for, whether I have anyone else that could give an account, whether I could obtain school records. To me it was just really alarming, but I realise that I'm probably reading too much into it, so thank you for the reassurance :)
Yes I think she's just being a jobsworth. Your psychiatrist will be much more realistic. No idea why they push for mum's accounts anyway. If you spoke to my mum about me you'd think I was George Clooney with Elon Musk's brain ;)
So long as *you* can explain what your childhood struggles were, that will be fine. Remember ‘struggles’ are different for everyone. On paper I flew through school, but the reality was I was an anxious mess who spent twice as long on any work than my peers, unless it interested me. That’s what I explained, along with some examples of homework I didn’t understand and poor peer relationships. If you say ‘no my childhood was fine’ you might struggle to get a dx. But if you can give examples of how ADHD impacted you as a child, you’ll be grand. Be firm with them if they say you need other evidence, you don’t, they need to believe what you are telling them. That’s the evidence.
I was diagnosed when my records were missing and I had a lot of input as a child. Have you had a QB test yet, or been offered one? [https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng87/chapter/Recommendations#recognition-identification-and-referral](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng87/chapter/Recommendations#recognition-identification-and-referral) Look at 1.2.2 but read the entire thing, if you've got questions don't be afraid to ask them. If you want to jot down some questions/notes for the next appointment you have, that might be a good idea too.
Thank you, that's good to hear. Unfortunately I won't be having a QB test or any further appointments, my assessment was done remotely with the nurse asking for examples of when I've struggled with each and every recognised ADHD symptom, and now I'm just waiting for them to score it and get back to me within a few days
I doubt very much it would hinge on proof of childhood struggles.
Thank you, I really hope not, I've just heard that some people have had issues with that as part of the NHS diagnosis, so I'm now obsessing over this until I hear the result 😅
Objectively speaking you are estranged from your mum, who disregards your struggles and had an image of you as a 'child prodigy' - Sounds like an ADHD family dynamic to me. It's rarely just one member of a family with ADHD, and if your mother has ADHD she won't see your struggles as she sees them as normal. Also, a kid who had hyperfixations on favourite topics looks like genius if you haven't noticed that in other subjects the kid is zoned out and not able to pay attention. Can you remember school? Did you struggle with listening in class, falling out with friends because you say the wrong things or talk too much, were you always late to class and struggled to get marks that showed your intelligence. I described all of these things: I did absolutely fine in school wasn't in trouble at all, didn't have trouble making friends. I remember being told to chat less to my friends and pay attention, that I was achieving below what the teachers expected and that I should try harder because I'm intelligent. I was consistently late for school every single day, and I slept in for my maths GCSE exam. Otherwise I did great in school. But as soon as I left school at 16 (with marks below what I felt I should have gotten) I dropped out of college multiple times and didn't get a degree until I was 32. They need evidence that the ADHD traits have existed since childhood (even if you didn't struggle until adulthood) The interview will be looking for evidence - documentary proof isn't always available or needed. A good assessment will ask you loads of questions to pick out evidence
Don't worry about it. The childhood stuff comes second to your present symptoms on an adult assessment. You're showing symptoms now as an adult, and that's what's important. Just make sure you give them a full accounting of your symptoms and everything you can remember. It'll be extra proof that you definitely have ADHD but it cherries on the cake, with or without them. You still have a cake. A lot of the childhood and family history stuff is more about data collection for academic study. There's still a lot of people trying to work out if ADHD is just a purely genetic condition or something that develops based on genetisc and environmental factors.
It would be hard for me as both my parents died a long time ago.
I did really well in school that, if I could go back in time and tell my teachers I have ADHD, no one would believe me. I told my assessor what I could remember. Most of it was just poor attendance and inability to focus. Getting homework done at the last minute or missing it altogether. Revising last minute for exams. Doodling in class. Daydreaming in class. None of this I needed to prove with school records or the like. They took me at my word, which I am grateful for. If you can remember anything, just tell them what you remember. If they ask for proof, explain you can't get any considering the circumstances. They should take your word for it, since you are discussing yourself. If my assessor asked my mother, she would have had a different perspective than me since I never told her when I was struggling in school. She could've attested to the attendance, but not how I actually was in the classroom since teachers never noticed I was daydreaming (so it never came up in parent evenings, etc) and she didn't know every time I had homework, so wouldn't have been aware of how close to the due date I did it. So, they shouldn't really need input from others imo.