Bellevue Child Behavior Center Hower Kwon

I agree with the last review posted. We had an initial diagnosis of ADHD for my son by an excellent doctor who specialized in ADHD but as time passed and he got older, we know there was something else going on. Over 60% of the symptoms that present for ASD and ADHD are identical so it was hard to tell for sure. We had our son seen at the UW Autism center where he was diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) but I wanted a second opinion so our ADHD doctor recommended Dr. Kwon. We were able to get in with him pretty quickly, where there was a waiting list months long at many other places. He re-​assessed my son using his own assessment as well as took into consideration the initial assessment done by UW and came to the same conclusion, but did so independently. My son has a dual diagnosis of ASD and ADHD.
He looked at all of the symptoms my son had and came up with a treatment plan of medication to treat the specific symptoms that so often get in the way of the actual behavior issues we have to deal with in a different way. So, he put together a holistic but varied treatment plan that consisted of some behavioral therapies along with the medications. THe medications my son takes were used as a last resort, only after we tried other methods of treatment first and the oses are minimal and monitored. To help battle the anxiety that is present in so many children on the spectrum my son takes a very small dose of anti-​anxiety medication with little to no side-​effects, a non-​amphetamine based medication to help with the symptoms of his ADHD (inattention and difficulty with impulse control) and we have a great therapist that uses mindfulness as her preferred treatment.
Back to Dr. Kwon — he didn’t get down on the floor and play with my son but my son was 10 when we started seeing him. However, he does engage with my son on his level, spoke with him and asked questions that required a response, and treats my son with respect. He’s not cold at all and he is very good at getting to the root of a specific problem and trying different things to address it until we find something that works. He keeps us in the loop, explains things as we go along and his clues us in on his reasons for asking specific questions or making specific statements. We see Dr. Kwon as a family where my son is the focus but both parents are in the room.
One statement in a previous review stated that a psychiatrist should ‘share their feelings.’ Perhaps that was just the wording of the statement and the reviewer actually meant that the doctor should explain things as they go along, but if that is not the case, then I disagree. A psychiatrist should remain professional and unbiased, they are there to listen and asses then draw conclusions based on their knowledge and observations. That is what Dr. Kwon does. He shows empathy and concern when appropriate but he listens to my son and has been a key member of our ASD treatment team. He collaborates with the school and our therapist when needed and is open to ideas that we have as well. We’ve been seeing his for 3 years now and will continue to do so for a long time.

Not a very good children psychiatrist. Very cold, impatient and impersonal. Would not recommend him to others because he lack personal skills as a good children psychiatrist e.g. Having empathy, compassion and the welling desire to help. He might be in the wrong professional as a doctor. A good psychiatrist would share his feelings, be caring and give honest recommendations.

We were referred to Dr. Kwon by our family doctor and were very happy with our experience.
Our son has a mixtures of disorders and Dr. Kwon was able to summarize all his findings in an extremely thorough report, which will be a useful asset for us when communicating with his school.
Dr. Kwon was professional, friendly, thorough, and efficient! What more could you ask for.

We took our daughter to see Dr. Kwon after a battery of neuro-​psychological testing by a different psychologist resulted in an ADHD diagnosis. We went to discuss medication with Dr. Kwon as he came highly recommended. We met with him (the parents only) a few days before he met our daughter. We discussed what was going on with her and what we were hoping for as far as treatment went.
A few days later Dr. Kwon met with our young daughter. He took her into the office on her own and spent 50 minutes with her. During that time he did not engage with her or make her feel comfortable. He stayed seated and ask her questions.
When we met with him again a few days later to hear his findings, he shocked us with the conclusion that she didn’t really have ADHD at all, but rather something much more serious. He was not really able to explain how he got to his conclusions, he mostly repeated back statements that our daughter had made during the session. He insisted she had a very rare condition for a child so young and wanted to start her on mood stabilizers immediately. We wondered exactly what mood he was wanting to stabilize since our child is one of the happiest we and anybody who knows her has ever seen. In the end he declined to treat her for ADHD as he was convinced — despite extensive prior testing — that she didn’t have it.
Understandably we were stunned. We decided to seek a second opinion since our daughter fits none of the signs and symptoms of the condition he diagnosed her with.
We took our daughter to another Psychiatrist who also comes highly recommended. She met with the parents and child at the same time. She worked hard to engage with her, even getting down on the floor and spreading out toys to interact with her. She did a fantastic job of relating with her and at the end of that session (2 hours, with parents in the room), she was more than convinced the initial diagnosis was absolutely correct. Since then our daughter has begun medication therapy and is responding well.
I can’t personally recommend Dr. Kwon after our experience because I don’t believe he is really able to engage with young patients, particularly those that aren’t immediately cooperative and forthcoming. Doctors are human too and they are not always right. Even a highly educated physician can make mistakes. Should you choose to see him and feel that the answers you are getting are inconsistent from what you know about your child, find another Psychiatrist. Nobody knows your child better than you do and if you feel like what the doctor is telling you is out of line, it probably is. Please seek a second opinion if you are unsure. Your child is worth it!