Seek help and NEVER underestimate if your child has expressed thoughts of hurting themselves, death, or depression or IF you think your child is depressed.
If your child is expressing thoughts of death or plans to hurt themselves CALL or TEXT for help:
Call:
- 911 or go to your nearest Emergency Room
- 988 (this is the new 3 digit code for the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline)
- 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)
- 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)
- 1-888-279-8188 (CommCare - FirstStepForHelp.com)
Text:
- 988 (this is the new 3 digit code for the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline)
- 1-800-799-4TTY (1-800-799-4889)
- 741741 for Crisis Text Line – text anywhere in the USA to reach a trained crisis counselor.
Lifeline Chat:
Warning signs may include: (**some children may not display any warning signs)
- Displaying severe or overwhelming emotional pain or distress.
- Talking about or making plans for suicide.
- Expressing hopelessness.
- Withdrawal from peers or family.
- Displays a lack of interest in most activities.
- Recent increase in anger, rage, or agitation.
- Changes in sleep.
If you notice any warning signs or other concerning behaviors/words, you may ask:
- Do you ever have thoughts of hurting yourself?
- Do you ever wish you could run away or disappear?
- Do you ever feel so badly that you want to die or have thoughts of dying?
- Do you ever wish you could go to sleep and never wake up
Ways you can respond:
- Listen to your child attentively and non-judgmentally.
- Express your concern about what behaviors you are observing.
- Reassure your child they are not alone, that these thoughts and feelings are temporary, and there are people that can help.
- Seek professional help and guidance.
Other Helpful Resources:
- Autism Support Autism Speaks
- Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault MOCSA
- Domestic Violence Shelters: Hope House and Safe House
- National Domestic Violence Hotline 1.800.799.7233
- Teen Dating Abuse Hotline 1.866.331.9474
- Youth America Hotline 1.877.YOUTHLINE
ADHD Resources
ADHD symptoms can often be discouraging parents and children and can often cause problems at home, school, and socially. Not all children who have symptoms of ADHD actually have ADHD.
Common behavioral concerns we hear from parents include difficulty following instructions, inattention to details or a tendency to make careless errors in schoolwork or other activities, excessive talking or frequently interrupting others, difficulty remaining seated or waiting in lines, excessive movements or fidgeting, problems with organization and losing things such as toys or homework. While these symptoms are features of ADHD, there are also other conditions that can mimic ADHD or co-exist with ADHD. Some of these associating conditions can be anxiety and/or depression, learning disabilities, sleep problems, anemia or iron deficiency, oppositional defiant disorder or other disorders such as sensory processing disorders. Your medical provider must evaluate for those as well to determine what is the best plan of care for your child.
If you are concerned that your child has ADHD and/or other co-existing conditions, and would like an evaluation, please print out the following packet for your child's age group, fax completed packets to Summit Pediatrics at 816-525-4077 or upload forms to your child's patient portal. Once your packet has been reviewed, we will reach out to schedule an appointment for an initial evaluation.
If your child has been diagnosed at another office or has been seeing a psychologist or other therapist, please request that their records are sent to our office before your first visit with us.
Parent(s) and the child should be at the initial consult/diagnosis visit. Your provider will review your Behavior Packet with you, take a history, and do a physical exam. We might decide to order laboratory or imaging if needed. We might decide that the situation is complex and recommend an official psychologist or psychiatrist evaluation. Your provider will discuss all the options with you and answer any questions you may have in regards to diagnosis and treatment. Treatment may include counseling, school accommodations, behavior modifications, supplements, prescription medications, and dietary changes.
If your medical provider determines that medication is appropriate, we will discuss it with you in detail. We recognize that whether or not to start medications is a big decision for many parents. If medications are prescribed, your provider will need to see your child frequently to adjust medication dosage and monitor for side effects. Having Follow Up Teacher and Follow Up Parent Vanderbilt assessment tools at these visits helps to accurately assess both home and school behaviors. Your child must follow up within 3-4 weeks after the initial evaluation, and 3-4 weeks after any dosage change. Once on a stable dose, your child will be scheduled every 3-6 months to assess behaviors, side effects of medications, and monitor height and weight. In addition to behavioral health visits children who are seeing us for medication management will need to be up to date on all well child checks.
We do recommend scheduling follow up visits at least 4-6 weeks in advance to help prevent in any lapses in medications. If your child has not been seen for a follow up in the last 6 months, they must be seen before your provider can write a prescription for a stimulant. Once your child is stable on medication, your provider may provide you with 3 prescriptions (3 months) at a time for the pharmacy. We recommend calling us for a refill once you fill that last prescription at the pharmacy, or a minimum of 72 hours before you run out.
Additional Forms
- Vanderbilt PARENT Assessment
- Vanderbilt TEACHER Assessment
- Vanderbilt PARENT FOLLOW UP Assessment
- Vanderbilt TEACHER FOLLOW UP Assessment