Originally Posted by eema
DS11 has an FSIQ in the 120's and a GAI of 140. There is a 62 point gap between VCI and processing speed.

He most definitely has ADHD, and IMHO, it is a good idea to get the diagnosis if you suspect the problem. We discussed this somewhere before, but the hallmark of ADHD is the ability to focus (or even hyperfocus at times) when things are interesting, combined with a complete inability to focus when not interested.

I'm sorry for taking this thread off the original topic but this statement bothers me as it goes against my understanding of AD/HD. My understanding is that while some children with AD/HD can complete tasks they enjoy without showing signs of attention problems they do in fact continue to have poor ability to organize, focus and attend to relevant information when trying to learn something new. Regardless of their interest in the topic, AD/HD makes learning difficult. At least that's my understanding. Perhaps I've misunderstood your comment?

I'm concerned that your comment about the "hallmark" of AD/HD might be misleading to some who are concerned about whether their child has it or not. I have checked a few websites, including CHADD http://www.chadd.org/Content/CHADD/Understanding/Symptoms/default.htm
and NIMH http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/adhd/symptoms.shtml
and the CDC which provides the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/symptom.htm
but am not able to locate where ability to focus (or hyperfocus)on topics or areas of interest combined with complete inability to focus when not interested is considered a hallmark of AD/HD.

I don't mean to be disrespectful of your knowledge and experience, I just think it is very important to clarify what the disorder really looks like. This comes from both professional and personal experiences. Again, I do not mean to be rude or disrespectful. Just searching for information and clarity.