Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment New here - would you question this 2e diagnosis?

I can relate. You've described my ds exactly. Right down to the pain intolerance and negative thinking. He's made some progress in positive thinking
but it's a thing he'll need to work on for a while--maybe his whole life.

I'll second all of what MumofThree has said. I do feel that it's very important to listen to your gut feelings, but at the same time (as the mom of 2 2e kiddos - but none with ADHD, so there's my disclaimer) - it's also easy to *not* see the forest for the trees.

The one thing I'd want a little more info on from what you've posted is the relatively low score on processing speed - I think you mentioned fine motor issues? That would impact the processing speed scores (the ps test rely on responses that are drawn and they are timed tests). Fine motor issues *might* be causing frustration at school which might lead to behavior challenges with school or homework and possibly tasks outside of school.

But if it was me, as a parent, and my dh had an ADHD diagnosis that I didn't question, I wouldn't be too quick to toss out a diagnosis of ADHD with the symptoms you've mentioned.

Best wishes,

polarbear

ps - I also forgot to add - did the neuropsych eval include any testing to tease out why the issues with processing speed? While it could be fine motor, it might also be a student simply taking his time, or it could be an issue with vision or visual processing. There are tests that neuropsychs typically run to determine why processing speed is relatively low when it deviates as much as your ds' scores do. One of my kiddos (not 2e), scored in the basement on processing speed relative to her other scores on her first WISC. She is also a highly sensory kid who *looks* very much like she has ADHD because she likes to be in constant motion. The low processing speed score combined with the additional neuropsych testing to determine why processing speed was low pointed clearly to a vision issue - and sure enough, she wasn't able to focus on anything! She went through vision therapy for more than a year, and most of her behaviors that looked like ADHD disappeared. I am *not* suggesting that your ds has vision issues, but just suggesting that there is most likely more useful information in the root cause of the dip in processing speed on his WISC. If he had any additional testing with the neuropsych, or if you can post his subtest scores here, we might be able to help with some additional thoughts.

You guys make excellent points about making his home environment almost too good. I had never considered that (which now that you've said it the possibility is entirely obvious). 16 years of coping with DH has assuredly shaped my view of normal and I have a million coping tools that just feel like normal now. I'm not throwing out the idea of ADHD it just somehow seems too easy when the presentation is so different -- oh, the kid is having trouble, the Dad has ADHD so the answer is obvious. The fine motor could indeed cause the issue we're seeing, which is why I'm questioning. And, FWIW, I do sometimes question DH's diagnosis since meds don't seem to help for any length of time, but his presentation is much more the classic ADHD list of symptoms and so it's easier for me to see the argument than with DS who is so different.

Really, really excellent points and wisdom -- so much more helpful than anyone else I've talked to yet. Many, many thanks.

My DS9's ADHD diagnosis led to my DH being diagnosed but looking back now, my DH's issues are so obviously ADHD. They are both also HG+ and each has a high level of intensity that I have always felt was our normal. (BTW, my DS also has a relatively low (though still above average) PSI and a WMI around 130.

My DS also has fine motor issues and does not love the physical act of writing but has great writing organization skills and has had subsequent testing to rule out other issues. Even so, I still question the ADHD diagnosis regularly until there is some issue that is clear. One thing you can always count on with ADHD is consistent inconsistency - I see that frequently.

Anyway, my DS's ADHD does not present as badly as my DH's does but ADHD is on a spectrum and different people are on a different place on the spectrum - I think my DS is a little better off because he has some of my executive functioning skills sprinkled in there and because he has support in remediating and accommodating his executive functioning issues that my DH never did.

Thanks for the POV on your DH and DS,Percy. Polarbear, you asked about sub-tests. I'm still learning and figuring out what all this means, but here are his results on WISC-IV:

Processing Speed -- Coding 6 (low average), Symbol Search 11 (Average)

Working Memory -- Digit Span and Letter-Number Sequencing both 14 (Superior)

Perceptual Reasoning -- Block Design and Matrix Reasoning both 17 (very superior) Picture Concepts 12 (high average)

Verbal Comprehension -- Similarities and Comprehension both 15 (superior), Vocabulary 18 (very superior)

For those of you who have looked at ADHD test results, here were the TEA-Ch subtest results:

Sky Search: Targets Found 5 (borderline), Time per Target 2 (mildly deficient) and Attention Score 1 (moderately deficient)

Score: 8 (average)

Sky Search DT: 1 (moderately deficient)

Score DT: 8 (average)

Walk, Don't Walk: 12 (high average)

Conners/CPT-II was clinical with 61.61 percent confidence.


I'm meeting with a second psychologist to get her read on things sometime in the next week or so -- any further insight or questions to ask would be hugely appreciated!

Seriously, I know I've said this every post, but I'm incredibly grateful for the time you all have spent helping me understand and figure out what's next. Really, really grateful.

It does look like his writing problems dramatically lowered his processing speed score...

The working memory test being so high really makes me doubt ADHD... it's a super boring test of just listening to someone rattle off numbers/letters and repeating them back either forwards or backwards, depending on the test.

With Coding, symbol search and picture concepts all being low, I'm curious, has he been to a pediatric opthamologist for a proper eye exam? I'm wondering if he's actually maybe having trouble seeing clearly...