ADHD
Expert ADHD evaluation and treatment for children and teens in Western Pennsylvania
If you've been watching your child struggle — at school, at home, in friendships — and wondering whether something more is going on, you're not imagining it. ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions in children, and one of the most frequently misunderstood.
At Help For Your Child, ADHD evaluation and treatment is delivered by a licensed clinical psychologist and a board-certified child psychiatrist working together. That combination — psychological expertise and psychiatric medicine under one roof — means your child gets a complete picture, not a partial one.
Understanding ADHD
ADHD is not the result of bad parenting, too much screen time, or a lack of discipline. It's a neurodevelopmental condition — a difference in how the brain regulates attention, impulse control, and executive function. Children with ADHD are not trying to be difficult. Their brains are genuinely wired differently, and they need the right kind of support to develop the skills other children acquire more easily. ADHD affects approximately 5–7% of children and presents differently in every child. It's not always the classic "hyperactive boy who can't sit still." Many children — particularly girls — present with inattentive symptoms that go unrecognized for years. Children with ADHD commonly struggle with: • Sustaining attention during tasks, conversations, or schoolwork • Impulse control and difficulty waiting turns or thinking before acting • Organization, time management, and following multi-step instructions • Emotional regulation — big reactions to small frustrations • Working memory — holding and using information in the short term • Restlessness, fidgeting, or difficulty staying seated (hyperactive presentation) The good news: with accurate diagnosis and the right treatment plan — which may include behavioral strategies, therapy, school accommodations, family support, and medication when appropriate — children with ADHD can make real, lasting progress. The earlier the intervention, the better the outcome.
Diagnosis and Assessment
An accurate ADHD diagnosis is the foundation of effective treatment — and it requires more than a checklist. Dr. John Carosso, Psy.D. conducts a comprehensive evaluation that includes clinical interviews with parents and the child, behavioral rating scales completed by parents and teachers, cognitive and neuropsychological testing, and a thorough review of school records and developmental history. Critically, we don't evaluate for ADHD in isolation. ADHD rarely travels alone. Anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, processing disorders, and oppositional behaviors frequently co-occur with ADHD — and misidentifying the primary issue leads to the wrong treatment. Our evaluation screens for the full picture. Where HFYC is genuinely different: because Dr. Robert Lowenstein, M.D. — a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist — is part of the same practice, psychological findings can be reviewed alongside psychiatric expertise from day one. Families don't have to navigate between a psychologist and a separate psychiatrist. The conversation happens in-house.
Warning Signs to Watch For
Difficulty sustaining attention during tasks or conversations
Excessive fidgeting, restlessness, or difficulty sitting still
Impulsive behavior or difficulty waiting turns
Difficulty organizing tasks or managing time
Frequent careless mistakes in schoolwork
Difficulty following multi-step instructions
Losing necessary items (homework, keys, belongings)
Difficulty with transitions or changes in routine
Emotional outbursts or difficulty recovering from frustration
Appearing 'spacey,' daydreaming, or frequently 'checked out' — common in girls with inattentive ADHD
Our Treatment Approach
Comprehensive Evaluation
Dr. Carosso conducts a thorough assessment including clinical interviews, behavioral rating scales from parents and teachers, cognitive testing, and school records review. We confirm ADHD, identify its presentation type — inattentive, hyperactive, or combined — and screen for co-occurring conditions that could be driving or complicating the symptoms.
Behavioral Intervention
For most children, behavioral strategies are the first line of treatment — and the most durable. Our therapists work with children and families to build practical skills: attention management, impulse control, organization strategies, and emotional regulation. We also work directly with schools to ensure strategies translate into the classroom.
Medication Management (when appropriate)
When behavioral interventions alone are not providing sufficient relief, medication can be a meaningful part of the treatment picture. Dr. Lowenstein evaluates each child individually — taking into account the full clinical profile, co-occurring conditions, and family priorities — to determine whether medication is appropriate, what type, and at what dose. He monitors response closely and adjusts as the child grows and develops.
School Coordination
ADHD is a school problem as much as a home problem. We work with families and school teams to ensure every child has the accommodations and support they're entitled to — whether that means an IEP, a 504 Plan, or informal supports. We provide documentation, attend meetings when needed, and help parents advocate effectively.
Family Support & Parent Coaching
Parents are not bystanders in ADHD treatment. We work with families to help them understand their child's specific ADHD profile, adjust expectations appropriately, and build home strategies that reduce daily friction. When a parent understands what's happening neurologically, the whole family dynamic tends to shift.
Your Child Deserves Support
If you recognize these signs in your child, reach out to us today. We're here to help.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's a fair question — and the honest answer is: it depends on how the diagnosis was reached. ADHD is sometimes diagnosed too quickly, based on a brief questionnaire rather than a thorough evaluation. At the same time, ADHD — particularly the inattentive type — is significantly underdiagnosed in girls and in children from certain backgrounds. The answer to overdiagnosis isn't fewer diagnoses; it's better evaluations. A comprehensive assessment that looks at the full clinical picture, rules out other explanations, and identifies co-occurring conditions is what separates a reliable diagnosis from a rushed one.
Not necessarily — and that's not the right question to start with. The right question is whether medication is appropriate at all, and if so, what kind and at what dose. Dr. Lowenstein evaluates each child individually and considers medication only when behavioral and therapeutic approaches are insufficient on their own. Many children benefit from medication for a defined period and are able to reduce or discontinue it as they build skills and their brains mature. Others benefit from longer-term support. There is no predetermined answer — only what's right for your child.
ADHD is a lifelong neurological difference, not an illness with a cure. But 'lifelong' doesn't mean 'unchanging.' With the right intervention early in life, children with ADHD develop coping strategies, executive function skills, and self-awareness that significantly reduce the impact of the condition over time. Many adults with ADHD manage it successfully and consider it a part of how they think, not a limitation. The goal of treatment isn't to eliminate ADHD — it's to give your child the tools to work with the brain they have.
They can look remarkably similar — both can cause difficulty concentrating, restlessness, and avoidance of tasks. The key difference is the underlying driver: in ADHD, distractibility comes from a brain that struggles to filter and sustain attention. In anxiety, difficulty concentrating often comes from worry and rumination consuming cognitive space. Importantly, the two frequently co-occur — a child can have both. This is one reason a thorough evaluation matters: treating anxiety alone when ADHD is also present, or vice versa, produces limited results.
School evaluations are valuable for determining educational eligibility and identifying learning needs — but they are not clinical diagnoses. A school psychologist can evaluate whether a child qualifies for accommodations, but cannot diagnose ADHD, prescribe treatment, or assess for co-occurring psychiatric conditions. If you want a clinical diagnosis — which is required for medication and provides a more complete picture — you need an evaluation from a licensed clinical psychologist or physician outside the school setting.
A comprehensive evaluation at HFYC typically involves two to three appointments. The first session gathers background history from parents. The second involves direct testing and assessment with the child. A follow-up session is then scheduled to review findings with the family, explain the diagnosis, answer questions, and discuss next steps. We do not rush this process — the evaluation is the foundation of everything that follows.
Yes. We are in-network with many major insurance carriers, including Medicaid. Our team handles insurance verification prior to your first appointment so there are no surprises. For families using private pay, we can discuss options at the time of scheduling. Call us at (724) 850-7200 or reach out through the New Patients page to get started.