Hi ,
we have a 6 years old son , he is in 1st grade . Back when he was in kindergarten he was tested and his reading skill is in 3rd grade level .
Now that he is in 1st grade , he's been acting out a lot in classroom , and 2 weeks after school started , we got called to school , and was told by the teacher and the principal that our son is a gifted child . He was tested again for his reading skill , which now is at 5th grade level , he wasn't tested for anything else as far as i know . The school said that his behaviour might be due to the boredom . He would interrupt , he would complains the assignments are too easy , he would blurts out answer when it's not his turn , all the adhd signs .
Today we took him to the doctor and doctor said he's not adhd child , because the symptoms only appear in school , to have adhd it has to be happening everywhere , not only in school . The doctor agrees that he is a gifted boy .
He started reading very early , and just not too long ago he just figured out multiplication himself , he knows how to do 3 digits addition , and 3 digits subtraction , he reads at 5th grade level so he's reading chapter books . He would ask me questions such as how do we put the money in the credit card so that we buy things with that ? He would ask me why do we have to use water for baptism and then ended up with asking , Jesus wasn't a sinner and why did he have to be baptised ? Then one time he drew earth when the classroom was told to draw / write something that is considered a blessing .
He told me that he is bored in the class , and often times he wants to keep going when given the assignment and that he's done with it , but his teacher would not let him do that , he would have to get his fish ( rewards system ) taken away if he keeps going on his own , he has to wait . He said he wonders when things are going to be harder and more challenging for him .
His doctor suggested that he should skip grade , so far the school isn't doing too much of anything , but taking him out for an advanced math 3 times a week for 45 minutes , but the rest of the hours at school , he had to follow the 1st grade curriculum .
What would you do if you're in my shoes ? His doctor said i might want to try to have him skips the grade and going to 2nd grade , try it out for a month or so , see how he does . But i don't want to offend the principal or even the teacher .
What should i do ? Since august my son's been acting out almost everyday at school , even though all the grades he brings home is A+'s . I just don't want people think he's a trouble maker , because he's not , but he gets in trouble when he's bored .
my DD8 has had issues not wanting to do work and acting out in various ways since K. No one EVER suggested she should skip or that she might be acting out from boredom. They don't do testing in our district until 2nd grade anyway, so THIS is the first year we might actually get something done.
I will tell you, from our experrience that first, YOU need to decide what you think is best for your child. Are you committed to giving him what he needs, even if it does offend some people, because it probably will, somewhere along the road.
I'm kind of confused, if the teacher AND principal are acknowledging he is gifted and giving him advanced math, why wouldn't the teacher let him work ahead? I think it sounds like at least the principal knows what's up and probably wouldn't be offended. Approach it from a teamwork angle, you ALL want what is best for your child and can work together, but you do have to communicate.
I'm working really hard right now to keep my DD from being labeled a troublemaker. It has been suggested that she learned BAD habits in previous years, which I agree with and she is a very complex little person who resists doing more and more work each year. Right now, our school won't even consider giving her more challenging work because she often resists doing classwork, even though she tests at the top of the standard tests. It's like they don't know what to do with a gifted but non performing child.
Don't wait. Be an advocate for your child. Listen to what your child is telling you that he wants and needs. You are in the right place
That's why we're wondering too , because during our conference back in early september , we were told that the 1st grade curriculum does not suit him and that they're going to give him a different curriculum . So we've been waiting and waiting , i ask my child everyday , but nothing is more than normal , and even the teacher told me the only thing they do so far is only 3x45 minutes advanced math . That's it .
As a result , my son has been somewhat a troublemaker at school and he feels bad , because one of his friend said to him too " you're bad kid " just because he has to move his bee closer to the hive almost everyday ( meaning you're getting a warning , then u lose 5 minutes recess and when it's 3 times moving the bee it means u lost the whole recess ) I don't want him to feel like he's a bad kid because he's not , but i just wonder too why the teacher isn't doing anything .
Now that we know for sure he's not ADHD child , i want to do something with the education . We are willing to do anything for our child , i want him to be succeed in school and later on in life . And to do that it has to start somewhere , clearly the curriculum right now does not suit him , right now it's like he's being punished for being smart .
Welcome to the board, jaylivg!
I get the sense from your post that you would be okay with the idea of a grade skip for your son, but perhaps I have mis-read.
I think your doctor has made a good suggestion about your son trying out the 2nd grade classroom.
Do you know if there are other children in your child's school that have been accelerated? Schools run the gamut of flexibility in this regard: there are some that have a lot of experience with skipping children into "better-fit" classrooms, and some that are opposed to skipping children (and everything in between).
Your trying to find a good educational fit for your child should not offend anyone. You are just trying to find the level where he will be challenged and engaged.
I don't think your child is a trouble maker at all. He is just trying to find a way to make it through the day. Some children need constant mental stimulation-- they need more more and more. In a classroom that isn't at all challenging, they are just spinning their wheels.
Have you considered having your son take an IQ/achievement test?
Welcome to the board, jaylivg!
I get the sense from your post that you would be okay with the idea of a grade skip for your son, but perhaps I have mis-read.
I think your doctor has made a good suggestion about your son trying out the 2nd grade classroom.
Do you know if there are other children in your child's school that have been accelerated? Schools run the gamut of flexibility in this regard: there are some that have a lot of experience with skipping children into "better-fit" classrooms, and some that are opposed to skipping children (and everything in between).
Your trying to find a good educational fit for your child should not offend anyone. You are just trying to find the level where he will be challenged and engaged.
I don't think your child is a trouble maker at all. He is just trying to find a way to make it through the day. Some children need constant mental stimulation-- they need more more and more. In a classroom that isn't at all challenging, they are just spinning their wheels.
Have you considered having your son take an IQ/achievement test?
Hello , herenow
I don't mind grade skipping if it helps and works for him , basically i am up to anything that would help him to excel at school . because i know he can , and he's not a troublemaker like what people / friends started labelling him . It hurts him and it hurts me to see him like that . The only thing i don't want is that he has to dumb himself down just to fit with everybody . If he's able to keep on going and working on it , in my opinion they should just let him be . But because they don't , he's bored to death although he told me he loves going to school , it's just he keeps complaining it's boring doing and learning things that he already know .
I really don't know if there are any other children that has been accelerated or not .
Basically , what are the steps that i should take to help my son ? I know i probably should talk with the teacher and principal , but if there any step that usually people would do ? Like asking to have him tested first or just giving them the letter from the doctor or what do we usually do to start this ?I really have no clue about this kind of stuff , never knew anybody with gifted children either , if we're asking for achievement test , should the school get this done or what ?
I am so sorry i have to many questions .. just don't know who to ask .
An IQ test done by a good educational psychologist will do a few things for you: Give you an idea of where he is compared to other kids; give the school an objective piece of evidence that he may have a need to work above grade level; give you access to "gifted-only" resources (DYS being just one of many). The school may do this for you, or you may need to go to a private psychologist.
Next, think about what you think will help your child. Read everything you can get your hands (and your mouse) on. There's a good book which describes various opions for acceleration and the research supporting them, as well as a strategy for coming up with a plan: "Re-Forming Gifted Education" by Karen B. Rogers. It was SO helpful to me this year with DS6.
Write out a plan, give it to your teacher, and ask for a parent-teacher conference in a few days to discuss. After that, do the ssame with the principal (they like you to follow the "chain of command").
Skipping is often a good option unless he's at/below grade level in a paricular area, or truly has attention/behavior probems. Maybe he could try an older grade for a week or two and see how it goes.
Finally, as a pediatrician myself, I can tell you that ADHD is underdiagnosed. That said, you DO need to have symptoms in more than one area of your life -- home, school, sports, social events. Pay attention, but the acting out could also be simple boredom.
Good luck!
An IQ test done by a good educational psychologist will do a few things for you: Give you an idea of where he is compared to other kids; give the school an objective piece of evidence that he may have a need to work above grade level; give you access to "gifted-only" resources (DYS being just one of many). The school may do this for you, or you may need to go to a private psychologist.
Next, think about what you think will help your child. Read everything you can get your hands (and your mouse) on. There's a good book which describes various opions for acceleration and the research supporting them, as well as a strategy for coming up with a plan: "Re-Forming Gifted Education" by Karen B. Rogers. It was SO helpful to me this year with DS6.
Write out a plan, give it to your teacher, and ask for a parent-teacher conference in a few days to discuss. After that, do the ssame with the principal (they like you to follow the "chain of command").
Skipping is often a good option unless he's at/below grade level in a paricular area, or truly has attention/behavior probems. Maybe he could try an older grade for a week or two and see how it goes.
Finally, as a pediatrician myself, I can tell you that ADHD is underdiagnosed. That said, you DO need to have symptoms in more than one area of your life -- home, school, sports, social events. Pay attention, but the acting out could also be simple boredom.
Good luck!
Thank you for your help !!
An IQ/Achievement test was really the thing that helped us the most with our daughter's grade skip. We found the school administration really put a lot of emphasis on these tests.
If you choose to test your child, you have some decisions to make. The school may have a psychologist who can administer the tests for free. The trick is that sometimes these gifted kids give "unexpected" answers on IQ tests. Gifted kids often "think different". And if a tester doesn't have a lot of experience with gifted kids, they might not understand the child's answer--and they might not give as many points to this answer, even though it might in reality show high cognition. This is the reason why many of us on the board have gone to private psychologists who specialize in gifted children to have the IQ testing done. It can be very expensive (over $1000-2000??) If you want to go this route, feel free to ask on the forum for a respected gifted tester, hopefully there will be one near you.
A few more details. No matter who you test with, the test can not be repeated (I think) for 12 months.
The IOWA Acceleration Scale is a tool used by some schools to determine if a child is a good candidate for a grade skip. I think you would need IQ/achievement tests for the school to be able to use it.
Finally, as a pediatrician myself, I can tell you that ADHD is underdiagnosed. That said, you DO need to have symptoms in more than one area of your life -- home, school, sports, social events. Pay attention, but the acting out could also be simple boredom.
And as a disability attorney, I can tell you that ADHD is often viewed as a "Ticket To Cash", so there are some secondary gain issues here.
Kind of like everybody's bipolar these days.
Herenow ,
thanks ! i'll see what the school wants to do about the test and i will look it up on the board for the private psychologist , hopefully i'll find one near the area !!
[/quote]And as a disability attorney, I can tell you that ADHD is often viewed as a "Ticket To Cash", so there are some secondary gain issues here.
Kind of like everybody's bipolar these days. [/quote]
I have no idea what you mean by a "ticket to cash" or that comment about bipolar
Yes. Start with the school, and let us know how that conversation goes. Not all schools are as receptive to these tests, so you need to start with them. You might get to have your son "try out" second grade even without all these test in place.
ADHD is a popular condition with respect to seeking child SSI benefits. Parents use child SSI benefits as household income, so seeking diagnosis of this condition is sometimes viewed as seeking secondary gain (money).
Bipolar is the diagnosis that lots of people are getting these days, more from GPs than psychiatrists, coupled with prescriptions for Xanax. My psychiatrist BIL sees it a lot. He's of the opinion that the diagnosis often means that you are poorly educated and angry, more than anything else. Diagnoses seem to be run as fads, and for the last few years, it's been bipolar disorder.
Actually during the first 2 weeks of school , the teacher kept telling us about the problem my son had at school , such as fidgeting , interrupting , not keeping hands and feet to himself , squirms in seat a lot .. all of those signs of adhd , so we decided why not asking the pediatrician if he has adhd or no . i am well aware that a lot of children these days are misdiagnosed and just a little acting out , they're told they have adhd , i don't want my son to be misdiagnosed for something that he doesn't have and then forced to be put on a medication . So we took the questionare that the doctor gave us and the teacher , doctor said to be adhd it has to be everywhere , home , school, church , etc .. but my son's acting out only in school , and with that said , his pediatrician said no , he is not adhd , but he's gifted , even the school said this themselves that my son's acting out is probably due to the boredom and because he was a high ability student/ gifted .
We'll see what the school has to say , i probably will mention about skipping grade and like herenow says let my son try out the 2nd grade for a month or so , see how he does . This is exactly what his pediatrician said too yesterday .
This is off topic, but . . .
Yes, there are people who get SSI for ADHD, and like anything else, there are people who abuse the system. A disability lawyer sees a lot of this, I would imagine.
In my pediatric practice, though, I can only think of 2-3 patients who get SSI for ADHD, and we have lots of ADHD patients. The kids who get diagnosed, by and large, really have the disorder, and it impairs them to varying degrees. Our brightest kids can compensate well for many years, so it goes unnoticed. Most ADHD practitioners agree that at least half of people who have ADHD go undiagnosed and untreated.
I am *not* saying that joylivg's son has ADHD; I'm just saying that practitioners and parents are less aware of the symptoms than maybe we should be, and certainly there's a lot of denial about the disorder.
ADHD doesn't have to manifest everywhere; it has to manifest in at least 2 areas of life. So if there are no problems outside of school, probably that's not ADHD. But just because a kid can sit and do legos at home for an hour, that doesn't rule out an attention disorder. This is complicated stuff, as all human behavior is, and that fact that behavior is a spectrum makes it harder to pin down.
And as a disability attorney, I can tell you that ADHD is often viewed as a "Ticket To Cash", so there are some secondary gain issues here.
Kind of like everybody's bipolar these days.
JonLaw -
Please do not threadjack:
Stick to the topic. If you want to make a comment that will substantially change the direction of a thread, please start a new thread. You may write a comment in the old thread noting that you are starting a new one with a link. Do not �hijack� a thread.
Today we took him to the doctor and doctor said he's not adhd child , because the symptoms only appear in school , to have adhd it has to be happening everywhere , not only in school . The doctor agrees that he is a gifted boy .
...His doctor suggested that he should skip grade , so far the school isn't doing too much of anything , but taking him out for an advanced math 3 times a week for 45 minutes , but the rest of the hours at school , he had to follow the 1st grade curriculum .
What would you do if you're in my shoes ?
I think you've gotten lots of great advice. I would ask the Doctor to call the school and tell the school that 45 min x 3 times a week isn't enough, and that a trial gradeskip is needed.
I would also take a look at the home environment. You son might be 'just fine' at home because you are not asking him to live up to the expectations that other 6 year olds can easily live up to. You might be building success into the environment in ways that happen so gradually that you might not notice them. Ask youself, 'If my son had to live at _________'s house, would be able to do it?' about a few of your friends or relatives. Gifted kids can sometimes use their strengths to compensate for ADHD if the environment is quite flexible. Gifted Parents can sometimes use their strenghts to compensate for a child's ADHD if they are willing to be quite flexible.
So it's totally possible that all your child needs is a classroom where the other kids are ready to learn the same things he is ready to learn.
It's also possible that he is both Gifted and has ADHD.
It's time to try a few things and see what happens.
Love and More Love,
Grinity
I agree with the PP about getting outside testing done. It will give you and the school a clearer picture. I wouldn't do it with the school psych as they are not really qualified to test gifted children. Most of them also only have a bachelors!
We got our DS7 tested outside and it only cost us about $300. Not sure where the other poster got $1000? This is from a very well respected psychologist who specializes in gifted children. She's even written a book about it. Maybe the PP was also including ADHD and or asd tests with a neuropsych? That would cost thousands!
Good luck. I'm happy at least the school is being somewhat accommodating. My sons previous school refused to do anything with his giftedness so we are now in private. Not perfect but better.....so far.
We got our DS7 tested outside and it only cost us about $300. Not sure where the other poster got $1000? This is from a very well respected psychologist who specializes in gifted children. She's even written a book about it.
I buy psychological testing all the time.
I pay $300-ish for psychological testing such as IQ scores (for mental retardation-illiteracy issues - WAIS and WRAT run me $200 I think - just off the top of my head - from a guy with a masters), whereas I pay $1,000+ for neuropsychological testing (from a Ph.D.).
Some entities accept testing from masters level psychologists. Some other entities require that a Psy.D. or a Ph.D. sign off on it.
Btw. Your kid sounds like mine. DS7 school tested him and said he has ADHD and possible Asperger's. Qualified for special Ed under OHI and ASD. They did not feel his giftedness and asynchronous development had anything to do with his behavior problems. He was tested outside by. PHD and found to be PG with no ASD or ADHD. Sigh....
Long story short they were giving him services for ADHD and ASD but not accommodating his giftedness so none of the interventions worked. We pulled him out of public school and now he goes to private.
Hope something works out for you. Glad the school is being somewhat helpful.
Actually the school never really mentioned about him and adhd , but i am sensing it with the way his teacher sent me emails / notes , they wanted us to have him checked for it . that's why we took him to the pediatrician , and she gave us questionnaire , that me , my husband , and teacher had to fill out . Which turned out , pediatrician said , no adhd .
So , i guess i have to see what options the school can give us , and maybe from there , we'll see if he needs to be tested or not . But i will keep in mind , if he needs to be tested , then i probably will have him tested outside school . Do you know if there is a list where i can find a pyschologist in my area that specialize in gifted children ??
thanks !!
Just an update , we had a conference with the teacher and principal , and i showed them the paper from his doctor that our son doesn't have adhd , his principal agreed , said she already knew , but she's thankful that we took the time to have him tested .
Anyway , because his reading is at 5th grade level , and he's only in the 1st grade , the principal suggested that he will be going to 2nd grade for reading class . I thought they would the same with math , but they didn't say anything , he is pulled out for advanced math 3x45 minutes a week , but the differentiate teacher wanted him to learn basic stuff . So i guess he's stuck at 1st grade still for the math ..
And no testing is needed because it's only showed what they already knew .
It amazes me that the school sees that he can read fifth grade books, but puts him in second grade for reading. Why don't they put the kids at their level as long as they're agreeing to acceleration in the first place?
"Actually the school never really mentioned about him and adhd , but i am sensing it with the way his teacher sent me emails / notes , they wanted us to have him checked for it . that's why we took him to the pediatrician , and she gave us questionnaire , that me , my husband , and teacher had to fill out . Which turned out , pediatrician said , no adhd ."
I just went through this last year, only to find out that my daughter is not ADHD, but gifted and talented. This past week I came across "Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities or Supersensativities in gifted children" and I was blown away by the description that seems to be my daughter!
Now I'm trying to find out what to do about it, as the school has scheduled a meeting with me for this year, and my daughters grades are not being effected.
The main complaints are: She has trouble focusing, forgets to do routine tasks, talks out of turn, dis-ruptive... and now is not doing class work.
I've had my daughter taking a homeopathic, all natural herb and vitamin to calm her and try to help with her focus, and that seems to have helped significantly, but apparently not enough. I'm at a loss of how I can help her.
I just went through this last year, only to find out that my daughter is not ADHD, but gifted and talented. This past week I came across "Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities or Supersensativities in gifted children" and I was blown away by the description that seems to be my daughter!
What kind of practitioner evaluated your DD, and did they actually rule out ADHD and other developmental disabilities?
The main complaints are: She has trouble focusing, forgets to do routine tasks, talks out of turn, dis-ruptive... and now is not doing class work.
This can be just an intense child, or it can be ADHD or Asperger's. Or other things. I'd suggest a thorough evaluation to screen for all possibilities.
IMO the problem with the "overexcitabilities" theory is that it potentially excuses a problem rather than solving it. Calling the disruptiveness a manifestation of giftedness won't make it go away. Understanding and working on the problem, whether through behavior therapy, meds, or other means, usually will help. To me, that's enough reason to carefully seek a cause.
DeeDee
It amazes me that the school sees that he can read fifth grade books, but puts him in second grade for reading. Why don't they put the kids at their level as long as they're agreeing to acceleration in the first place?
I have to agree with you , but i also can understand the school's point of view , from the level maturity , putting him in the 5th grade for reading class probably wouldn't be such a good idea , although he can follow the subject , but he still has a mentality for a 6 years old , he's not mature enough . So i think 2nd grade is a good start , at least it's something .
I am just wondering why the differentiate learning teacher thinks that teaching him the basic 1st grade math ( with a little challenging things ) is a better idea than teaching him what he's capable of . He was tested for math and though they didn't say what level his math is but his teacher said the result was very high , but that particular teacher still thinks teaching them the basic math is still better . Why not letting him do what he's capable of .. i don't understand either .
I just went through this last year, only to find out that my daughter is not ADHD, but gifted and talented. This past week I came across "Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities or Supersensativities in gifted children" and I was blown away by the description that seems to be my daughter!
Now I'm trying to find out what to do about it, as the school has scheduled a meeting with me for this year, and my daughters grades are not being effected.
The main complaints are: She has trouble focusing, forgets to do routine tasks, talks out of turn, dis-ruptive... and now is not doing class work.
I have the same problem , i was called only 2 weeks after school started in august , but i didn't know what i was called to be told that our son is a gifted student . Because for the first 2 weeks of school he's been coming home with notes and his teacher emailed me , same complains that you mentioned , except he doesn't mind doing the school work , the problem is , he complains that everything was too easy and that he wants to keep going and going on working on the pages in the book , until the teacher had to stop him and now she won't allow him to go any further than the rest of the class .. he has to wait which is pretty awful considering he wants to keep going and knows how to do it , but not allowed .
I had him tested for adhd too , and doc said no , the school never mentioned to have him tested for adhd , because the school was the first one who informed me that our son was gifted . I didn't know he was gifted until they told us !!But we did the test anyway just to be sure , the school thanked us for making the time to have him tested although she mentioned she was quite sure that wasn't the reason .
I am trying to remove anything sweet from his breakfast , most of the time it helps , try that too , who knows it might help . For me , hopefully by giving him some challenging stuff now at school will help him .
So i think 2nd grade is a good start , at least it's something .
I am just wondering why the differentiate learning teacher thinks that teaching him the basic 1st grade math ( with a little challenging things ) is a better idea than teaching him what he's capable of . He was tested for math and though they didn't say what level his math is but his teacher said the result was very high , but that particular teacher still thinks teaching them the basic math is still better . Why not letting him do what he's capable of .. i don't understand either .
Sounds like you've made a bit of progress getting a "better educational fit" for your son. It is a start. When will he start going to the 2nd grade classroom for reading?
Do you know what test they gave him for math? What would you think about asking the school for your son's scores?
Do you have a sense of what kind of math your son is capable of doing? Has he shown you he has learned math not taught in his classroom?
And no testing is needed because it's only showed what they already knew .
Do I understand that the school doesn't think you should pursue educational testing because they already know he is gifted?
Sounds like you've made a bit of progress getting a "better educational fit" for your son. It is a start. When will he start going to the 2nd grade classroom for reading?
Do you know what test they gave him for math? What would you think about asking the school for your son's scores?
Do you have a sense of what kind of math your son is capable of doing? Has he shown you he has learned math not taught in his classroom?
He will start going to 2nd grade for reading around nov 1st .
I really don't know for sure what kind of math test they given him , this was back early september .
So far my son who is 6.5 years old is able to do 3 digits addition and subtraction ( regrouping and no regrouping ) , and also he had just figure out himself how to multiply . I never taught him how to multiply , but he told me he can count by 3.4.5 all the way to 10 .. and then out of curiosity i just asked him multiplication and he got it . And of course this wasn't taught in the 1st grade yet .. he also does good with counting money , math stories , telling time ever since he's 4 years old , how many minutes to the hours .
Do I understand you to mean that the school doesn't think you should pursue educational testing because they already know he is gifted?
According to the school ( he goes to private school ) , it would just back up what they already know , and even if he took the test , it wouldn't help the case because it's only going to help if they have learning diabilities / lower IQ .
AllieOop,
I have to agree with DeeDee here. It is entirely possible to be highly or even profoundly gifted and still have ADHD, AS, sensory integration dysfunction, processing disorders, or other issues that you are better off finding out about early on when intervention is easier and more effective.
This link lists some of the most well-known evaluators for highly gifted children. Most of them are also knowledgeable and helpful for sorting out '2-E' issues, where giftedness co-exists with some sort of deficit or challenge.
You may really want to get a copy of James Webb's "Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnosis of Gifted Children and Adults", which does a great job of helping parents and professionals differentiate between gifted traits and other issues, so that parents, teachers, and medical professionals can act appropriately to help. Brock and Fernette Eide's work is also well worth reading.
I would go so far as to say that ADHD, when combined with strong giftedness is a very different disorder....it presents differently and has a different (better) prognosis. Some of the standard diagnostic criteria....such as tracable to age 7, becomes less important. (Highly gifted girls with ADHD-I in underchallenging classrooms are difficult to detect before puberty.)
I also have my doubts about the 2 settings rule...I think that often HG children with ADHD have HG, Moms either with ADHD or grew up with ADHD siblings, who are good enough at problem solving to figure out ways to co-exist with the challenges od ADHD(I) without batting an eye. Just like our Yardsticks are way off in detecting unusual levels of Giftedness it is quite to have a distorted Yardstick for ADHD symptoms.
I like remembering that ADHD is a developmental issue....kids with this challenge are maturing out of their old symptoms all the time. It is 'just' that the bulk of other students are maturing even faster and now the bar is raised again! Darn! To me it seems quite expected that kids who have more 'brains' to manage due to Higher levels of Giftedness have more work to do in managing those 'brains.' Plenty of kids I know handle this bigger challenge just fine. Plenty of kids I know do not. Having Supersensitivities is fairly common...how a kid reacts to this increased sensory stimulation says a lot about if they might also have 'GADHD'
Ok I just made up GADHD....but that's how I'm seeing the world this week....((shrugs and more shrugs))
Grinity
ADHD is a popular condition with respect to seeking child SSI benefits. Parents use child SSI benefits as household income, so seeking diagnosis of this condition is sometimes viewed as seeking secondary gain (money).
Bipolar is the diagnosis that lots of people are getting these days, more from GPs than psychiatrists, coupled with prescriptions for Xanax. My psychiatrist BIL sees it a lot. He's of the opinion that the diagnosis often means that you are poorly educated and angry, more than anything else. Diagnoses seem to be run as fads, and for the last few years, it's been bipolar disorder.
i'm in none of the related fields but i definitely see this and didn't question your first comment at all. i do have social worker and artist friends though so LOL