Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Psychomotor Overexcitability - DS Age 5 *Updated*

ADHD? Look up symptoms on Wikipedia. He may be too young to diagnose though. Also look up Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. This is all I have to offer based on your description. DD was diagnosed ADHD at age 6 and she calmed down a lot on stimulants (I'm not telling you that he has ADHD or that you should medicate, but it's just something to consider).
Sorry things aren't going more smoothly. Keep in mind kids with ADHD can focus very well (or hyperfocus) on things that interest them.

I'm sorry things aren't going better amielyn. Yes, there are things that are considered to be processing disorders - actually more than one type. It's *very* difficult to try and guess what's up with children your ds' age because similar behaviors can be resulting from many different types of challenges or situations etc. It's been my experience that when you have a concern and that concern has stretched across more than one "classroom" (pre-k, taikwondo, kindergarten), then it's a good idea to consider an evaluation by a professional who can look at how your child is functioning overall, and help try to figure out what's behind the challenging behaviours. While it's absolutely normal for a kindergarten-aged child to want to move around in the classroom, if you've got teachers or adult leaders in more than one environment who are noting that your ds' behavior is exceptional, chances are that there *might* be something going on, and if you can figure out what it is, you can help him work around it or overcome it.

For example, my older dd also had a really difficult time sitting still and paying attention (as well as following directions) when she was your ds' age. We (parents) as well as her pediatrician and just about anyone else who met her thought she must surely have ADHD. We definitely thought she had extreme sensitivities and she went through listening therapy as well as sensory therapy with an OT (plus she had a weighted vest and sat on one of the seat cushions mentioned above etc). It all did help - to a certain extent. But she still couldn't focus in class, didn't follow directions etc. It wasn't until 2nd grade that we finally had her go through a full neuropsych eval, only to find out she had severe double vision, and once that was corrected the other issues disappeared. I'm not suggesting your ds has a vision issue - just trying to point out - it's just almost impossible to know without the advice and perspective of a trained professional who can see your child for e global type of evaluation.

Since the school is calling for a conference, I'd suggest that you ask for the school's help in trying to figure out what is going on. You can ask for specific information about when he appears to have trouble listening, etc at the meeting - and you can also request an evaluation through the school.


Home is a very different environment than the outside world. As parents, we tend to set up our home environment in a way that allows our children to work around their challenges, even if we don't see it or don't consciously attempt to do it. It's also possible that attention isn't really the issue - something else is happening in the classroom or elsewhere that is causing him to have difficulty paying attention, but that same challenge isn't present at home.

Hope that makes sense!

Best wishes,

polarbear

Thanks polarbear and blackcat. The conference is in a few hours and I'll post back what we talked about.

Points the teacher made:
1. Constant motion, making noises, being disruptive
2. Personal space boundaries
3. Distracted/ trouble staying on task (stuck in head)
4. Leaves class to play in the bathroom
5. Running
6. Trouble processing directions and class routines
7. Hurries through work to move on to fun activities

She recommended a pediatrician evaluation and possible social therapy. Ot therapy, etc. We have talked with his pediatrician before and he does not think DS has autism or ADD. The school does not have a gifted program and the teacher seems willing to help, but overwhelmed with class size and resources. We are considering homeschooling. I would love to hear everyones thoughts. I am overwhelmed and tired.

Why does the pediatrician think it's not ADD? Because those are all ADHD symptoms. I'm not saying that it's for sure ADHD but it seems bizarre to just rule it out. The pediatrician should have inventories like the Conner's (teacher and parent versions). I would ask for them and fill them out. You could also try the school psychologist. I'm so disgusted with schools/teachers who bring up problems like this but then do not refer the child for a SCHOOL evaluation. If the teacher has concerns about a possible disability, they are legally mandated to evaluate the child. They can't just tell you to go get him therapy on your own. Of course you should talk to pediatrician, but they are not off the hook. If you want the school to evaluate him, then you can put a request in writing. I would probably try again with a pediatrician though, to ask about ADHD. Then you would have a medical diagnosis. You may also want to go to a neuropsych (or skip pediatrician and go directly to neuropsych) if you have any suspicion of autism/aspergers. A teacher will generally not suggest diagnoses like ADHD or autism to parents because they are not qualified to diagnose. Instead they will throw out all the symptoms and hope that you catch on. DD's ADHD was pretty obvious since she was so unfocused and she did things like run down hallways but no teacher EVER told me "I think she should be evaluated for ADHD." They just rambled on about her focus issues.

I agree blackcat, about teachers just tossing out the problems but not suggesting any strategies or solutions. We did meet with this pediatrician about a year ago. It was a long visit, 1.5 hours. He monitored DS, we brought checklists and papers. He talked with DS for a good while, asked lots of questions, and then decided he was not autistic. He said he could qualify for aspergers, but mild.
I think his ADD likes symptoms are a result of his OEs. His psychomotor OE is strong. He moves constantly, even while reading! He is also very intense. I would agree with sensory issues as well.
We are considering an outside evaluation versus the school one due to my hubs concerns of what he would like to share with the school.

I think that's a good idea. Just make sure you go to a reputable place (we took both kids to a major university). Then you can take the report back to the school as an independent evaluation, and they have to consider the findings/recommendations.

Personally I think everyone with ADHD probably also has psychomotor OE (at least hyperactive type ADHD). I wouldn't rule out ADHD. The focus issues and impulsivity are major flags.

FWIW, my DS would have had a list that looked just like your DS's when he was in K if it hadn't been a good fit. Teacher fit makes a huge difference, and they often think they are doing a great job (which I'm sure they are, just not for your kid's differences) and its all your kid. Which - it is. But that doesn't mean its ADHD or any other 'disorder.' They want a label that they understand and know what to do with (which is pretty normal).

You said he didn't do well in Taekwondo, but did fine in Lego and art classes. So he did ok in some classes where teacher fit and expectation were more flexible (yes?). And if you'd asked him, would he have told you he loved Lego and art, but only liked Taekwondo? Just guessing here, but sometimes fit is about preferred activities...

For my DS we looked at sensory processing issues and even did a year of OT (which he loved, b/c who wouldn't love an OT gym?). However the more I've learned the more convinced I am that its largely psychomotor OE for us as well. Combined with his other OEs, it can be a bit much at times. But no one thinks ADHD for us, and yet I feel I could've written your initial post. All this is simply to say - sounds like you know your kiddo well, go with your gut! That said, an eval isn't a bad idea -- it has helped us immensely to have the IQ numbers in advocating for appropriate school work!

Thanks Pine, Yes, he said he loved Lego class but didn't like Taekwondo. He begged us to quit before things got worse but we thought we would teach him a life lesson, "Finish what you start". Well, he sort of taught us! At school he likes some things and "hates" others. Most of his problems are with being still. She would correct him and he would get the giggles, then move around more.

He does have trouble with social cues and personal boundaries. We've worked on this since he was little. He can come a long way since 1 year old, but not enough for the school setting. I am looking into Superflex or another social learning software. Or and OT.

Another thing is pushing. He thinks its fun to play hard and push. Ex: Game of tag, instead of tagging the other kid, he pushes. He's strong for his age. He already has two "marks" against him, at school, about pushing. They said one more and he gets a referral. Not sure the punishment with a referral but we want to avoid it.

Even with a long assessment appointment, I wouldn't necessarily rely on a regular pediatrician to diagnose a 2E child. The giftedness can mask so many other issues and pediatricians are (probably) more attuned to obvious cases. For us, the most important specialist was a neuropsychologist. Even then, though, it seems like there are so many overlapping symptoms that it can be difficult to tease out an accurate diagnosis.

It sounds like you have a good handle on the most pressing issues at this point, with the motor hyperactivity and social issues. The tricky part is figuring out what's causing them so you can use appropriate interventions. Can't imagine any harm done by social skills training, at any rate. I think (but am not certain) that OT would be helpful if there are specific physical skills that need work. I'd want to know more about the diagnosis before spending a lot of time (and money) on therapies.