I am hoping to get some advice/experience from some of you who may be in similar situations.
I have had an idea that ADHD might be a possibility with DS7 for years now, but I have been sidetracked by hypersensitivities, gifted quirks, and I suppose on reflection, the stigma society places on ADHD and related treatments. We have met with various opinions from professionals over the years from, oh yes, he will have to be medicated at some stage, to he is just a very gifted little boy with a very active mind and body.
Anyway, we are now with a psychologist I really trust and on a waiting list for a paediatrician who is supposed to be very good. The psychologists' opinion is that he likely has ADHD combined type and will likely benefit from medication. While my gut reaction when he was 4 and there was talk of the possibility of medication in the future was one of distaste, over the last 3 years, I have seen him struggle with impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inability to sustain attention. I have seen it impact on him socially, academically, and also it affects our family. Part of me is counting down the days (3.5 months) until we can see the paediatrician and try out some medication. I see worlds of room for improvement. So my first question, in what specific areas did you see improvement with medication? Were there any things that you hoped to see improve that did not?
I am impatient for the appointment with the paediatrician, but I also think it will be good timing as his teacher will have had him for half the year, so she will know him well, and then he will have half the year left with her to note any changes if we do end up trying medication.
I am sure there have been lots of posts on people's experiences with medication, and I have tried some searches and found a few threads, but please link any threads here if you think there is a previous discussion or post I might find beneficial to read.
Also what age did you first suspect ADHD? What age did you actually get a diagnosis, and what age did you first try medication?
Hey there- we found out that our DS9 had ADHD when he was eight years old. Like you, we had suspected for a long time but ADHD and gifted traits overlap. Initially, my DS was diagnosed with a social pragmatics language impairment (via a language evaluation recommended by his school), but my gut instinct said that it was ADHD-- and I took him in for a full neuropsych.
I realize that your question is primarily about medication- we aren't doing medication (yet!) but it may be part of our plan as DS approaches middle school. *Without* medication, I can tell you that the academic issues ramped up in 3rd grade (ages 8-9). My DS has difficulty dealing with distractions, frustration, and has some problems with executive functioning that seem more extreme than his NT peers. He frequently claims that everyone else was "told they needed to do x, y, z *except* him!" He has significant difficulty managing time, monitoring (metacognition), and organizing his thoughts for social interaction. He's terrified of not finishing a sentence or a thought, no matter what is going on in the moment because he may forget it (just like me:)
The giftedness makes a lot of tasks seem like tedious busywork (which causes problems with incentive which leads to more distraction). All of this with *mild to moderate* ADHD and no discernible academic learning disabilities, and no ODD. Anyone who doesn't think ADHD is a serious issue should see my son's *mild to moderate* ADHD.
You asked what age I first suspected-- 21 months, incidentally, the same age I suspected he was gifted (he's now a DYS). No one believed me on either count, but I have seen dysfunction among highly intelligent adults (my family), and I just knew.
