Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Updated again: no CAPD

Yea, ultramarina, big picture abstract reasoning along with creative and divergent thinking all part of that arc.

One of things I've found for "paying attention in class" is if I set out to multi-task I can. If I'm cooking, can't have anyone in there too once I start, but if I am sharing the cooking isn't a problem. I used to sit in classes and read a novel or do other homework, but make 100% sure I followed everything the teacher said so I could answer questions and seem attentive.

So, even if it is some variant of ADD, there may be perfectly functional cognitive strategies that are long-term useful without having to have the expense of continued testing or drug therapy.

I am somewhat skeptical that we have true problems in the classroom going on here. We have seen some improvement in her timed work (DD tends to be somewhat slow--not extremely slow, just somewhat) after stressing that she really needs to work harder on finishing in the time allotted. She doesn't always fully read directions. It's usually on assignments that are easy. It's infrequent enough that it doesn't seem like a huge deal to me.

She is still getting all As. Her teacher is now complaining, however, about her "talking back and arguing." Yes, that would be my kid. *sigh* So while, if she does have ADD, it would certainly be the inattentive type, she is not a quiet wallflower. She is feisty. Stubborn. She will question you and call you out on everything, but she asks fabulous questions. Somewhere out there is a teacher who would love this kid, but we're still waiting.

Let me also say-- DD is an amazing kid....there is so much going on in there. She is going to be an incredible adult.

Ultramarina - all of your second para applies to my HG+ ADD girl. She's a bundle of contradictions fiesty, opinionated, stubborn (INSANELY stubborn), loud, verbal, great questions, amazing observations and yet also a pixie and sometimes almost mute. We NEVER would have even considered that she could have ADD were it not for my researching myself to death with regards to her much more overtly 2e older sister. I have no idea what's going on with your DD, poor teacher fit, boredom, nothing at all... Just saying that I have a child that almost no-one would peg as having ADD (well not yet anyway, it could have been coming) who is vastly better off on medication.

Having moved on from being horrified at the idea of an ADHD diagnosis when considering my elder child, it was surprisingly easy to look at this child and go "Well it's not overt, but the tell tale signs are all there, lets get a professional opinion before it trips her over".

I don't find myself horrified by the idea of her being ADD, but I read a lot about it for work and am wary of being part of what I perceive as a wave of overdiagnosing and overmedicating. We certainly do have issues with DD at home, and they are serious, but I have a hard time feeling like they are ADD issues. I am as yet unconvinced that her school issues, such as they are, are serious or ADD. If I was going to try a med for her I'd be more inclined to try anti-anxiety or anti-depressive meds...

I guess when it comes down to it--we absolutely have behavioral concerns about her, but "lack of focus" has never even been on the list. That makes it super hard for me to think ADD.

Ironically, I just got a message from her teacher saying that she doesn't feel we need a conference this quarter because DD has straight As and the teacher has no concerns about her academically or behaviorally. Eh? Maybe she is just prone to negative feedback and has bigger fish to fry?

Possibly!