ADD with no H

[lisamarie]

Report cards came home today and my DD's contained a note saying that she is struggling with paying attention, not talking when the teacher is, and sitting still. When we asked DD what the deal was, she said that she always has stuff going on in her head and she can't concentrate. She's constantly distracted. While I am prone to think that she's just a 6 year old who's bored because the work is too easy, a little part of me remembers hearing this exact symptom in reference to ADD (with no H). She's not hyper, she's very obedient for the most part. She is almost always in control of herself. But she has always been a bit spacey. She is my child who will crash into walls, parked cars, and telephone poles because she's not paying attention to where she's going.

 

Just curious if this could be more than just normal bored, 6 year old stuff. I'd hate to discipline her when she really can't help it like she says she can't.

[PeterPan]

You might as well have her evaluated. Given what you're saying, I would do the neuropsych and also an OT eval for SPD. Read The Out of Sync Child, The Mislabeled Child, etc. My dd is getting her neuropsych testing done right now as a matter of fact. Today they did a test for attention where she had to stare at a black screen for 20 minutes and click when blips appeared in a certain box. (Or at least that's how she described it, lol. I have no clue if it was actually 20 minutes.) So they have ways of assessing and quantifying your dc's attention to compare it to norms for her age. That way it's not subjective but is an actual objective statement of how she compares to her peers.

 

But yes, with what you're saying, I would get evals. She sounds very bright, if she's so self-aware. That's the hardest to deal with, when they KNOW something isn't right and can't help it. So no you don't discipline it out. Find out what is going on and then you can determine what to do about it. Frankly, I can't fathom how bored my dd would be if she had to sit in a gross school all day that didn't fit her academically. I mean mercy, take a bright kid and then add a bit of attention issues and it's just all magnified. My dd was petrified of how bored she might get in co-op, so she took figit things with her the first week. It turns out she doesn't need them, but it's because the classes are all very engaging (yearbook, art, writing, all with lots of doing, constant interaction). When she gets somewhere else like church she zones out. In fact she tells me about it, shows me her doodles, etc. So if homeschooling isn't an option, then you want the right labels so you can get the right accommodations in the classroom.

[lisamarie]

It honestly never dawned on me that she may have a problem. She had no issues last year in kindergarten, but she was in a different school, lots more hands on things, with a much better teacher. Her teacher gave her 1st grade reading books, a 1st grade math book to do after she did the super easy for DD K math work, and various other things to keep her challenged.

 

The class DD is in now is...horrible. Chaos. Utter and total chaos. I have no idea how any learning is done in that room. I volunteer every other week and every time I walk away wondering what the heck we're doing sending her to school. It's a total waste of her time. I don't know if DD truly has a problem or if she's so distracted by the one girl meowing while kneeling on her desk when she's taking a break from humming and screaming, or maybe she's distracted by the other girl who refuses to sit down and instead shoves her desk forward into the girl in front of her, then picks her desk up and spins around all while giving the teacher a "make me" look. :001_huh::glare:

 

PT conferences are in 2 weeks. I informed DH that he will be going with me so we both hear what the teachers have to say because our pulling the kids out hinges on what goes down at the meetings. We're considering pulling my DS for academics or lack thereof, and were considering pulling DD for academics as well, but now I'm thinking we may have to so she can learn in a less distracting environment. Basically if the school won't work with us on challenging the kids, they're out of there by the end of this month.

[PeterPan]

Yeah, that does sound chaotic. But just so you know ADD (ADHD inattentive) does not preclude giftedness. She could be both. So sure pull her out, but you may find yourself still wanting the eval.

[Finnella]

My son has ADD. Plus he's gifted and has LDs. He also has Aspergers. So there can be a lot going on. (Though doubtless many kids have less.)

 

His ADD wasn't a serious problem until second grade. At the beginning of third grade, we started being very strict about rewards and punishments to make sure he was taking his school work seriously. After about a month he was convinced he'd never play a video game or watch TV again. I persuaded my husband it was time to have him evaluated.

 

I'm very glad we did. No matter how hard my son was trying, he simply couldn't concentrate enough, especially in a class room.

[LittleIzumi]

If you send her to get her shoes, how many times do you have to send her back before there are actually shoes on her feet, and does she end up somehow getting less dressed instead of more dressed in the process?

 

:D

 

(Dd is 6 and I'm 99% sure she is ADD like dh. She's only in a school one day a week for a fine arts intensive, but even that is long enough that she complains, "They want me to SIT DOWN all day! I don't want to sit down!!" And the interrupting, and banging into everything, and running into the road without thinking, and totally losing focus all the time, and doing headstands instead of schoolwork, and lots of "squirrel!!" moments, etc, etc, etc. :lol:)

[PeterPan]

If you send her to get her shoes, how many times do you have to send her back before there are actually shoes on her feet, and does she end up somehow getting less dressed instead of more dressed in the process?

 

:D

 

(Dd is 6 and I'm 99% sure she is ADD like dh. She's only in a school one day a week for a fine arts intensive, but even that is long enough that she complains, "They want me to SIT DOWN all day! I don't want to sit down!!" And the interrupting, and banging into everything, and running into the road without thinking, and totally losing focus all the time, and doing headstands instead of schoolwork, and lots of "squirrel!!" moments, etc, etc, etc. :lol:)

 

Mind if I point out that she could be ADHD, not ADD? (or that even ADD is now not the label but ADHD inattentive, but whatever) I don't *think* my dd is headed for the H component, and she has not had the sitting issue you describe. So if that double negative scenario means anything, then...

 

Oh, about the shoes. You're lucky she goes. Give her a few more years, and then even that won't happen, let alone the forgetting. ;)

 

Have you heard the expression ADOS? Dd learned it at co-op. ADOS=Attention Deficit Oh look there's a Squirrel! Apparently it has joined the vernacular. :lol:

[akalori]

I have a ds ( age 8) who is diagnosed with ADD inattentive type. He has trouble paying attention and carrying out instructions. Sometimes it feels like he can't focus on the important stuff because he indiscriminately pays equal attention to everything in his environment. He isn't "zeroing in" on the main event (such as the teacher). On the other hand he can focus on things of interest. Then he becomes so hyper-focused that he can't focus on anything else including gravity. He has trouble following multiple step instructions because he gets distracted during the task and leaves things undone. He also loses things and forgets things. Then there are also some less obvious ADD inattentive commonalities. These kids often have very poor short term memory and are very clumsy. Many also have dyslexia and they have a higher probability of having a tic disorder than the general population. Sometimes physical activity can help them focus - sitting still makes their brain sluggish. A final thought is that "inattentive type" can have mixed symptoms (hyper + inattentive) but are predominately "inattentive". Overall, kids with ADD inattentive type are extremey disorganized. I hope it is just a developmental fluke with your daughter. Good Luck, Lori

[LittleIzumi]

Mind if I point out that she could be ADHD, not ADD? (or that even ADD is now not the label but ADHD inattentive, but whatever) I don't *think* my dd is headed for the H component, and she has not had the sitting issue you describe. So if that double negative scenario means anything, then...

 

Oh, about the shoes. You're lucky she goes. Give her a few more years, and then even that won't happen, let alone the forgetting. ;)

 

Have you heard the expression ADOS? Dd learned it at co-op. ADOS=Attention Deficit Oh look there's a Squirrel! Apparently it has joined the vernacular. :lol:

 

ADOS. :lol::lol::lol: That should be a sign hanging on our front door. I suppose she could be ADHD-Hyperactive, but it's only the distraction that's really maddening. Having seen a very severe case of ADHD-H, somehow no child looks like real ADHD-H to me unless it's that bad, IYKWIM.

 

*sigh*. Time to go be the Get Dressed Already police....

[merry gardens]

It honestly never dawned on me that she may have a problem. She had no issues last year in kindergarten, but she was in a different school, lots more hands on things, with a much better teacher. Her teacher gave her 1st grade reading books, a 1st grade math book to do after she did the super easy for DD K math work, and various other things to keep her challenged.

 

The class DD is in now is...horrible. Chaos. Utter and total chaos. I have no idea how any learning is done in that room. I volunteer every other week and every time I walk away wondering what the heck we're doing sending her to school. It's a total waste of her time. I don't know if DD truly has a problem or if she's so distracted by the one girl meowing while kneeling on her desk when she's taking a break from humming and screaming, or maybe she's distracted by the other girl who refuses to sit down and instead shoves her desk forward into the girl in front of her, then picks her desk up and spins around all while giving the teacher a "make me" look. :001_huh::glare:

 

PT conferences are in 2 weeks. I informed DH that he will be going with me so we both hear what the teachers have to say because our pulling the kids out hinges on what goes down at the meetings. We're considering pulling my DS for academics or lack thereof, and were considering pulling DD for academics as well, but now I'm thinking we may have to so she can learn in a less distracting environment. Basically if the school won't work with us on challenging the kids, they're out of there by the end of this month.

You sent your child to school to learn, and she's learned something. She may have learned that the other children are far more interesting than the teacher. :tongue_smilie: It really sound like an environment that would make it difficult for a normal child to pay attention to the teacher.

 

Children can have attention problems with or without hyperactivity. I'd venture to say most children have problems with attention at some point and/or in some situations. The question is at what point does it cross over from normal to "outside the range of normal" and require diagnosis and treatment?

 

The only other comments you made about observing attention problems in your dd was that she walks into walls, cars, etc. because she's not paying attention. Have you had her vision checked? (Elizabeth--I'm shocked!--it's your department to point out vision evaluations, not mine. LOL :lol:)

 

I don't know your child, so I can't say if she has any attention problems or not. But, I'll say that I think there would be something unusual about the "attention" of any child who was able to successfully ignore the other children who are doing the behaviors that you say go on in your daughter's classroom.

Edited November 11, 2011 by merry gardens

[lisamarie]

I have a ds ( age 8) who is diagnosed with ADD inattentive type. He has trouble paying attention and carrying out instructions. Sometimes it feels like he can't focus on the important stuff because he indiscriminately pays equal attention to everything in his environment. He isn't "zeroing in" on the main event (such as the teacher). On the other hand he can focus on things of interest. Then he becomes so hyper-focused that he can't focus on anything else including gravity. He has trouble following multiple step instructions because he gets distracted during the task and leaves things undone. He also loses things and forgets things. Then there are also some less obvious ADD inattentive commonalities. These kids often have very poor short term memory and are very clumsy. Many also have dyslexia and they have a higher probability of having a tic disorder than the general population. Sometimes physical activity can help them focus - sitting still makes their brain sluggish. A final thought is that "inattentive type" can have mixed symptoms (hyper + inattentive) but are predominately "inattentive". Overall, kids with ADD inattentive type are extremey disorganized. I hope it is just a developmental fluke with your daughter. Good Luck, Lori

 

While some of this does sound like my DD, I'm not quite ready to jump on the bandwagon with her. I am going to talk to her Sunday School teachers to see if she's consistently not paying attention or if it's just a badly managed classroom that is the issue. She does tend to be hyper-focused on certain things and I have to ask her to do anything a minimum of 3 times. And she will frequently tell me that she heard me but was ignoring me because she was doing something else. I have always just assumed she was being purposefully defiant, but maybe there's more to it than that.

 

 

ADOS. :lol::lol::lol: That should be a sign hanging on our front door. I suppose she could be ADHD-Hyperactive, but it's only the distraction that's really maddening. Having seen a very severe case of ADHD-H, somehow no child looks like real ADHD-H to me unless it's that bad, IYKWIM.

 

*sigh*. Time to go be the Get Dressed Already police....

 

Ya, I have always equated ADD/ADHD or whatever they call it now with those kids who are seriously affected by the "H" component. I've never really considered just the inattentive part at all before.

[Guest lara916]

If you send her to get her shoes, how many times do you have to send her back before there are actually shoes on her feet, and does she end up somehow getting less dressed instead of more dressed in the process?

 

:D

 

 

This is my 8 year old DD with ADHD to a T! Well, now that she is older she's not returning to me less dressed than before (but thanks for the reminder, haha). So frustrating at times, but of course she makes up for it by being amazing in a dozen other ways. I agree with others that say to get the eval, if only so that you are able to learn how to relate to her.

[PeterPan]

The only other comments you made about observing attention problems in your dd was that she walks into walls, cars, etc. because she's not paying attention. Have you had her vision checked? (Elizabeth--I'm shocked!--it's your department to point out vision evaluations, not mine. LOL :lol:)

 

 

Check, but I think she has said she's doing VT. I mean I think it's pretty obvious people who walk into things aren't seeing quite right. :lol: Ok, I'm making light of it, but it's so obvious sometimes it stares people in the face with green eyes and they still miss it. Most of my dd's whomping disappeared with VT. The remaining bit usually surfaces when she's out of whack. The Gut Psychology book suggests that poor digestion of milk leads to off chemicals that cross into the brain and causes symptoms of dyspraxia, ADHD, SPD, etc. etc. I don't think it's as simple as being ONLY that, but for us it sure did answer a lot. We now use enzymes from Houston Enzyme any time any of us have dairy. (Ooops, gotta go take some myself! At lunch out and forgot!) They make a big difference. Now when she starts whomping into stuff, that's usually her cause. The eyes were about 90% of it.

[mc26]

Have you heard the expression ADOS? Dd learned it at co-op. ADOS=Attention Deficit Oh look there's a Squirrel! Apparently it has joined the vernacular. :lol:

 

We say Attention Deficit "Ooohhh Shiny" :001_smile:

[PeterPan]

See I may have gotten it wrong. I'm forgetful. Oh bother, I just asked her and you're right, it's Attention Deficit "Oooohhh Shiny"! :)

[Renee in NC]

See I may have gotten it wrong. I'm forgetful. Oh bother, I just asked her and you're right, it's Attention Deficit "Oooohhh Shiny"! :)

 

Here it *is* squirrels. We often tell my oldest that he has a lot of squirrels in his life.:lol:

[lisamarie]

I emailed her Sunday School teacher to see if DD was consistently acting as her teacher described and this is what she said.

 

"Your DD's behavior was not a problem, but she did seem a little floaty. She sometimes needed to be redirected to stay with the group during the prayer time after beginning to wander. On the up side, we had some poster boards with "praise words" written on them, and she seemed to take an interest in them."

 

Yes, she often seems floaty to me as well and her mind does wander frequently. But I just always assumed it was because she's so creative and is always thinking up new games and stories.:001_huh:

[PeterPan]

Of course she's creative and thinking up new games. It's not like these issues are all bad, lol.

 

So you're going to get her evaluated? :)

[lisamarie]

Of course she's creative and thinking up new games. It's not like these issues are all bad, lol.

 

So you're going to get her evaluated? :)

 

Not sure yet. I'm waiting to get a full picture. I just emailed her teacher from last year to determine if this is new behavior or if she was like this last year. Hopefully her K teacher will be able to shed some light on this so I'll know how to proceed.