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My ds8 occasionally gets misdiagnosed as ADD (w/o hyperactivity) because he is so internally focused he can't pay attention to things very long. Some days it would be nice if he were ADD, because then medication could help him focus better.

I think often times people who have sensory issues (that make them sensation seeking) + internal focus (that makes them distracted) get misdiagnosed as ADHD. Not an expert opinion, however.

The other thing is that I think very bright children can often cheat on those tests. My ds7 tested average on verbal language when he was 4 and just learning to speak because he would use his superior pattern recognition skills to anticipate the answer to the next question. DH and I let it go though, we were so excited that he'd tested average (after a year and a half of tears and frustration trying to get him to speak at all), that we left the center doing little singsongy dances. (Long rambling point being, maybe he did find a way to sort of "cheat" the CAPD test?)

Yes!!! Omgosh, that's my DS. Originally the school was pushing for an ASD diagnosis (since ruled out), and I was convinced he had SPD, primarily "seeking." That combined with his vivid, active imagination makes him seem on the moon sometimes.

Sometimes he'll walk around in circles in the living room, or up and down the hallway, with this intense look of concentration on his face. When you ask him about it he'll say "shh! I'm imagining!" It's like the dynamic going on inside his head lifts him off his seat and compels him to move.

I think you're right, too, about the test "cheating" (or rather "compensating" )

How was ASD ruled out?

My ds8 does the circles/pacing too. Every single day, up and down the hall.

I wouldn't be surprised at all, but I'm trying to figure out how he could have. Unless there's another piece to audio processing (some kind of synergetic, environmentally driven sensory response) that can't be duplicated in a sound proof booth? I don't know.

Congrats on your sons test results, btw

The psychologist, in her formal assessment. Plus his anxiety counselor and our pediatrician as well as our family doctor all threw in their 2 cents saying he didn't seem autistic.

The psychologist lists autism as one of her specialties, and she said not only is he NOT autistic, she can't imagine anyone seeing autism in him.


Aw... no way!! They're like kindred spirits Does he have trouble paying attention or sitting still in school?

There was, like, a tango-line to the car. It's the little things.

ASD is often misunderstood, even in people who work in the field, so I always recommend to people that they keep an open mind to potential ASD therapies and solutions, even if they don't believe that's the right dx for their child. They can help a broad range of kids. Both my boys are ASD (one mild and one moderate), and you're listing lots of similar qualities to them, from sensory problems to repetitive behaviors while lost in their minds to verbal language difficulties. Of course, there are a lot of coexisting spectrumy things in many kids, so take that for what it's worth.

As always with language or speech problems, consider an audiology exam to rule out hearing loss. The doctor's office test is very crude and frequently misses even major hearing loss.

My son also does the circles or pacing while he is thinking. I would say he spends at least an hour a day doing that. I wonder what that is about?