My daughter is 8 years old and her teacher is concerned she has ADD. Any Advice?

Question

She is doing very well academically but when it comes time to do independent work she has a really hard time focusing and completing her assignments on time. It is the same thing with homework. Something that should take 15 minutes to do I usually struggle with her to complete within an hour!! I'm not ready to call her doctor. I feel there is something else to help her focus.

Answer 1

She needs to find a way of learning that interests her. Usually visual learning helps. The only way she will get homework done and comprehend what she did is to get her interested in it somehow. Try studying with her and find little ways to make learning fun and interesting.

Answer 2

Take her to the doctor and have her tested if you suspect ADHD.  Otherwise try reading "Ending the Homework Hassle" by John Redmond, it has some really good tips.

Answer 3

Teachers are not Doctors! I had the same thing from a Teacher with my daughter and I do not believe in just assuming and putting kids on meds. She was fine then and she's fine now - she's 11 and this was a few years ago. Sometimes school is just boring.

Answer 4

Excuse me, a QUILIFIED TEACHER thinks your daughter may have ADD, and you refuse to call a doctor! She has spent 2-4 years in a uni. training for this stuuf and you think shes not right???? I BEGGED my mom to take me to a doctor for ADD testing, even though I only got my wsh last year, I have not got ADD but dyspraxia.

But take her to a doctor! She may require it, it could be VITAL to her education if no one knows it's there till her A-Levels!

Answer 5

Please don't jump on the medication bandwagon!  Some teachers are so quick to attach that ADD label to kids, and it's led to an epidemic of kids being medicated when they don't really need to be.  I think it's just what they go through at this age, my daughter is 8 and homework is such a hassle, she will stand up after every problem she completes, or she'll draw or write a story or even dance when she should be doing her homework.  It's frustrating yes, but if I'm firm with her and patient, then she will finally get to her homework.  Yet I would never attach the ADD label to her because she can sit and read a book or write a book of her own, and she does very well in school and in her activities.  If it would make you feel better then go ahead and get her evaluated, but I really hope you don't medicate her.  The medication changes who they are, really, I hated what it did to my friend's son, he went from a happy, silly, mischievous and smart little boy to a scrawny zombie that had to start drinking Ensure to counteract the weight loss.

Answer 6

i had the same problem when i was about 9 we went to the Doctor he said to not eat food with food coloring in it and it worked try it for a week check every label.

Answer 7

OK, i must give you a short testimonial here...

My son is 11 years old, he has ADD - combined type.  For most of his younger years from about 4 - 9 years old, I refused to take him to the doctor because i didn't want to admit he had a disorder and then i was afraid that they would put him on meds and I didn't want to hurt him.  LET ME TELL YOU how bad of a mistake that was!  I not only made him suffer for almost five years, but it caused him to be held back a grade in kindergarten and also to get severely behind in his academics.  Now that he has been diagnosed (by a specialist), he is on FocalinXR and doing quite well.  He has turned his Fs into Bs and Cs and he has even been able to make friends at school.  

One thing though, if your daughter needs extra help with concentration, you might try letting her listen to music on headphones while she studies.  For some reason, it helps children with ADD to focus on what they are doing.  

If you do decide to take her to a specialist, make sure they give you the "conner's" paperwork for her teachers and you to fill out and then make them do the necessary tests before giving your child any medication.  This is vital to her success.

Good luck!

Answer 8

It really wouldn't hurt to have her tested. She could have another type of learning disability.

Better safe than sorry and late than never.