ADHD treatments are not available at a low enough cost for children in many countries, despite the fact that the condition can hold back their education. Often, it is actually cheaper for parents to take their child abroad to find treatment, and recently this has become a very popular option. This guide walks you through the steps of planning an overseas trip to find ADHD treatment for your child.
Focus on Medical Tourism Destinations
Medical tourism hubs like Thailand offer high-quality treatments for ADHD in children (or รักษาเด็กสมาธิสั้น, as it's known in Thai) at lower costs than in many other countries, just like they do for other conditions. Popular countries for medical tourism should be among the first destinations you consider, because they've usually earned their reputation by striking the right balance between cost and care, and they tend to reinvest their money in promising new treatments.
Verify Clinical Credentials
Once you've chosen a destination and constructed a shortlist of potential clinics, the next step is to check their credentials and licensing. In most places, you can expect the owner of the clinic to have a medical license, but they may also employ other staff. Also, because you are seeking treatment for a child, you should expect to see that they hold any relevant paediatric licenses, and some staff should have background in child psychology.
Build a Comprehensive Budget
Remember that the true cost of your child's treatment will be far more than just the total of all the sessions they have. You have to factor in the airfare, accommodation, food, ground transport, insurance, and possibly even translation services. Without factoring in all of these, you cannot see if getting treatment overseas is really cheaper than getting it back home. If it is and you decide to go ahead, add some more money to your budget for contingencies.
Understand Legal and Medical Regulations
If your child is already taking any medicine to manage their ADHD symptoms, you need to make sure that it is legal in the country you are going to for treatment. Even if it is, you may still need a letter from your doctor or a prescription that's been translated. You should also check whether you need notarised parental permission for your child to get medical treatment, as this is a requirement in some places.
Prepare Medical Records and History
For your child to get the best treatment, you will want the psychiatrist to have as much information about them as possible. The most effective way to do this is to have any relevant health documents, such as your child's psychological assessment results and medication history, translated into the local language. Remember to make copies of them before you leave, too, just in case they get lost or forgotten while you're away.
Inform Your Child About It
Changes to routine or environment can be difficult for children with ADHD to cope with, so it's important to prepare them for the trip well in advance and not just whisk them away. Showing them pictures of the clinic and staff can help, because simply telling them may lead to their imagination running wild. They may also respond more positively if you focus on what won't be changing. For example, they'll be able to bring their favourite toy with them.
Choose Your Travel Dates Carefully
To minimise the disruption to your child's usual routine, it's smart to try and book the trip during their school holidays. However, you also need to time your trip around the conditions in the country you will travel to. Is it a time of heavy rainfall or storms? Is there a national holiday? Is there an election or event that could cause political instability? All of these raise the risk of treatment being disrupted or cancelled.
Choose Accommodation That Supports Routines
Routines are important for any child's mental health development, but especially those with ADHD. During your stay abroad, you will not want to be constantly moving into different hotel rooms. Try to stay in one accommodation near the treatment clinic if possible, and make sure it's somewhere that allows you to stick to consistent wake-up, meal, and bed times. You may also want to stay close to an international supermarket so your child's diet stays as consistent as possible, too.
Conclusion
Taking a trip overseas can help you find great-value treatment for a child with ADHD, and it may even grant you access to cutting-edge treatments that aren't widely available elsewhere. However, it also requires a lot of planning. By following these tips, you can be confident that you're making the best choice for your child, and you can minimize the anxiety and disruption they may experience.
