Another ADHD post

Winston Davidson

Winston Davidson

Filing Flight Plan
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Oct 8, 2019
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19wdavid
Hello fellow flyers,
After monitoring the threads for some time now, the issue of ADHD and FAA medical attainment has become a growing trend and a hot topic. Unfortunately I have found myself in the same situation many others have.
I am in college and was planning on starting flight school at my university next semester. I started flight training before I enrolled in college and had accumulated around 15hrs before I stopped due to the fact that I couldn't get my medical. Being an honest person, I disclosed to my AME that I did have a pediatric diagnosis of ADHD, and mild anxiety. Never took meds for more than a week, but regardless I got deferred. FAA ended up requesting a Cog-screen, which I took. I went in to my HIMS NeuroPsychologist after a poor nights sleep and fairly nervous. I got the results back a week later and my NeuroPsych told me that my working memory was BELOW the 5th percentile....I found this alarming as I have always done very well in school and other aspects of my life that are demanding of cognitive functioning. I know the results do not even closely resemble where I realistically fall. I am doing brain training and am going to retake the Cogscreen next month. Any advice? Even if I do well on the retake will the FAA still see my original scores? I am debating even going in for a retake.
 
The BEST advice of all for this is:
(1) do every aspect of the cognitive retraining
(2) When you go back for re-evaluation, get a good night's rest and have ZERO in your blood stream. Have the TestRx for the urine ready for use right after the testing. Performance is very "Rested" dependent.
 
bbchien said:
The BEST advice of all for this is:
(1) do every aspect of the cognitive retraining
(2) When you go back for re-evaluation, get a good night's rest and have ZERO in your blood stream. Have the TestRx for the urine ready for use right after the testing. Performance is very "Rested" dependent.
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Thanks Dr. Chien, really appreciate the advice. Do you know if my initial CogScreen data still be submitted to the FAA even if I do well on the retake? I feel that they may pay more attention to that than good retake results.
 
Note,
I will post back once I get the final word from the FAA after my HIMS NeuroPsych submits my second round of testing. Fingers crossed.
 
ADHD is one of the most overdiagnosed diseases ever. It is a real thing, but it is also often just said about any kid who doesn't immediately fall in line. Sometimes the only mistake is to actually admit to having it unless you are actively taking medication for it. I guess if you already said so now you have to jump through the hoops. I wouldn't give up until there is no way forward, however.

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p1l0t said:
ADHD is one of the most overdiagnosed diseases ever. It is a real thing, but it is also often just said about any kid who doesn't immediately fall in line. Sometimes the only mistake is to actually admit to having it unless you are actively taking medication for it. I guess if you already said so now you have to jump through the hoops. I wouldn't give up until there is no way forward, however.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
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Yes it is DEFINITELY over diagnosed, unfortunately. There are also a lot of people that do suffer from ADHD, and a good number of them are likely pilots (arguably great ones) or working in aviation somewhere due to the fast pace and stimulation that the field provides. ADHD is a complex disorder, it is often accompanied by memory issues, emotional issues, and social issues among other things. Despite the stigma that surrounds the disorder, I know a handful of amazing pilots that have it without a doubt but have never taken meds or sought any treatment. It is unfortunate that the FAA does not have a more comprehensive view on ADHD, but the CogScreen is in place for a reason and is ultimately backed by science. The way I see it, one can have ADHD and still manage to pass the Cogscreen with flying colors as long as more serious issues don't exists (IE memory, emotional). There are a handful or research backed brain fitness programs that can even help fix memory issues if they are present and show up on the Cogscreen. I only discovered all of this after embarking on this long journey of fighting for my medical, at least I learned a thing or two HA. I give encouragement to anyone dealing with similar issues. Don't give up! Im sure not.
(P.S if anyone stumbles across this feel free to PM me)
 
Winston, Everything goes to FAA. You can’t “gild the lily”. All of that IS you....
 
So where would one go to take this "cogscreen"?
is this something a physc doc might administer as part of determining an add diagnosis?
 
Brad W said:
So where would one go to take this "cogscreen"?
is this something a physc doc might administer as part of determining an add diagnosis?
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The CogScreen is a test that was developed by the FAA to measure cognitive abilities that are relevant to flight. It is used on pilots that have had a stroke, suffered from alcohol abuse, ect. Basically sometimes they just want to make sure someone is "good" to fly. The test is administered by an FAA (HIMS) approved NeuroPsychologist. You can find a list of them on the FAA's website. An average person with no cognitive impairments should be able to meet the requirements if they are well rested and in the right state of mind, and so on.
 
Winston - see my post about how important rest is the night before and my recent trip(s) for these tests. Also, the Cogscreen alone was Dr. Kay’s thesis project that has evolved over the years and the FAA uses the test as validation (along with a long list of other tests) for dx but it is not owned nor created by them.
https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/hims-1st-class-medical-maze.121707/
https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/hims-1st-class-medical-maze.121707/

best of luck to you! Get some sleep!!
 
UPDATE:
I have retaken the Cogscreen and everything turned out really well. Cognitive training really must work, I highly recommend it to anyone who has to take these tests. My AME and I will be submitting my results to the FAA in the coming weeks and hopefully I'll get my first class! All the best to anyone who is having to go through loops to get their medical.
 
Winston Davidson said:
UPDATE:
I have retaken the Cogscreen and everything turned out really well. Cognitive training really must work, I highly recommend it to anyone who has to take these tests. My AME and I will be submitting my results to the FAA in the coming weeks and hopefully I'll get my first class! All the best to anyone who is having to go through loops to get their medical.
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Appreciate the update. Do continue to keep us informed.
 
UPDATE: RECEIVED FIRST CLASS SPECIAL ISSUANCE
all,
I received my first class special issuance authorization in the mail yesterday, nearly one whole year after my initial denial. A lot of work went into this, as I have past diagnoses of ADHD, and anxiety. I took medication for both for a short time. Regardless, the FAA cleared me after I submitted 2 CogScreens, all my medical records, and a statement from a psychologist I saw in high school (along with some other things here and there). I would love to be able to make a post about the costs, time-line, and other things of the sort; but this process has been so long and complex I doubt I could do so accurately. The point of this post is to prove to anyone reading that it is in fact possible to get a medical certification if you have an ADHD and/or anxiety diagnoses. I would have never been able to do this without the help and support from this forum and without being able to talking to others who have done so already. As a result of this victory, I am now able to enroll in my university's flight school and continue to pursue my aviation goals. If anyone has any questions about the process, my experience, costs, etc., please feel free to post them to this thread or PM me. Blue Skies!
 
Great to hear. I saw the man himself, Dr. Kay for my neuropsych. eval. My papers are in Oklahoma City right now too. I'm in contact with another forum member to guide them through the same thing. With enough grit (and the fact that you just don't have ADHD :p) anyone can do it
 
Last edited:
jstone said:
What date did you submit your records to the faa?
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I have been in back and forth communication with them via mail for a lot of this past year. The Neuropsych that I saw (who was great by the way) was a huge help as far as helping to get my academic, medical, and other records in place. My main file was submitted early last month. They processed it relatively quickly, I called multiple time a week to get my file flagged and to "check the progress". It is my guess one of the docs saw how old my case was and went ahead and prioritized my stuff, which was nice. Either that or the wait times aren't super long right now. It was probably a matter of 5 weeks before I was informed over the phone that I was cleared and the letter was on the way. The letter took 10 days to get from OKC to my address in Ohio.
 
Winston Davidson said:
I have been in back and forth communication with them via mail for a lot of this past year. The Neuropsych that I saw (who was great by the way) was a huge help as far as helping to get my academic, medical, and other records in place. My main file was submitted early last month. They processed it relatively quickly, I called multiple time a week to get my file flagged and to "check the progress". It is my guess one of the docs saw how old my case was and went ahead and prioritized my stuff, which was nice. Either that or the wait times aren't super long right now. It was probably a matter of 5 weeks before I was informed over the phone that I was cleared and the letter was on the way. The letter took 10 days to get from OKC to my address in Ohio.
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Edit: to be more specific, I checked my calendar and it appears that the FAA received my file on April 6th
 
You submitted your records to the faa for special issuance on April 6 2020 and you already received a special issuance? Did your files go thru dc or Oklahoma?
 
Yes, that is the day I called the FAA and was told that my file had been received. I called a few weeks prior and had been told they hadn't received anything yet. I was informed that it takes a while to be mailed and to be scanned into their system. Once it was in their system however, It went relatively fast. This isn't the normal time-frame by any means. Note that I took my second cog-screen (retake, long story) on January 30th, and it took a decent amount of time for my Neuropsych to type up a report for that, as we did some additional testing to build my case.
 
Winston Davidson said:
I have been in back and forth communication with them via mail for a lot of this past year. The Neuropsych that I saw (who was great by the way) was a huge help as far as helping to get my academic, medical, and other records in place. My main file was submitted early last month. They processed it relatively quickly, I called multiple time a week to get my file flagged and to "check the progress". It is my guess one of the docs saw how old my case was and went ahead and prioritized my stuff, which was nice. Either that or the wait times aren't super long right now. It was probably a matter of 5 weeks before I was informed over the phone that I was cleared and the letter was on the way. The letter took 10 days to get from OKC to my address in Ohio.
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What is the number to call and what are you supposed to say and how often should you call in? I assume you can't just say you want your file "flagged" as it will raise an actual flag! I got in contact with my AME in October of last year and my Cogscreen in February, submitted about a week - 2 weeks ago. Do they also call you based off of the phone number on MedXPress or just the fact that you kept calling to "check the status"?
 
When I mentioned I was "informed over the phone", I didn't mean to elude that the FAA called me. The faa never calls anyone as far as I understand it. You're going to want to call the FAA Aerospace Medical Certification division in Oklahoma. Their phone number is (405) 954-4821. Press one to check the status of your medical, you'll have a long wait and eventually you'll get ahold of an operator (likely a dude named Ron, ha. Nice guy) and just say you're calling to check on the status of your medical. They will tap into your file and let you know if the docs have looked at it. Every time you call they mark in your file that you did, and after a certain amount of times they will flag it which prioritizes it slightly (from my understanding). Call a few times per week. Don't hesitate to call either, they are very helpful actually and most people who are waiting for their medical call at some point, which makes the wait time rather lengthy. Expect about a half hour wait. If you don't want to wait set an alarm for early in the morning and call when they aren't busy. Hope this helps
 
Winston Davidson said:
When I mentioned I was "informed over the phone", I didn't mean to elude that the FAA called me. The faa never calls anyone as far as I understand it. You're going to want to call the FAA Aerospace Medical Certification division in Oklahoma. Their phone number is (405) 954-4821. Press one to check the status of your medical, you'll have a long wait and eventually you'll get ahold of an operator (likely a dude named Ron, ha. Nice guy) and just say you're calling to check on the status of your medical. They will tap into your file and let you know if the docs have looked at it. Every time you call they mark in your file that you did, and after a certain amount of times they will flag it which prioritizes it slightly (from my understanding). Call a few times per week. Don't hesitate to call either, they are very helpful actually and most people who are waiting for their medical call at some point, which makes the wait time rather lengthy. Expect about a half hour wait. If you don't want to wait set an alarm for early in the morning and call when they aren't busy. Hope this helps
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Excellent information. Thank you!
 
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