News on ADD

[The One without a Name]

I was just curious to see if the FAA had any news on ADD and if they had plans on changing their views on the diagnosis.

It would seem to me that eventually they will have to address since the older millennials, which were heavily diagnosed with ADD, may now have enough money to start to take up lessons.

 

[SkyHog]

I was just curious to see if the FAA had any news on ADD and if they had plans on changing their views on the diagnosis.

It would seem to me that eventually they will have to address since the older millennials, which were heavily diagnosed with ADD, may now have enough money to start to take up lessons.

They won't have to. The FAA will not be satisfied until every GA pilot is pushed out of the air. It is "safer" that way.

Point the finger at the idiot teachers, principles, and doctors that over-diagnose ADD instead.

 

[Unregistered]

They won't have to. The FAA will not be satisfied until every GA pilot is pushed out of the air. It is "safer" that way.

Point the finger at the idiot teachers, principles, and doctors that over-diagnose ADD instead.

I have only been getting up to speed with GA for about a year, but is that really how they feel? You would think they would be benevolent about GA.

 

[Matthew]

I haven't heard any rumors of FAA changing their stance on that. I wonder if they will eventually publish a checklist for new students that let them know the what's and how's of dealing with an ADD diagnosis. I would like to see more new students understand that if they ever took or were prescribed any ADD/ADHD meds, to stop filling out their medical applications.

I doubt FAA will change its stance that ADD and flying don't mix. So the millennials that want to start lessons will have to also budget for getting their grade-school ADD diagnosis overturned (unless they really DO have it).

 

[RJM62]

I really can't blame the FAA. The condition, when it's actually real, is no joke. Try taking care of a truly ADHD child for a while, and then imagine them as an adult flying an aircraft. The two don't mix.

Allowing ADHD pilots to fly while medicated would also be problematic because the most commonly-used medications for ADD/ADHD are short-acting, so missing even a single dose could render the pilot unfit to fly. (Of course, that's also true of Type 1 Diabetes, for which SIs are available, which is why I say that allowing ADHD pilots to fly while medicated would be "problematic" rather than "impossible.")

My point is that FAA is not wrong for DQing people diagnosed with ADHD unless they pass the battery of tests that the agency requires (passing which basically disabuses the diagnosis, when you get right down to it). The fact that maybe one in ten ADD/ADHD diagnoses are legit, and the rest bogus, isn't the FAA's fault. Until proven otherwise, they have to accept even the bogus diagnoses as valid.

Rich

 

[evapilotaz]

They won't have to. The FAA will not be satisfied until every GA pilot is pushed out of the air. It is "safer" that way.

Point the finger at the idiot teachers, principles, and doctors that over-diagnose ADD instead.

Are you a child physiologist? I didn't think so.

 

[Brad Z]

I really can't blame the FAA. The condition, when it's actually real, is no joke. Try taking care of a truly ADHD child for a while, and then imagine them as an adult flying an aircraft. The two don't mix.

Allowing ADHD pilots to fly while medicated would also be problematic because the most commonly-used medications for ADD/ADHD are short-acting, so missing even a single dose could render the pilot unfit to fly. (Of course, that's also true of Type 1 Diabetes, for which SIs are available, which is why I say that allowing ADHD pilots to fly while medicated would be "problematic" rather than "impossible.")

My point is that FAA is not wrong for DQing people diagnosed with ADHD unless they pass the battery of tests that the agency requires (passing which basically disabuses the diagnosis, when you get right down to it). The fact that maybe one in ten ADD/ADHD diagnoses are legit, and the rest bogus, isn't the FAA's fault. Until proven otherwise, they have to accept even the bogus diagnoses as valid.

Rich

^ This was pretty much what I was going to write. The FAA has no way of differentiating between "real" ADHD and a convenience diagnosis. As a result, those who believe they were misdiagnosed have no choice but to submit to the testing necessary to prove otherwise. It's less "guilty until proved innocent" and more "overturning a guilty conviction".

 

[AggieMike88]

+1 to what Rich and Brad said.

OP, if you believe that you're amongst the population that got the ADD/ADHD label as a "convenience diagnosis, then there a path exists to build your case for the FAA to review. And we know of an aviation medical examiner or two who will be the right people to manage your case.

One of these top AME's has explained to us that this path is not a fast one, nor is it low cost. There will be many in-depth examinations required and all must be done by a select few neuropsychologists, not just any MD with an opinion. None of these doctors are cheep, and none of this testing is covered by insurance. Plus none of this is a guarantee. You might spend many thousands in your attempt just to have the original diagnosis confirmed.

So if you want to start he process, that's good. But know what you're about to experience and know it's not a sure thing.

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

I was just curious to see if the FAA had any news on ADD and if they had plans on changing their views on the diagnosis.

Not likely in this century. ADD is a MENTAL condition. And, the FAA is paranoid when it comes to mental conditions.

It would seem to me that eventually they will have to address since the older millennials, which were heavily diagnosed with ADD, may now have enough money to start to take up lessons.

FAA could care less. The FAA cares about paperwork, rules, and not doing things that make them uncomfortable.

 

[Unregistered]

+1 to what Rich and Brad said.

OP, if you believe that you're amongst the population that got the ADD/ADHD label as a "convenience diagnosis, then there a path exists to build your case for the FAA to review. And we know of an aviation medical examiner or two who will be the right people to manage your case.

One of these top AME's has explained to us that this path is not a fast one, nor is it low cost. There will be many in-depth examinations required and all must be done by a select few neuropsychologists, not just any MD with an opinion. None of these doctors are cheep, and none of this testing is covered by insurance. Plus none of this is a guarantee. You might spend many thousands in your attempt just to have the original diagnosis confirmed.

So if you want to start he process, that's good. But know what you're about to experience and know it's not a sure thing.

In my experience being around people with ADD there are many levels on the spectrum.

I have a friend who I know couldn't pilot an aircraft who has ADD. I have another friend with ADD that would have no issues.

 

[Unregistered]

Are you a child physiologist? I didn't think so.

That's the problem, lets say you have a kid, smart kid like 135 IQ smart. But he makes C's and D's. Well that doesn't make sense now does it.

Give him some adderall to take during the classes he is doing poorly in and then when it's time to study.

Then all of a sudden Jr. is a 4.0 straight A student.

 

[AggieMike88]

That's the problem, lets say you have a kid, smart kid like 135 IQ smart. But he makes C's and D's. Well that doesn't make sense now does it.

Give him some adderall to take during the classes he is doing poorly in and then when it's time to study.

Then all of a sudden Jr. is a 4.0 straight A student.

And this applies to your question of obtaining an FAA medical, how?

If you want to inflame a right/wrong ADD debate, this is not a good place for it.

 

[Everskyward]

And this applies to your question of obtaining an FAA medical, how?

If you want to inflame a right/wrong ADD debate, this is not a good place for it.

And if the OP's only purpose is to debate, they should not be hiding behind the unregistered feature.

Pilots of America permits anonymous posting in the Medical Topics forum, as well as in the Lessons Learned forum, but ONLY when disclosing your OWN potential or existing medical condition, potential violation of FAA regulations, incident or accident in which you may have been involved. Posts made anonymously in response to such posts will be deleted unless the content of the response requires anonymity.

 

[SkyHog]

Are you a child physiologist? I didn't think so.

No. But neither are most teachers, principals or doctors either, but it doesn't stop them from pushing the pills on kids.

 

[lbfjrmd]

+1 to what Rich and Brad said.

OP, if you believe that you're amongst the population that got the ADD/ADHD label as a "convenience diagnosis, then there a path exists to build your case for the FAA to review. And we know of an aviation medical examiner or two who will be the right people to manage your case.

One of these top AME's has explained to us that this path is not a fast one, nor is it low cost. There will be many in-depth examinations required and all must be done by a select few neuropsychologists, not just any MD with an opinion. None of these doctors are cheep, and none of this testing is covered by insurance. Plus none of this is a guarantee. You might spend many thousands in your attempt just to have the original diagnosis confirmed.

So if you want to start he process, that's good. But know what you're about to experience and know it's not a sure thing.

+2 (or is it +3 now?)

 

[evapilotaz]

That's the problem, lets say you have a kid, smart kid like 135 IQ smart. But he makes C's and D's. Well that doesn't make sense now does it.

Give him some adderall to take during the classes he is doing poorly in and then when it's time to study.

Then all of a sudden Jr. is a 4.0 straight A student.

Talk to me only if and when your a parent of a adhd child.

 

[evapilotaz]

No. But neither are most teachers, principals or doctors either, but it doesn't stop them from pushing the pills on kids.

Any sencible parent would request a phych eval before going down this path. Ok I'm done now. carry on.

 

[James331]

They won't have to. The FAA will not be satisfied until every GA pilot is pushed out of the air. It is "safer" that way.

Point the finger at the idiot teachers, principles, and doctors that over-diagnose ADD instead.

How about the deadbeat parents who allow their children to be fed a diet of pills because some asshat said they should.

Parents who let their children to be put on drugs like that should be beaten in the streets.

Any sencible parent would request a phych eval before going down this path. Ok I'm done now. carry on.

Uhh you need a strangers "eval" on your own kid ---> FAIL

 

[RJM62]

Any sencible parent would request a phych eval before going down this path. Ok I'm done now. carry on.

Not just sensible, but also assertive enough to be skeptical in the absence of actual proof, and well-heeled (or well-enough insured) to bear the rather substantial costs for the proper diagnostic protocol to get that proof.

Schools can be pretty heavy-handed in these cases. I won't go into detail about how I know because I don't feel like getting myself all worked up on an otherwise lovely (albeit brutally cold) evening; but threats of having the children removed from their homes, or even criminally prosecuting the parents, if they don't accept the "diagnosis" of the school's two-bit contract shrink, are not at all uncommon.

Not every parent has the skepticism to question a room full of educators, the assertiveness to call the school district's bluff when those educators start threatening them, nor the means to have their child properly evaluated by someone who both knows what they're doing and has no horse in the race. It doesn't necessarily mean that they're not sensible parents.

Rich