Who has ADD? My son or his teacher? ?

Question

Well my 8 year old son just started 2nd grade two weeks ago (we held him back in Kindergarten due to maturity issues). Last year, all we heard from his 1st grade teacher was his lack of attentiveness and how we should have him tested for ADD/ADHD. We didn't have him tested because his grades were great. Nothing below a B all year long. She was concerned about him being behind on his reading level but @ the end of the year, he received the award for the most improved reader. Now we're 2 weeks into the new school year and his new teacher sent home a note saying that he cannot stay on task and that she has done all she knows to do. I'll be the first one to admit that he does have a hard time focusing on his school work because he doesn't find it interesting. Give him something he loves to do such as drawing and he'll stay busy for hours. At home, we work with him one on one and he has made nothing but 100's so far this year. In my opinion, ADD is over diagnosed. The first sign of a problem, and the teachers seem to encourage putting your child on medication. I realize that some kids need it and that's fine, but the fact that all the teachers where my son attends school seem to rely on prescriptions for ADD to help make their jobs a little easier makes me lose faith in our school system and the teachers that are there to help our children learn. What'd do you guys think about this?

Answer 1

Sounds like ADHD to me.  Of course he can over focus on what he enjoys, that's classic.  The big question isn't whether it's over diagnosed, it's whether you are helping your son function by denying him treatment.  The best treatment is meds with cognitive therapy, second best is just meds, third best is cognitive therapy, the least helpful is getting him no help.  The good thing is that often boys do grow out of it as their frontal lobes take longer to mature...

Honestly, if your son does have ADHD and you decide to not treat it you are doing him a disservice, not the teacher - it's not her life being effected the most.  Trust me, as a woman with ADHD, it's easier to live your life with treatment then without help.  Oh yeah, I got 100s, straight As, MCAT of 15 and a T on the essay, "stellar" GRE scores - still, it's hard to function off of meds.    

Answer 2

if two different teachers are saying the same thing, there must be a problem.

i am not diagnosing him because i am not a dr, i too think that adhd and add is overdiagnosed.

Answer 3

maybe he has add there nothing wrong with it, my daughter is 14 years old and she takes adderrall so dont woory about it  

Answer 4

I personally think ADD/ADHD is highly over diagnosed as well.  I think that is a parents excuse as far as not wanting to discipline their children and just give them a pill. OR like in your situation, the teachers don't want to give it a little time.  The first conclusion they jump to is "oh this kid has ADD, lets get him some medicine to calm him down"  I think kids are naturally energetic and "fast-paced" maybe too much so for the teachers these days.  I also think that since your son is 8years old you could sit down with him and have a decent conversation with him asking about what he learns everyday and what he likes/doesnt like etc, maybe this would get him more excited (especially if you stress school and such) - excited to be a "really good student" I guess,....I would try that for now.

:-) hope I helped a bit!

Answer 5

Your son's teacher has to deal with at least 25 more students in her class that just your son.  Your son was held back due to maturity problems obviously those problems have not been overcome and you admit yourself that he has problems focusing (except when it is on something HE is interested in)  School isn't about what your child is interested in, and the fact that his grades were high last year doesn't mean he doesn't suffer from ADHD.  Your son is expected to behave in a certain manner while in class and if he can't then he has some kind of problem and that problem needs to be addressed by you, his parents, if you don't he could wind up being held behind again.  Since you have no faith in the school systems then I suggest you homeschool however your son will still be expected to keep up with his grade level by the state.

Answer 6

Stick to your guns he'll be fine don't medicate(my opinion only).

It seems to me teachers now only want zombies.

Answer 7

I think I'd just go and get him tested. I was similar. I've actually been diagnosed with ADD, and I had great grades all through Elementary school. In Junior High, my grades plummeted, and now in High School I'm doing fine, but that's because we're working through the problem. Just because he doesn't have bad grades doesn't mean that he doesn't have ADD. A lot of really smart and talented people have ADD.

And just because he's diagnosed with ADD doesn't mean you have to put him on Meds, but it might make it easier for you to deal with and it can get you help in the school system. If something's wrong or if he needs some extra help, most teachers aren't going to do a thing unless he's on like a 504 plan.

Now, if you don't want to, you don't have to do anything. It's really up to you. But if it were me, I'd take him in just to see if it was ADD or they could refer him to someone who can help him with some stuff.

Hope I could help,

---Linzz.

Answer 8

i am in the uk, but agree ADD/ADHD is over diagnosed. my nephew is 8 and has been diagnosed with ADHA , but i dont think he is, i blame the teachers too, there is no way my nephew has it. but the difference is his parents dont see a problem with drugging him up, (but thats another story). i think it partly due to large class numbers and lazy teachers. the thing with my nephew is, no-one has assessed him just gone on teachers/parents thoughts.

i totally agree with you.

Answer 9

Actually, those do sound like symptoms of ADD.  And you've had two teachers express their concerns.  What do you have to lose by having him evaluated?  Do some research on your own so you can ask intelligent questions and draw your own conclusions from the testing. Not everyone with ADD needs medication. There are behavioral and environmental things that can be tried.  If the evaluation shows that he doesn't have ADD, you can relax and no harm will have been done.  If he does have it, you will be doing him a huge favor by starting to work with him early.  If he has it and you don't do anything, he may continue to fall behind and may have social problems along with academic problems. It makes sense to have it checked out.

Answer 10

I think you're smart to be cautious with the ADHD label. If your son can focus well enough to make the grades he is then I wouldn't medicate him. So what if he gets distracted easily, he's retaining enough info that he's making great grades. That's what's important right, that he's functioning well enough to learn at an appropriate level?  Maybe he's just very smart and gets bored easily, (my brother had the same problems as a kid and his IQ is off the charts!). I agree that sometimes kids need medication- but not unless the problem is so severe they're at risk of failing and you've tried everything else under the sun and nothing worked. If you're looking for a more natural, less dangerous solution, I would try a gluten free/casein free diet and remove all artificial flavors and colors. My son was having some major behavior problems last year and just with that diet he's become a different kid. I know it won't work for everyone but it's worth a shot. Google "food allergies and behavior problems" and you should find a ton of info. Good luck!