How do you go about being diagnosed?
June 5, 2016

HDYO has more information about HD available for young people, parents and professionals on our site:
www.hdyo.org
How do you go about being diagnosed?
Q. Hi , I’m doing a report on huntington disease & I would like to know how does a person with huntington go about being diagnosed . how did it happened.
Tierney, Teen, USA
A. Hi Tierney,
Thank you for reaching out to HDYO with your question. A person who is interested in getting testing for Huntington’s Disease can contact a local HD Specialty Center or a local neurologist who has experience with HD. The process usually includes a few appointments. Often, it starts with a call to the center director or social worker. This call gets the process rolling and helps discuss that clinic’s specific process. The first appointment will often include meeting with a genetic counselor, a social worker, a neurologist and a psychiatrist - this sometimes depends on the clinic. There is then often a bit of a waiting period prior to getting their blood drawn. The last appointment is the results appointment. It is recommended that an individual brings a support person to that appointment to help process the information.
I hope this helps. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with further questions.
Take care,
Chandler