Attention Question

Sounds like he's not being challenged enough in the classroom. He's pulling down nearly straight A's without even paying attention? Can he test into any honors track programs yet?

I don't have specific recommendations for children with ADD but my husband has it and it has gotten worse since having children to the point of being medicated a bit. However, there are certain diets and the like that can aid in focus. We found that a diet high in protein and lower in fat calories and excessive carbs helped him with focus. I would look into that first before medication anyways. Good luck.

He sounds like a pretty bright kid, so is it possible that he just finds the classroom not very challenging and is bored with it? How about a special project for him to do when he completes other work, or something like that?

K.,

I agree with the mother who suggested having him tested by the school system. Teachers are often more likely to pay attention to tangible test results. I am a therapist and often have trouble with teachers who THINK a child has ADHD and won't listen until the child has been tested.
I also agree with the mom's who suggest omega 3 fish oils. Dr. Sears (whom I love) has developed GO FISH and other supplements to help with general health, development, learning capacity, behavior, attitude and attention. Here is the website so you can check it out. http://www.drsearsfamilyapproved.com/AskDrSears-GoFishLin...

Hope this helps,

H. Simpson

He sounds like a perfectly healthy, bright 9 year old boy to me - kudos to you and the teacher for being able to accept that and not medicate him for being a human boy. For info on boys, attention, the need to fidget and different ways all kids absorb and respond to stimulus I recommend, "How your child is smart", and "Raising Cain". Don't forget, it really wasn't that long ago that it would have been scoffed at to suggest that a 9 year old boy be asked to sit for the majority of his waking hours in a room with a bunch of other kids... instead of being out of doors, romping ar working his rear end off at the farm or such like... school as we do it now is a bit... unnatural for the inclinations of children, so working with him to help him adapt to the environment is most humane and wonderful thing for you as a parent, and for his teacher, to do for/with him. Best wishes.

What about getting him into a Karate class? That REALLY helps kids with their focus!

K.,
I have a 10 year old son in the 5th grade. He has had the same problem. Focus, yada yada... I started him on coraOmega3 it is fish oil that is in a small package and is orange flavored. It is not a medicine, it is all natural oil found in fish, "omega3" It is not only good for attention it is good for hair, skin, nails heart.
I found out about it from someone who's is a nurse and son is ADHD, she tried this first and had great success with it. And I do notice a difference in my son when he dos not take it. You can find it at the GNC store it was $34.95 for a box of 90. I figured it was not a drug, and if it did not help w/ his focusing, at least he would have the other bebfits. I also got my neighbors to use it on there son and now they take it also. But something else I have learned, I have a boy and a girl,boys just seem to take a bit longer, well some boys. It is coming along for my son he is a young 10 year old has a late b-day so he is one of the younger 5th graders. I also try to give him directions, I start w/ 1 thing then I slowly add 2,3, etc. to the things I want him to do. It also seems to help with focus and attention. I also make sure I always talk right to him and make him amke eye contact with me, I also make him repeat what I told him.
I only wish I had this website to go to when this all started w/ my boy. I know how fustrating it can be.
I hope I was able to help you out.
Good Luck..

K.,
I recommend strongly looking at his diet. What is he eating at lunch time? We have switched to almost entirely organic foods and eliminated processed foods in our home and I have noticed a huge difference in the behavior of my boys. Diet is such a huge factor when it comes to behavior, attention, and memory. I hope this helps.

Try chiropractic care.. for more info on the research go to the International Pediatric Chiropractic Association website. You can also get a referral for someone who has training in pediatric chiropractic. icpa4kids.org.

I am a chiro who specializes in kids (now on maternity leave), and we see great success with our little ones. Much safer and more effective than medication for borderline cases.

There is a book... The Active Alert Child... I'm not sure if it fits, but it is on my mind as I was listening to the author talk last night. And I have also heard a lot lately about diet changes that can help with ADD type symptoms.... something related to hard to notice allergies or sensitivities. Keep looking, I know you will find something to help. -C.

Maybe he is bored. You said he gets all A's and 1 B, and this is while he is distracted? Sounds like he needs more of an academic challenge. I'm not sure how you go about it, but I'm pretty sure the school could have him tested. Maybe he belongs in a gifted class.

Hi K.,
There is a plethora of reasons your smart son may be not paying attention. They can run the spectrum of boredom to ADHD to sensory sensitivity. First, just be sure he isn't eating any foods with additives. A new study came out a few weeks ago showing kids that consumed food with additives sometimes resembled ADHD kids. Next, wash his clothes in detergent that does not have dyes and fragrances. Lastly, make sure he gets plenty of sleep, and send him off with a wholesome, sugar free breakfast. Good luck! Chel

Hi K.!
I think you've received some great replies so far and it is possible that your son is bored, but I wanted to throw a couple of more options out there so you can cover all areas. I believe Scott mentioned sleep as being an issue. Just lacking a small amount each day can really have an impact on daytime functioning. Another thing that came to mind was allergies. Especially during the fall, people with seasonal allergies tend to have more pressure in their sinuses, which includes the eyes, and makes concentrating and focusing more difficult. You could ask him if he has any allergy related symptoms or talk to his doctor. Allergies don't have to show signs of watery eyes and sneezing. Many times they just irritate the sinuses and make day to day activities more difficult. I hope you've gotten enough suggestions to allow you to really look into your son's issue and find a solution. Good luck to you!

you could try putting him on Omega 3 (fish oil) it is suppose to help with focus and people who don't want to be on medication for things such as ADD.

Take a look at Learning Rx. My son had the exact same issues and had great grades. Over time, however, his grades started slipping due to the lack of attention. His cognitive skills may be lacking which is sometimes viewed as attention problems. The program worked great for us!

I would also consider looking into sleep. Does he wake up easily on his own in the morning, or does he have to be woken up? If you can think of your own reactions and appearance when you've gone several days with just not enough sleep, "looking and acting tired" isn't the only symptom; spacing-out is pretty common. Don't consider "bedtime" alone as a factor; the depth of the sleep itself can be affected by lots of factors, such as food, comfort, breathing obstruction (allergies?) My seven-year old daughter is less spacey at school the day after she's gone to bed on time; the teacher has noted it.

Good food responses below. I'm lactose-intolerant, and one of MY symptoms is spaciness; back when I was eating less and less dairy, the few times I would have it I would be spacey for a few hours afterwards. Also: a recent study that was featured in Time magazine found that certain preservatives and artificial colors caused some "ADD-like" symptoms in a double-blind study. Since it happens in the morning at school, look at the breakfast foods; complex carbohydrates=good, simple colorful sugars or heavy fatty foods=bad. Try oatmeal without milk (juice instead) for a while and work from there.

Hi K. I have a nephew that is the same age and also a straight A student My sister was told to send him to a special school for gifted children but she refused. I would talk to his teacher about giving him more work than the other students or to help students that are strugling in one subject or another. If she can keep him from getting bored then he might just enjoy school a little bit more and won't zone out so to speek. This is working well for my nephew and if they put it in his school file the teacher next year will know what to do too. However I have found that talking to teacher one on one helps with them knowing your childs needs better. And helps you be involved more with schooling. Hope this helps Have a great day. G.

I have an ADHD son in 6th grade. If your son is in a public school he is entitled to a full evaluation for free through the school. You should talk to the school social worker for details. My son gets all A's and B's too but he requires medicine to stay on task and focus. I hope your son doesn't require meds but if the school evaluation shows that he has an issue you can have the teachers make special provisions for him with an IEP (Individual Education Plan). Good luck.
K. (Oswego)

I don't know what you are going through but i have a friends son who is ADD and he is very highper. At school he is very much can't stay in one spot. How it sounds your son is not ADD. I would ask the Dr what else he thinks you should do b/c if you think at home he is just fine like my friend thinks her son is fine at home but a little highper but it is most at school b/c having to sit in a seat so long. Like her she didn't want to have to put her son on anything but she did and it is making him better at school but she doesn't think it made him a bean that does not move anymore. he is that highper still but it has helped at school pretty much. but what she says if it make him the kid she does not know than she will take him off the meds. meds are not for all kids. i know this does not help really but i hope the best of luck

Hi K.,

Below is something I cut and pasted from the mayo clinic's website. I'm not sure if the symptoms fit your child.... so read it if you want and see. I just thought "mini seizures" when I read your post and checked a reputable website for more info. ** Below words are from their web site.**

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Absence seizure — also known as petit mal seizure — involves only a brief, sudden lapse of conscious activity. Occurring most often in children, absence seizure may look like the person is merely staring into space for a few seconds.

Compared with other types of epileptic seizures, the petit mal variety is very mild. But that doesn't mean they can't be dangerous. Children with a history of absence seizure must be supervised carefully while swimming or bathing, because of the danger of drowning. They may also be restricted from driving and other potentially hazardous activities.

Some people experience hundreds of these episodes each day, which interferes with their performance at school or work. Absence seizures can usually be controlled with anti-seizure medications. Many children outgrow these seizures in their teen years.

My little sister (10) is the same way. My step-mom and I were just talking about this last weekend. My sister is zoning out and not staying focused. Most likely your son is not being challenged. The curriculum may just not be pushing him to think beyond what he is capable of because he is such a smart child. If I were you I would have him evaluated for a gifted program. It seems like that is where he will get the challenge he needs, especially since he is getting great grades already.

Okay, I also have a 9 year old...and I think the teacher is overreacting. All other kids my sons age seem to have this same "problem" and when I was in school there were 3 boys in my class (small town) who also had the same "problem"

A few thoughts on this...it sounds like your son is easily redirected to what he should be doing. Second, maybe the curriculum or listening to her talking for long periods of time bores the heck out of him...ask him..you might be surprised.

Maybe he's daydreaming about recess and playing football or kickball...

Who knows and who cares? Don't you ever space out for a few moments?

A wiggle seat?

I'm sorry I just think it is ludicrous to expect these kids to pay attention the entire time they are in class. If he's getting A's and B's it seems that there isn't a problem and the teacher is the one overreacting. Her suggesting a rubber band on his wrist is also ridiculous...if he's fiddling with a rubber band or staring into space he's not paying attention...

I don't mean to sound mean or anything...it's just frustrating to hear that these things are being treated as issues when in fact they are pretty normal behavior...kids and adults space out. They aren't ADD or having a "problem" they are bored, have other things on their minds or just plain don't care about what is currently being talked about around them.

I am a teacher in Matteson, and this sounds totally normal to me. Very much the behavior one would expect from a nine year old! Talkto the teacher now, and ask this years teacher for back up and support. Ethically, she is bound to do what is best for your son, so you have that going for you!

If he's getting stellar grades with little or no effort, then chances are that he is bored. Maybe look into getting him into higher classes. Encourage his teachers to challenge him as opposed to just trying to medicate him.

I would be interested as to when the attention is lagging and focus on those times. He also may need to sit closer to the teacher or be in close proximity so that she can use a nonverbal cue or her own proximity (like walk by his desk when lecturing or when giving instructions) to keep him on track. Talk to him as well to maybe get feedback so that he can start to become aware of those times that he gets distracted and maybe needs to take a quick break (like get a drink of water, or just get up quickly) so that he can go back and engage in what he is doing.

Has he aslo been checked for epilepsy? I was just wondering because sometimes Petit mal seizures can look just like that. It could also be nothing and he could just be daydreaming. Maybe his teacher IS boring....

My son has an ADHD diagnosis, but many of his boy cousins are inattentive in school but not diagnosable. So I've heard quite a few of these school stories. My son is also not on any medication, so we are always trying different approaches to keep him focused.

I think the teacher sounds wonderful that she is willing to work with you and him, and I would follow her suggestions. A squeezy-ball helps some kids. One of my nephews sat on one of those exercise balls instead of a chair for a couple of years in grade school - it's more common than you might think. I would also encourage him to doodle or take notes, anything to incorporate physical action during the school day. As we learn more about learning styles, we realize that some people really can't take information in well auditorily (even people without a diagnosis - lectures are like torture to me), and who learn better if they are also occupying part of their brain with something else.

I also agree that he may be bored, but unfortunately am learning with my son that although it's nice the teacher thinks he's really smart, giving him "challenge" work doesn't necessarily help. While he'll happily sit down and write and illustrate a book about something he's interested in, getting extra pages of math work - not quite as exciting! If your school has a G&T pullout, though, I'd see if he can be tested. Well-chosen challenge work does seem to be good at engaging my son, and he likes to get extra reading time if he can, so if your son is the same, maybe the teacher could reward his getting work done quickly with extra time to read (or whatever he enjoys.)

It really is tough - my son enjoys the social aspects of school but just doesn't like being in class, even though I think his teacher and the work are very good and appropriate and interesting. It's just not easy for him to be there all day. Thank goodness he can compensate by doing well even though he's not paying attention! That will be a useful skill in the business world, heh.

Did you ever consider that he might just be bored? You mention that he his almost a straight A student. Everyone is so concerned about children being ADD, ADHD, Autist, etc. these days that if a child acts bored they must have a problem! Talk to his teacher again about ways to challenge him. If he is zoning out because it is work he already knows (I know I did), let him have a book to read or other seat work he could be doing. Have him tested for TAG.
I have a child with Asperger's and ADD so it isn't as if I am against working with children with problems, but I feel sometimes the solution is not always a disability. It sounds like your doctor gave you good advice and your son has a good teacher. Work with them both to figure out things that will work for your son. Good luck. =)

I think some of this is the age that he is! I noticed with my son that he would not always hear details because his mind would wander. At this age their mind does tend to wander. Or, he may have something on his mind. You may just try to talk to him & see if he knows why he is doing this.

The idea of checking to make sure he is eating well is also a great idea!

I am going through the same thing with my 9 year old right now. Actually, I have two nine year olds, LOL. My boy is a very smart, active, fun child. The problem....HE'S BORED!! School work is a breeze for him. He gets home work done in a flash, with all right answers. Maybe you need to ask the teacher to actually challenge your child. It sounds as if he's zoning her out from being bored. Just a suggestion.