Can I suggest you ask yourself why you think your DS has all the issues on the list but not ADHD? If you throw out preconceived notions of what inattentive ADHD is (mostly mine came from poor media coverage and hear-say) and think of it as this list then is that a good fit for your son? It's a great fit for my son. In fact that article was a great discussion of my whole family.
I am a teacher and do a lot of tutoring on the side and I have worked with many chidlren who were diagnosed ADHD and my son just isn't like them. I guess it's because he isn't hyperactive at all, and no teacher he's ever had told me that he seemed inattentive or distractible during class. (Hmmm... well, they do all say that he likes to chatr a lot.) Even from preschool, he was able to sit and listen pay attention during story time, etc. He can be impulsive, but it's nowhere near as bad as it is with many of my clients. He does not have dificulty inhibiting his behavior, although that isn't a great strength either -- he seems about typical for a 9 year old boy.
So that's why I never thought to persue an ADHD diagnosis.
I do hear what you are saying about ADD/Inattentive, though. It's entirely possibly that's what he has.
The things that fit him to a T are:
- overly responsive
- poor ability to separate emotion from fact
- easily frustrated
- poor use of self talk
- trouble shifting gears (plan A to plan B)
--poor recall of the past
- poor sense of passage of time
- poor future planning (lack of follow through/perseverance)
Hmmm.. you know what? LOoking at the DSM list at the end of the article I linked to -- my son DOES have 6 or more of the symptoms listed for ADHD/inattentive, doesn't he? It's just not really impacted his ability to perform at school until he hit third grade.
