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I think that the best book for parents and teachers to start with is 'transforming the difficult child WORKBOOK' by Lisa Bravo

It's one of those workbooks that is totally fine on it's own.

Enjoy,
Grinity

Thank you, both.

We are currently in the middle of this journey. I never in my life would have thought DS9 had ADHD. I'm still not convinced. Our situation is complicated by a diagnosis of dyslexia and sensory processing disorder. He is currently in 4th grade. It was actually his 3rd grade teacher that hinted at the possibility of ADHD. She constantly complained that he seemed to not be paying attention and was always moving, fidgeting, etc. Sensory seeking is a part of sensory processing disorder, so I attributed most of this to the SPD diagnosis. Even his teacher eventually admitted that even though he seemed not to be paying attention, he could actually pipe up in the middle of a class discussion with very relevant and thought provoking comments.

BUT then we went for psych testing...WISC, WIAT, Conners assessment. The psych diagnosed ADHD-Inattentive and highly believed most of his issues would get better with meds. At this point we have gone through Straterra, Intuniv and Vyvance. All caused intolerable side effects (and I'm not a person that goes looking for side effects of medications). He is currently on Ritalin. We have been working on dosing over the past several weeks. We worked up to 15 mg each morning, but his teachers at school have not noticed a difference. (His teachers at school also say that, while he fidgets alot, he is doing well and they don't think he needs meds). His after school tutor for dyslexia, however, really thinks he needs meds, as she can't get him to stay still enough to get anything done in the afternoons. So I stopped giving him the Ritalin in the morning and tried giving it to him immediately after school, before his tutoring. I thought we had found the answer because his tutor said he did great the first day he was on the Ritalin. Unfortunately, none of the subsequent days has seen the same result. I increased the dose to 20 mg yesterday, still with no effect. It's very frustrating. I'm back to thinking that he doesn't have ADHD and that his ADHD-like behavior is all due to sensory processing/sensory seeking.

I'm sorry to ramble on. It was nice to vent. I guess my point is that there is no easy diagnosis and no easy solution.

Hi Perplexed,
I responded to this post here
http://giftedissues.davidsongifted.org/BB/ubbthreads.php/topics/114138.html#Post114138

I'm glad you got a chance to vent. It really makes a difference!
Smiles,
G

Perplexed, I just posted a topic in Parenting that asks some of the same questions you bring up here. I also have a sensory seeker and to me it seems like his physical "hyperactivity" is related to sensory overload in a sense, rather than the inability to pay attention. We have also had a few issues in school with him "not paying attention" although it hasn't been complained about too much. When I asked him about it, he said that he understood what the teacher was saying the first time she said it and he didn't see why he needed to listen to her repeat it several more times! So I also think that kids who pick up on things quickly may sometimes appear to be inattentive, but like your DS, are perfectly capable of participating even when they don't appear to be paying attention.

I also think there are expectations about what someone who is paying attention looks like: sitting still, quiet, eyes on the speaker. But one can assume this position without really paying attention OR, especially for sensory seekers, one could be paying attention without being still or looking directly at the speaker. And then how frustrating to be scolded for not paying attention!

I believe being gifted is like a learning disability in the average school. I recall reading about the 7-yo exceptionally gifted boy who, when asked what doctors do, could not answer. After all, there are so many different doctors for so many things. He almost certainly felt dumb and humiliated. Every other child in an average class could answer the question, just as the teacher expected.

Rinse and repeat this feeling of being dumb or not fitting in multiple times every day for a child of that variety, and what do you expect them to do? Fidget, fuss, doodle, clown, stare, daydream. Are they supposed to conjure a non-existent inner Zen master and sit patiently and without thought while the rest of the class and the teacher work toward conclusions that he, seemingly by intuition, grasped long ago? What's the point? Why am I here? That leaf on the tree outside is so much more interesting...

Add even a minor ADHD or learning disability into the mix and it functions like a huge monkey wrench. The anxiety and self-image issues and coping strategies such a situation would generate may soon eclipse and obscure the root causes.

All that to say, I'm practically talking myself into homeschooling here.

@ Pru: "LIKE" I think you really nailed it there, very well put.

Lots of children with sensory processing disorders also have retained infantile reflexes, which can make sitting still in a classroom almost impossible. There is also a link between sensory processing disorders and cerebellar dysfunction, which can likewise make sitting still difficult. Children who have poor proprioception (often an aspect of a sensory processing disorder) frequently move constantly just so that they can be aware of where their bodies are in space. If they don't move and fidget, they have a hard time balancing or telling what position their body is in. Stimulants won't help this. A sensory diet of frequent heavy work, "buzzing and brushing", and deep proprioceptive input, along with activities that help reintegrate infantile reflexes and improve balance and coordination can help many children with these issues be better able to sit still.

ETA: Perhaps sharing this information with the O-G tutor will make her back off a bit on her insistence that your child needs to be still while learning...

If his teachers think he doesn't need meds, have you thought of not doing the meds?
I'm reading a very interesting book called Anatomy of an epidemic by Robert Whitaker. It talks about the use/overuse of psych drugs in America. They have a chapter on ADD/ADHD drugs. In it, the author talks about how there are no real, long-term studies that show that taking these meds lead to better grades, etc. long-term. He talks about how these meds have alot of side effects including provoking mental illness (mania/bipolar) in some kids, stunting their growth, etc.
Sometimes I wonder how many kids who end up on meds really needed them. So the kid is fidgety, big deal. Deal with it! I'm sure a teacher, frankly, would rather have a room full of medicated, zombie-like kids than a bunch of active, free-thinking ones!
Anyway... just food for thought. (My kids do not have ADD/ADHD or take meds, but we have lots of friends who do).

yeah, what you said Pru

I remember that feeling myself. Interestingly enough, it got worse as I got older, I guess my coping mechanisms also increased though and I do (and don't have to force myself) appreciate a wide variety of people for the variety they bring to life. But I have had that feeling in COLLEGE even! A feeling of "geez, did you people even OPEN your book last night?" That there IS such a thing as a "dumb question" and yeah, that leaf...lol!

I observed DD8 2/3 split class today (don't EVEN get me started on THAT, she is in the 3rd grade part, ugh!) and it was controlled chaos at best DD has ALWAYS been sensitive to noise and has complained many times about other people's talking distracting her...I think I have MYSELF practically talked into homeschool *sigh*