Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional concentration in inattentive ADD?

I just talked to my pyschiatrist brother-in-law about ADD in general. Everyone is diagnosed with this these days. That and bipolar disorder.

His thinking is that it's overdiagnosed, generally, because you give people stimulants (speed) and then they perform better.

Diagnosis. Pill. Problem solved!

Who knows what they are doing with the DSM-V.

We had teachers tell us that our DD10 had ADD-I. As it turns out, she has absence seizures.

Google 50 conditions that mimic adhd and see what you can eliminate or investigate further.

I agree with DeeDee that most professionals won't (probably rightly) make an ADD/ADHD diagnosis as young as 4 years old. And with Mamabear that you should also check out other possible conditions.

If your son has issues interfering with daily life and learning, there are lots of interventions you can try even without an official diagnosis. I think Grinity mentioned most of them:

occupational therapy, sensory integration therapy, structure and good sensory diet at home, parenting strategies (like Nurtured Heart and my new favorite "collaborative problem solving").