How can you tell if your child has ADD?

Question

My son is in 3rd grade and he has a very hard time staying focused and is always very disorganized. His teachers from the other years have always said the same. He gets very upset when he is doing his homework. He is such a great kid and I do not wan t him on any Med. not if I can help it. Is there anything that I can do at home for him?

Answer 1

ADD/ADHD can be recognized in children. It is sometimes more obvious during the stress of the teenage years. Aspects of ADD/ADHD brain chemistry always persist into adulthood in my experience although they typically evolve and change with aging.

Regardless of age, the diagnosis of ADD/ADHD must be made clinically. There are no tests yet that replace clinical judgment. The diagnosis is dependent on the presence of at least several of the following TEN characteristics:


(*)Academic underachieving and/or inattentiveness due to difficulty processing and understanding information.


(*)Hyperactive or excessively fidgety behavior of varying intensity.


(*)Impulsivity: Verbal, i.e., blurting or interrupting others) and/or Action (i.e., acts before thinking or shifts from one activity to another excessively.


Enuresis (nocturnal bedwetting).


Dyslexia: a. Spatial, i.e., writing with reversals or reversing number sequences and Verbal, i.e., let me invite me to your birthday party (inverted meaning: invite you to my birthday party).


Falling asleep slowly (even if tired).


Coming awake slowly (unless excited).


Frequent, unexplained irritability and easy frustration.


Negativity with or without "awful feelings" or depression. Holding on to anger and/or negative thoughts.


Episodic explosiveness or "rage" or "tantrums" over "little things" or minor issues.

Answer 2

might be gifted too...you can read for hours all the pros and cons all the false diagnostics and professionals who claim to have the answers.There are so many ways to go: natural herbs, to hard core amphedimines. (I have been down this road with myself and 3 kids)
I prefer the EKG brain mapping. Electrodes stuck on the scalp transmit the brain waves to a computer. Years of research show certain patterns are present in ADD or ADHD. The clinitian will explain. I don't know how you get insurance to pay for that. Schools won't. They use cheaper way, behavioral observation. Very subjective. The real key is finding a teacher, or program which is more flexible. I learned a lot from a teacher next door to my classroom. She was pretty ADHD herself but she knew kids needed to get up and walk around. She structured her environment for those kind of kids. She had colored folders and bins and shelves so the active kid had to get up and locate items like sissors. They weren't just passed out..to play with later on..She had centers and systems for turn taking, all these things were explained but the kids were a) facinated with al the cool things the room held b) motivated to change tasks when they earned the priviledge.
Creative, organized teachers help. Teachers who see the beauty in all childen are more accepting than those ridgid ones who want all the kids to conform. I've had kids who were labled ADHD who were just bored in the regular room. I've had gifted kids who were reading 4 grade levels above but couldn't do 2nd grade math. We celebrated their strengths- self esteem is sooo important!!!!! I put one of my own kids in a small charter program cause it was less distracting and less teasing.
So.. get down to reading-up on the subject and getting the school to explain whatever formal testing they have done.

Answer 3

as u urself said he is a great kid... than i would say just say as all grownups too have some or other drawback even child has so.... however if his attention level is low... try not to make him do the same kid of job for longer period.... also try to do each thing in different manner.... bring changes to the same thing to catchup with his attention....most imp be calm... dont force on him with time u will c the diff