What tipped you off?

[sierra]

I'm not real sure where to put this question but it's one I've been thinking about a lot lately. It seems to me that although ADHD has been the constant underpinnings of what's different about my sprouts that it's the comorbids that get the day to day attention.

It was sure the comorbids that got them evaluated. At the time the term ADHD was what caused me to sit up and take notice. But that's mostly because some of the other terminology was unfamiliar and didn't seem nearly so much of a concern to the docs. They didn't get medical treatment for their LDs. they didn't get medical treatment for ODD. They got medical treatment for ADHD.

But it's not ADHD that drives their teachers nutty. It's not ADHD that has their psychs scratching their heads. It's anxiety and sensory shutdown and depression and ODD.

So. What got your attention enough to seek a diagnosis? What was your child's teacher tsking about in Kindergarten or 1st grade? What was driving you up the walls in the afternoons and weekends?

I'm curious if it's the comorbids that flush our children out of the bushes or if its the classic ADHD/ADD symptoms that people pick up on. Somehow I doubt that.

[finnmom]

Sierra
I got the first tip, that I reacted, from preschool 6 y/o. they do these test-for-beeing-ready-for-school for children who seem to need them, theacher pick´s them up. There came the suggest to wurther examination´s. the reason´s why, were: unable to sit still for a period of time, unable to recognise the first letter of word´s, autidotry understanding(?), restlessnes , I memorize these were the top-one´s.

Although, I kind a knew way before. My kollege told me after doing 5 y/o-test for ds (rutin in my neck of wood´s) that I might like to get my son to psychologist. I didt ;D I didn´t want to know!

In our case I vote for ADHD-symptom´s beeing the last thing for me to go to get dx. My son does not have any major comorbid´s, so I might not be the best to answer this one.
Marja

[camismom]

I think in my case it was the classic ADHD symptoms. Cami really doesn't have any comorbids though. She was always a child on the go, and a difficult one (being very stubborn). I started "sitting up and taking notice" after I married my second husband and would see Cami's behavior compared to my two stepdaughters behavior (one of which is the same age as Cami). Then first grade came and the reports from her teacher that she was not getting her work done on time, fidgeting too much, etc., and I noticed homework that should have taken a very short time to do was taking ALL night. Soooo, the rest is history so tp speak.

[Honeysmom]

After I started putting the pieces together the signs of something were there all of Honey's life. What really made me take notice was when I noticed other kids his age didn't have the tantums he had and didn't act (for lack of a better word) like a baby. We put it off, but when he really got violent over the summer we couldn't ignore it any longer. I fully thought until about 7 or 8 months ago that I was the problem, not a disorder of any kind.

[LitlBaa]

With Katie it was the hyperactivity, and being told by an "expert" that girls weren't hyper. Then why was she bouncing off the walls? Duh...

She was (and is) so intense about everything, especially when things don't go her little way. Lately it's been so bad we call her Bitter Barbara. I'm wondering if there's an underlying comorbid that we haven't picked up on yet, or if she's just 12. Don't know yet.

[mctavish23]

Hi,

LitlBaa, that was an excellent post and very funny to boot.The truth is that the symptoms listed in the DSM-IV are weighted towards boys( I know..... another duh:) ) . That's why the Conners Checklists are so important because they and the ADHD-IV checklist by George DuPaul, are the only two that do that.

The obvious end result is that girls get underdiagnosed,especially for hyperactivity. The interesting thing is that there is no qualitative difference in the symptoms ; meaning girls are impacted equally as boys are.So there is no such thing as a "boys" ADHD vs a "girls.
I hope this helps a little. Thanks.

mctavish23(Robert)

[Dad2Brooke]

Sierra, ADHD symptoms are what tipped us off as well. Like camismom I don't believe Brooke has any comorbids. She has always been very active, very loud, very inatttentive and very impulsive.

I like to say she has no internal filter. That little voice inside your head that tells most people what they are about to do or say is not a good idea is missing in Brooke.

We knew early on that Brooke had ADHD. My wife had(has) it, and Grandma and Grandpa picked up on it when she was a toddler.

We could also tell when watching her play with other children that she wasn't quite like them. Always more active, never able to focus on a game for long, always yelling, thumping, bumping, banging, running, jumping... you get the point.

Once she entered preschool, well... I'll let an earlier post I made tell that story.

Dad2Brooke said:

Then came preschool. We interviewed with the director. We told her that we suspected ADHD. We were sitting in her office, Michelle, Brooke and I and Brooke is crawling, flailing, asking for candy, interrupting, you name it. The director is trying her darndest to ignore her behavior and going on and on about her program and how it will benefit Brooke. I remember thinking, "Oh yeah, this is gonna last."

Well the next Monday Brooke starts preschool. I was working PM shift then so I am at home. 2:30 the phone rings, "Mr. Gibbs, we are having a problem getting your daughter to take nap."

"She doesn't take naps," I say.

"Well, all of our children take naps."

The conversation continues and she proceeds to tell me all about Brooke's day and the many difficulties she is having there.

We decide that Brooke will sit quietly and look at books.

I hang up. 30 minutes later, they call back, Brooke has managed to waken a whole room full of cranky 3 year olds. "Um, Mr. Gibbs, we are gonna need you to come pick up you child."

Next day she made it til lunch time. "Come get your child."

Wednesday she managed until nap time. "Come get your child."

Thursday, I just got home from dropping her off, "Come get your child."

Friday we are back in the directors office. She now is no longer ignoring Brooke's behavior and sweetly suggests that Brooke may have ADHD and we may want to have her tested.

"No kidding" I think.

So Monday she is back and the director assigns her to a new teacher. She is the parent of 2 ADHD sons. She was the greatest, although I know that Brooke put her through the wringer. Many a day, I showed up to pick up Brooke and Kim would have a huge smile on her face that it was finally over. Many other days, she just looked like she was shot out of a cannon.

God bless her, she watched Brooke for two years until Brooke started Kindergarten.

[kstquilter]

well i have to say i had no idea there was a problem with dd. she's our oldest and have no prior experience with this.
i didn't realize until recently that dd is H as well. the constant talking is part of the H. she was busy as a child but not bouncing off the walls.
she has always been inattentive, unfocused. Like D2B said, the filter is missing. in fact that's how it was first explained to me.
Her 2nd grade teacher is the one who said we might need to see if she had some sort of problem. she never mentioned what it might be. she just said that she had tried every reward system she knew and they all worked for about 2 days and then she didn't care. we'd also noticed the same thing.
dd was not a planned pregnancy although we were planning a family, we had just moved out of state so we wouldn't have planned for her at the particular time. i always thought the difficulties i had with her were due to that fact and somehow she always knew. especially after ds was born and i felt so much more connected to him. he's more affectionate and loving than she has ever been and still is even as a 15 year old boy. so i had always blamed her lying, seeming lack of conscience, lack of affection, etc. on her somehow knowing i wasn't quite ready for her. although the love was always there.
once she was dx'd it was such a relief that maybe there was an actual reason for her behavior and one that could be treated.
dd has no other problems such as the ones you've mentioned. I have to say i don't know what a comorbid is and have never head the term. because she has no other problems, i know the adhd is what other people react to.
karen

[camismom]

LitlBaa said:

I'm wondering if there's an underlying comorbid that we haven't picked up on yet, or if she's just 12.

LitlBaa,

I'm with you on this one! 12 is obviously a rough age for girls! Hormones maybe? Cami has been a devil the past few months! Attitude from hell! Nice to know we're not alone!!

[Linda]

I didn't think I was going to make it through 12 and 13 without doing some serious damage (just kidding) It is a terrible age for many parents.I think the worst thing for me was the mouth and the know it all attitude.

This has tapered off,thank god and things are much better.

[Madison]

Well, if we didn't EVER have to go to school and learn to READ, WRITE AND MATH and the BIG one MEMORZATION my life would be WONDERFUL!!!!!!

My child is more LD disorder with a touch of ADD. I think school is very, very hard for her and she wonders off into space in HOPES school will end quickly so she can get home and play with her Barbie's! She was figetness in kindergarten and 1st grade but it's really IMPROVED now in 2nd. She starts the figetness when school papers are diffficult for her! I think alot of kids show hyperness when material is too hard for them to understand or complete and the school labels it as ADD/ADHD. I would be staring into space too if I was asked to spend 30 minutes reading a book written in GREEK if I couldn't read Greek!! That's something a parent forgets to relate to the teacher. Those kinds of concepts. Why does she squirm and wiggle and look everywhere in the world besides her school work? She doesn't or can't understand the material so she's BORED! My child use to get so frustrated she would SCRIBBLE all over her paper because she didn't understand how to do it and frustration would build up! I knew she was different because it took forever and a day to get her to COUNT to 10. My husband said "Ask her right now to count to 10 and you'll see her hesitate with 5,6,7,8,9,10" She knows the answer but it's hard for her to bring it back up from memory.

Take care...madison