Is It ADD?

Once you have her tested, you might want to look into a private school, like Great Lakes Academy to help fill in her reading gaps before it gets too late. The sooner you get her the individualized help she needs, the better her chances are for getting her caught up. Tutoring places, such as Sylvan or Kumon are NOT worth the money. If you are going to spend that type of money, you may as well have her in a school where their specialty is teaching kids who struggle in a traditional educational environment.

Have you considered just getting the school counselor involved before going the ADD route? There are many issues that could be at the bottom of this, and many of those have simple resolutions.
She could be bored or she might be having difficulty with reading and need some tutoring, she may not "click" with her teacher, etc.

HTH~C.

Not staying still in school is not ADD. Maybe she is just bored. If it seems like she isn't learning fast enough maybe the person trying to teach her isn't taking enough time with her. Maybe she just needs a little one on one time. I would try everything else possible before putting her on meds. Good luck.

I unfortunately don't agree with these moms. Because I have a 13 y/o that was diagnosed with ADHD 2 years ago. Grammer school was awful. We struggled daily with assignments. She has inattentive ADHD, which means she can't pay attention for long periods of time. Her brain flashes, like the tv commercial. She will tell you that the medicaion makes a huge difference in the way she learns. I am greatful our pediatrician recommended it to me. Not all medications are bad. There are several kinds now.

On the other hand it sounds like your daughter maybe dyslexic. There are several types of dyslexia. It isn't just mirror writing. My middle child was tested early this year and she is dyslexic. The school system doesn't like to test until 3rd grade because it is difficult for them. See if they will test her. If not, check with your pediatrician. She/he can send you to a dyslexia specialist.

Keep telling her she is smart and that she will get it soon. Positive reinforcement is a necessity!!! Keep going over the flash cards. If she is dyslexic I found a program called the Barton System. It is a little pricy, but it seems to be helping us.

If she is bouncing off of the walls, it is probably because she is bored.

Hey H.! What does your daughter's teacher think? I believe you are entitled to have the school district do an assessment for you at no cost. I'm not sure what the counterpart in Austin ISD is (if that's where you are), but we went through the Round Rock ISD Play-Based Assessment for my son. I'd start with the teacher and principal at your school--they will know how to quickly direct you to good resources.

What's her diet like? My younger son has severe ADHD symptoms if he ingests anything with red dye #3. Yellow dyes also impact him and until we had him treated with NAET, sugar did the same thing. Kids like this often need protein with every meal to keep blood sugar levels steady. The Block Center in Hurst (www.blockcenter.com is an excellent place if you want to go the medical route as Dr. Block avoids all drugs. She's even written a book that's a step by step guide on how parents can follow her approach themselves:
http://www.amazon.com/More-ADHD-M.-Ann-Block/dp/096655453...
(Search Amazon for "M. Ann Block" and the Book is "No More ADHD" if that link doesn't work).
Often kids, along with the sensitivities to the food dyes, react to foods themselves and are also deficient in key nutrients that are important for the nervous system. Thus, when these kids feel internally keyed up, they act up.

I was just at the point of having my son tested (like you I did not want to and I didn't want him being labeled) when he was 8 and we learned he had celiac disease (an intolerance to the protein found in wheat, rye, barley and most oats) and a dairy allergy. His behavior improved dramatically within 2 months of starting the diet. I did the testing through enterolab: www.enterolab.com It is quite interesting as this diet is also one that works well for many autistic kids. It turns out that the gluten protein (gliaden) and the milk protein (casein) also impact the brain and thus can impact behavior in a very negative way.

You might read Joseph Chilton Pearce's book "Magical Child". Also you might look into Waldorf (Rudolph Steiner) and Montessori education. Not everyone believes all children need to read this young.
Also, you might look at Brain Gym info from Paul Dennison, and the author who has popularized some of his material, Carla Hannaford. Her books are interesting, easy to read and have practical tips. Most of the Brain Gym work is with children, and this is a great source for understanding how important movement is for learning. (My children are all very kinesthetic, and so I appreciated finding support from Brain Gym.) You will find lots of examples of children who were struggling in some way (school, etc.) who were helped by this approach to learning, which can (with cooperation) be implemented into a public school setting.

Oh, I just read the story recently of the choreographer who did Cats and other Broadway shows. I can't remember her name, you might Google and find your way to this childhood story. Her childhood story is a lot like your daughter's and when she went to a psychologist, he had the insight to realize that she "is a dancer", and gave her mother some good guidance about that. My own oldest child was similar and became an elite athlete. My husband coaches high school athletes, and I've talked with many mothers who tell similar stories about their children. Hmmm, there's also a book titled something like "The Wildest Colts Make the Best Horses", which supports a non-drug approach to ADD.
Be sure also to consider Howard Gardner's work on Multiple Intelligences- another Mom mentioned this also.
And I'd like to second all the Moms who recommended nutritional approaches before drugs (what are we doing to these developing brains by experimenting on them with so many medications?). In particular pay attention to Omega 3 Fatty Acids.

Y'know, it could just be that she's a kinestetic learner (I don't know if I spelled that right). I just attended a lecture where the speaker talked of the four major learning styles - visual, auditory, tactile and kinestetic. Kinestetic learners learn through movement, and have difficulty staying still in class or any setting, really. It's just a different style of learning - and not a detriment or something that needs drugs.

The speaker suggested some strategies for dealing with this learning style - allowing the child to keep some movement going while they're learning. Sitting on an exercise ball while reading, or sitting with you on a swing...

You might wish to talk to her teacher more about this before accepting an ADD diagnosis. Tho, the psychologist might be able to help you too - surely she's heard of the different learning styles and how to deal with each one.

I have to say this sounds just like me at that age. Of course when I was that young ADD wasn't as big as it is now but I was tested for it, with what little test they had. I saw several doctors and non could figure out what was wrong. This all started in Kindergarten for me and only got worse. By the second grade my parents were frustrated because I basically refused to sit down to read or even do my homework. After talking to a friend of there's that is a doctor in Oklahoma he told them it sounded like I had dyslexia. My parents were able to get me in for some testing at Scottish Rite Hospital and it was confirmed that I was dyslexic. After that things got better. I was put in special reading classes and soon learned how to read and eventually was able to return to regular classes. Middle school and high school weren't that easy for me but with lots of work on my part and determination to get through I did. I am now a college student (it has taken me 9 years) and I make straight A's it takes a lot of work on my part to make sure I maintain those A's but I do. I am going to school to become a teacher in hopes that I can make a difference in children lives because I never really had a teacher that did that for me. I was always pushed to the back and never given a second. Sorry I know to much information but I wanted to share my story because I know what your daughter is going through.

Okay so with that being said I know that even though the school with argue with about having her tested since she is only in the 1st grade I would push them to have her tested for dyslexia. Even after my parents were told I might have dyslexia the school argued with them and told them that they will not test for it till the 3rd grade. I was in second grade and already frustrated so I can only imagine what would have happened had they of waited. If the school won't do it then talk to your doctor about having her referred to Scottish Rite. They are wonderful people and they will help you. I wish yall the best of luck and I hope that everything turns out well for yall.

Could be. Get her evaluated. My son is ADHD with some concurrent conditions since 6, and either dietary or medication components help remarkably. Helps him focus alot and he is much calmer so that we can work on these issues with him being able to be paying more attention.

Having a vision test come back as 20/20 doesn't mean that there isn't a problem with her vision. That test shows the results of the vision acuity. It tests whether she sees clearly not whether she is processing or understanding what she sees. If her eyes are not working together, she may be having a difficult time processing what she sees.

There is an eye doctor in Lewisville who can do another evalution on your daughter's eyes---Dr. Kenneth Lane. I am a firm believer in Vision Therapy. I overcame dyslexia through vision therapy with a pioneer in the field in Cincinnati. Both of my children have worked with Dr. Lane---my son recently graduated from the program in September. You can check out his website: www.lanelearningcenter.com. I believe this is a viable alternative for your daughter.

I have also heard of another doctor in Plano that recommends vision therapy. I believe his name is Collins. The parents work on therapy at home with the children. With Dr. Lane, you have sessions in the office as well as work to do at home.

If you would like to talk with me further, please send me your contact information via email.

Some of the other moms already mentioned it, but I want to reinforce the power of having her see a nutritionist before the doctors poke expensive and unnecessary ADD/ADHD medicine at her. My now 14 yr old daughter was diagnosed ADHD and we watched her struggle and FIGHT with the medicine. She's smart, just can't focus, so they tagged her with ADHD (which I think is an uber fad diagnosis). After pills, fights, distress and depression, we added a counselor to her "treatment" and that's when we were directed towards nutrition therapy. 48 hours into it and we had a whole new kid!! Ask your doctor, insist on it if necessary, but try it first before your child is exposed to the medicine and stigma of being labeled ADD/ADHD. Good luck!

I am a mom of three soon to be 4 kiddos in just three more weeks. My daughter just turned 9 she did great in Kindergarten and 1st grade then we moved to TX last year and she started 2nd grade and was doing terrible and her reading was not good. She could read and sound things out but her inflection when she read was not there and she would read one sentence into another without stopping at periods or questions marks things like that. So, her reading comprehension was not good at all.
Every one told me it was because we had moved and things were different and so on but in my heart I knew there was something not quite right. We had her eyes tested 20/20 so we did a bunch of tests that tested her IQ and everything else. She came back having really low test scores in her short term memory very low test scores compared to everything else on her IQ tests, so they sent us to do a very simple test on the computer where they sit a watch a screen where letters pop up and every time that happens they hit the space bar. They come a different speeds and from this along with the other tests they can tell if a chlid has ADHD or ADD. She scored mid-range of having ADD. We went to our Pediatrician and he said it was not ADHD but slight ADD and started us on the lowest dose of CONCERTA 18mg. It has the least side effects mostly trouble falling asleep and lack of wanting to eat much. I was concerned because our daughter is tiny for her age and is a picky eater. It only really lasted a few weeks. Our Dr. told us to let her eat whenever she wanted to even if it meant a lot of snacks late before bed or in between meals at first. That worked she is back to eating normal now. The sleep thing was she would lay in bed a long time before she would fall asleep, last time we were in to see the Dr. he told us to try Melatonin pills 2-3 about an hour before bedtime. It has worked great. He told us that since melatonin is something that your body naturally makes it would not hurt her to have it and that it was not a chemical or something that she would get addicted to. It has worked great.
Oh, another thing for the first three days she took the medicine she seemed really nervous and acted a little hyper but after day 3 that stopped. We have been on it for about a year now and it has helped SOOOOOO much. She is enjoying school and doing great. Only once in a great while does she bring home a paper that is in the 60's for the most part she is getting mostly A's and a few B's. It is a huge change from last year.
I hope that they find out what is going on for your daughter. I know how it effected our daughter's self-esteem and how she disliked school because she knew she wasn't doing well. Things are so much better, I hope they will be for you too.
We did tutoring for awhile in reading and our tutor told us that there are tests to make sure that your child is able to read letters on colored or white paper and of course if they are reversing letters and that sort of thing.
I would make sure she has a full testing done, IQ and all that. They will offer that through your school system and they know what to look for. We know someone who does that testing through our church so she tested our daughter and we didn't go through our school but she does the testing for many of the schools around here so she did all the testing they would do.
You know best, you are around her every day and you know in your heart what you need to do, I did I think I was hoping that maybe it wasn't true or that I was seeing to much into that wasn't really there, but there was and I am so glad we took the steps needed to get her help. It is so worth it, and so much better.
God Bless. I hope things go well for you.
J.

I have a friend who's son was bouncing off the walls at school and at home. I suggested that she get rid of any TV time for him and make sure he got plenty of exercise and she said it was the most instant lifestyle improvement she ever made. Totally calmed and focused him (he also slept better at night).
I don't mean to simplify a complex problem but turning off the tv and getting outside is something you can try for free while looking into other possible causes for her behavior.

My son is the same age and has the same problems.. he has been tested for ADD at the urging of his teacher and he didn't have the condidtion.. but we have now found out that he has dyslexia. Since we have been able to pinpoint the problem he has shown some progress. The best things to look for in her is if she can sit and be still with things that interest her. If she can watch cartoons or play dolls..even color for more than 10 mins without bouncing off the walls it might be the frustration of trying to learn that is causing her to be more mobile in class. My son's school provided him with a film he has to put over the words he is reading and that really helps him out.. they are colored overlays that are designed to help children with reading problems focus.. we have seen a big improvement!

Hi Holly,
First of all you need to be talking to the school, being in first grade her teacher and school should be documenting and evaulating the level of learning of every student. It seems like a lot for one teacher to do, but that is what they went to school to do. And also if the school has become aware of any learning disabilites or ADD, they will let you know and they will begun the testing for that or recommend someone for you to go and see or she will be put in resource once she is of age. The best thing to do for now, is practice on reading, sounding out, phonics and spelling of the word at home. Give her the extra help at home and ask her teacher for some help. Her teacher should be happy to help and willing to send extra help material home. I hope that this helps.

H., I have some experiences I'd like to share with you. My daughter is also 7 years old. I have had trouble with her and school in the past and just recently has her behavior and progress in school improved dramatically. What I did was read with her every night, weekends, pretty day outside, even when I knew I would be running errands in the car I would have her bring a book. She loves to read. Especially when an adult reads with animation. Played word match games. Another thing I did was go with her to school sometimes. Its hard with my schedule but it had to be done. I would sit with her in class and just monitor her at school and even help the teacher out when needed. She loved that I was there even if it was for an hour. Also sometimes I would surprise her and join her for lunch. Scheduling may be tough but important. The psychologist may be a good idea but also remember that school is just ONE part of her life right now. Does she have other behavioral problems OUTSIDE of school? If it is JUST school you may also want to have meetings with her teacher to talk about what other issues she might have. Is it just hyperactivity or is it also temper tantrums, or even hitting other kids?? I took my daughter to get her vision tested and hearing tested too...her pediatrician (since birth) told me "Mommy I think someone is trying to pull a fast one on you..." So I acted on that and it worked. Less TV and more reading. Granted she is not a top A student but her grades improved from d's& c's to mostly b's and a couple of A's...and guess what her A is in?? Reading! I hate to say bad things about doctors, but some are so busy that they prescribe meds based on what parents say instead of evaluating the child themselves. My sister is an RN and my nephew is really ADD. But she refuses to give him meds. She believed for a long time that she could fix it but behavior was not ONLY in school but everywhere and interactions with others besides just schoolmates. Until now she is taking him to ONLY be evaluated. I'm sure a family discussion will follow regarding the meds. But most importantly not all kids LOVE school and it may not be their forte. We have to show them that it can be fun sometimes, and when its not we have to do our best. We have to show them they are not alone(Did you absolutely love school??) and how to deal with it.
Hope it helps.
MP

H.,
Look into Sensory processing disorder. A lot of kids are diagnosied with ADD and don't have that. It could be sonsory issues. Its when the body just cannot regulate all the senses. Google it snd read up on it. DOcotrs are the worst because they really haven't gotten on board with it yet. If you go to Integrative Pedtiatric Therapys website in Dallas and Plano they have wonderful therapist certified in Sensory processing and can help you. They do evaluations too.
Good luck....Try not to medicate her, at least until you really find the problem
L.

H.,
Before you start worryiing about ADD etc., look at what you are feeding her. Does she eat a lot of sugary stuff, or sodas with lots of sugar and caffeine? Is she getting enough sleep? Does she watch a lot of TV and does she get enough excercise?

Rule out this stuff first...Think about the Christmas break...she was doing great and has since regressed? Could it be because she was eating a lot of Christmas goodies and staying up past her bed time?

I am just so against medicating children...people don't realize that the meds they take store up in the cells of the body, which can come back to haunt you later...I am speaking from experience!!!!

Good luck!

H., I think you need to look at what happened since Christmas first. There may have been something at school or at home that caused her regression that has nothing to do with any disorder or learning disability. In this day society is too quick to find a label and a "disorder" for many things that just simply need parental attention. Perhaps someone made fun at her when she mispronunced something or overheard someone saying she was stupid, who knows? Talk to your daughter and find out how are things going on in her life at home and at school. See if there isn't an external factor influencing her regression. Work with her reading and don't stress, be mellow and loving about it. She may be so stressed out that is blocking her efforts. Don't take her to a psych. just yet. Try working with her first and build her self esteem at home with compliments and other activities she enjoys and she's good at.

Some kids don't want to sit down and do something they'd rather not do. This could be another possibility. I have 8 children and one of them didn't want to read or learn it. He would add letters, make up what he was reading, etc. He is very smart. My husband had to sit down with him during summer break and read with him for 15 min with our son making the effort to read. He hated it, and would cry and scream and squirm. My husband told him when he did that he would add more reading time for the day. One time it got up to 1 hr and 15 min. After that our son didn't fuss and tried to really concentrate and do his work. At the end of the summer he was reading just fine. He still "hated" it but did it.

It could possibly be dyslexia. I would request to have your daughter tested for that as well.

Good luck!

I taught school for several years and can tell you that some teachers want to jump to this conclusion. There are several things that I would consider before making that decision. First, no one can diagnose ADD except for a qualified psychologist. Even then, I would get several opinions.

Have you taken her to a regular doctor? Sometimes children react this way due to UTI's, ear infections, eczema,allergies to food coloring, etc. Have some tests run (especially allergies). There could be a physical problem.

Another factor could be environmental. The other children could be bothering her, or causing her stress. It is funny how one child can sit through a class and have no stress but another is really bothered by the behaviours of others. The school itself may not be a good fit. You may want to try another or homeschool. If her class is very large, that may be overwhelming for her. Some children really need small classes for success. There may be something that she is allergic to in the classroom.

Does she have enough time outside each day? Does she have non-scheduled play time each day? (free play) Some children really need these things to be able to relax and learn.

I would ask the teacher these questions- how frequent is the behaviour? does it show up at a certain time of day (after lunch?) or at a certain activity? Has she had any problems with any other kids at school? The reading is a struggle, but how are the other subjects?

I might also find an out-of-school activity in which she would excel- art, ballet, karate, gymnastics, drama- anything that would give her a positive experience.Let her choose. This will give her the confidence to keep trying!

I know this is frustrating- we went through some similar things and my daughter has allergies to artificial food coloring. It is night and day behaiour-wise. I hope this helps!

I have heard that add/adhd does not come and go, so if the problem had gotten better and then worse again, I would not think it could be either of these. I am not qualified to say one way or the other, but I thought it might be good to consider this possibilty.
Take care!~K.

Have yu given any thought to dyslexia? My 12 yr. old is mildly dislexic. He was having trouble with reading in 1st grade. He was being pulled out of his class for special help with reading and then would come home with homework because of the work he'd missed in class. He would get so upset in the evenings because he was overwhelmed with the work he had to do at home and it was a terrible struggle everynight. In 2nd grade, we had him tested for dyslexia and determined that he did have it, along with ADD which made it even worse. I've read that many times the two go hand in hand. The school and teacher were fabulous about working with him. Although he did need to be taken out of class for help with reading, they were able to work it so that most of the time he was pulled out during his normal reading class time and he was able to focus on the same things he would miss in reading (spelling words, etc.) His teacher was very committed to working with the needs that he had which made a huge difference. He is now in the 6th grade and loves to read. During major tests he is able to take the test in a smaller group (because of the ADD) which helps him to stay focused. At the beginning of the 6th grade, he wanted to stop taking his ADD medication (which was a very low dosage to begin with) and try to learn to get along without it. I don't know if it's simply the fact that he is beginning to mature or what, but he's done fabulous. I obviously watch what he eats and not a lot of sodas and candy, but as he's mature, he's also found things that really interest him that help to keep him focused. Try to get your child involved in something that keeps her mind occupied. Football really helped my son as he had to memorize the play patterns.

My son is 8 and he was just dx w/ADD - from what you describe I think that could def be the problem. It's only been a little over a week since he started his meds and we already see big improvements - Good Luck!

Hello H.,

My name is L. Irvin and I am a Certified Dyslexia Testing Specialist in Midland, Tx. 1 out of 5 children has dyslexia it is the main cause that a bright child struggles in school. Please go to www.Brightsolutions.us and watch a video entitled "Could it be Dyslexia?". It will give you a lot of info and Warning Signs to look for. THis website has a lot of current research on both dyslexia and ADD. If I can help you, please call my office at ###-###-####.

A friend of mine's little boy was tested further (privately) after the school said ADD......ends up he has what is called Irlen Syndrome. Might be something to look into before she is labled with ADD or ADHD.

I echo the advise from other moms. Get her evaluated. Could be ADD but also could be Sensory Processing Disfunction. Often these things are confused as they share some common behaviors/symptoms. Another thing to considerat might be dyslexia if she is having problems reading. The Child Study Center in Fort Worth does comprehensive evaluations and have a variety of pediatric specialist on staff but there is usually a good-sized waitlist. Would also recommend discussing options and an evaluation with your daughters school. There is often good help within the school system if you can be a strong advocate for your daughter to find it and get it in place.

From a sensory perspective two good books to check out: The Out of Synch Child (and the companion book, The Out of Synch Child Has Fun. Also Rasiing a Sensory Smart Child. I picked mine up off of Amazon.

Best wishes to you.

I agree with Shannon, my son has been diagnosed with adhd, he could not sit still for anything concentrate on anything, you would tell him to do something he would turn around to start it then turn back around with this look of confusion on his face of what he was supposed to do. The meds are not bad at all, if it wasnt for them with my son, he wouldnt be learning, now i can sit with him and teach him to count and things like that, it takes a while to find the right one and the right combination. Of course im not sure what is going to happen when he goes to school in aug. Im not sure if she has add or not, but something else to consider is reading comprehinsion dislexia, i have that and did when i was a kid, i struggled really bad through school until a teacher caught it and sent me for testing, they helped me teach myself and gave me a colored see through page to put over what i was reading (the page would "run" around, lol) that helped alot, there are times i still have problems, expecially reading black and white, but i just have to take it slow, and really concentrate. I hope this helps you, and her, best of luck!!

I had a ton of problems with my daughter last year, and I was convinced that she had ADD. Then I eliminated HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) from her diet...it is in jelly, yogurt, juice boxes, almost everything yummy and convenient for little ones. But generally if something is labeled organic it doesn't have the HFCS. I have found a great variety at Super Target, also. We now let her eat foods with it occasionally, but reducing it completely changed her. You might try that first.

First of all, I think changing her diet and finding out her triggers is KEY!
Just because a child is hyper and can't concentrate and may have ADD or ADHD doesn't mean they need DRUGS.
There are therapies that help children concentrate and get better without them. I will try to find the sites I read. It's basically teaching a child to REDIRECT their thoughts.
Stay as HOMEOPATHIC as you can.
We so quickly label children. Is there ANYTHING else going on that could be causing problems?
GOOD LUCK!
E.

I see you have gotten a lot of good advice. Fwiw I would give the kid time and just keep working with her. But I would also look around at the school, teachers, learning environment.

My boys did not do well in some schools and did great in others. It was how the teachers handled active boys, what their expectations were for a child that age, and their willingness to meet each child on the child's level. Just because my dd could read going into kindergarten did not mean my ds could. ;-) Therefore he should not be made to sit longer adn work on it just so he can be like her or anyone else.

My youngest son we found a school where the teachers let him work ahead. He is happy, they are happy, and I am immensely relieved. He was starting to cry and hate school!

Hang in there and keep working with her. But you may be surprised that next year with a different teacher and/or environment she acts totally different. ;-)

I had similar reading problems when I was in 1st and 2nd grade. I also had 20/20 vision and still do. I would read very slowly and have to stop because I would put words together that didn't go together (not the same thing as being dyslexic) or I would skip lines and the sentences wouldn't make sense. My teachers were under the impression that I had some sort of learning problem, and put me in a slow reading group.

The problem was that I was a very good reader. I had a high vocabulary and a wiz at spelling. I loved to read until they placed me in that other group. I knew something was different between the other kids and me. They had problems I didn't and I couldn't comprehend why I wasn't with the "regular" kids.

My diagnosis was a slight lazy eye that is caused by focusing on something for to long. (Reading, sewing, and other hobbies that required my eyes to zoom in and focus) This was caught during a routine eye exam when I was 17 yrs old. They had me focus on a pen that was vertical and held it about a foot away from my face and brought it closer to my eyes. They noticed that it wasn't the distance, but the length of time that caused my left eye to look away and come back. (Which, explains why I skipped lines and combined words) If my doctors had caught it when I was younger I wouldn't have been placed in slower reading groups and got all the addition tutoring I didn't "need". I still benefited from the tutoring but not for the reasons they were intended for.

My prescription was to read more and strengthen my eye muscles. I had lost my love for reading from 2nd grade to graduation from college. It wasn't till recently that I decided to pick it up again out of enjoyment. I'm still not a fast reader, but I'm much better than I use to be. I use a book marker to guide my eyes so they won't jump lines when I've been reading for a long time. I also do cross stitching to help my eyes focus for longer periods of time.

This may not be the problem, but I thought I would share being that we had similar issues.

I just watched a documentary about all the children being diagnosed and how even the phychologists can't even agree on things. All children are different and all children learn different. She may need more exercise! I know we all want our children to be the best behaved, to excel and to act like other children (which they do and we don't see it!) but if you do take her to the doctor and they prescribe medication, please research it! Many children die on these ADD/ADHD drugs. They were never meant to give to children.

There are loads of questionnaires online that you can look at to help you decide if your daughter has the same symptoms of ADHD. The psychologist will also ask questions that relate to the disorder. If the psychologist writes a prescription right away, I would seek help from another that gets to know your daughter a little better. My daughter received a prescription on the second visit, after 2 hours. It was very clear to ours that she could not sit still, and had trouble holding attention after getting to know her.
If your daughter is losing knowledge, you may want to have her tested for autism or asperger's syndrome. The psychologist should be able to help diagnose any disorder that could be causing this problem. Don't let up, be persistent in finding the right diagnosis.
I am a special education teacher and I work very closely to children with all types of disorders. They are very precious gifts from God. Pray for wisdom and guidance to help your daughter be the person God wants her to become.
Blessings,
L.

Have her tested for food allergies and sensitivities. Find a good Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Specialist. Dr. Rao in Carrollton is amazing. Dr. Block's book, No More ADHD, was the beginning of our journey to understanding our daughter's issues. We had her tested, removed the offending foods and chemicals (food dyes), and she's a different child.
Give your daughter a chance to heal without harmful drugs!

Hi
i have a son that has add also and i had the same problems.
I had his vision and hearing tested and he was fine in both. I took him to a psychologist and found out that he does have add.he was disruptive in class, easily bored and hyper. I also had him tested for a learning dissability. The reults came back and he does have a learning dissability because i would study hard with him and that was not enough. He is 10yrs old and in fourth grade doing great.they will always help him and he gets tested once a year to see how he is doing. It is hard but he has calmed down a lot and is into school and great in math. You will get through this. The medicine they give thekids helps a lot you just have to watch for side effects. The doctor will explain and also if there is a family history like my son's father had a learning dissability at that age too. Ask all the ?'s you can. Hope this helps.
L. f

i think every mom should look into omega 3 fatty acid supplementation. barlean's just came out with a cod liver oil that is fruit punch flavored and my 3 year old loves it.

i wouldn't jump to ADD. yes, jumping out of her seat is a problem, but the problems reading aren't as strongly associated with ADD as some sort of other learning issue.

lots of kids have difficulty learning--our brains are just so complicated! i would recommend taking her to sylvan or a learning specialist in addition to the psychiatrist. i've known several kids who have benefitted GREATLY from this type of help. there are lots of things that could be going on with her eyesight, or even the way her brain and eyes communicate. dislexia is the most familiar kind of this problem, but there are actually lots of different obstacles people can face. but she can learn to work with and overcome any of them, with the right help!

I would also wait on meds. she is pretty young to start that, and it is only a part of treatment plans.

I have ADD, and the problem i had in school was getting bored or being forgetful.

with a concerned mom like you and her natural intelligence, i'm sure she will be able to overcome this!

Yay for both of the replies by the previous moms! Please don't jump on the ADD/ADHD wagon. Our children are over prescribed & doctors will easily write you a Rx if you think your child might be ADD/ADHD. Of the research I've done on ADD/ADHD the moms mentioned the diet; this should cure most attention problems, but in addition to the diet, it's about teaching your child to focus as well. Spend the extra time with her to help her focus.

Bless you for wanting the best for your child!

Hi H.,

I am currently reading the book Different Children Different Needs by Charles F Boyd.....great book.....also you might try going to the website....personalityprofiles.org.......we had to do this for work....amazing!!!.....and you can also order that book off here......you can do a personality test on kids too.....i am going to do it on my 9 year old son because we are haveing problems in school also......after our office did the video class I was convienced my son is not ADD or ADHD.....His personality just learns dif than mine or his teacher.......you can still have you daughter checked but to my understanding for them to accurtally diagnois ADD or ADHD it takes months...not one visit......my brother has that and he had to do months of testing....so i would really encourage you to go to the web site......may not be a cure all but It could really help

S.

Please don't automatically assume ADD and put her on meds that are infact dangerous. My son was on meds for ADD and that is not even what was wrong with him. He is gifted and was bored in class. We had trouble with side effects and withdrawl once we quit the drugs was horendous. I would ask the school to test for learning dissabilities (LD) first. Or go through you insurance to find a developmental psychiatrist or MD to do LD testing. Also, you can try scottish rite hospital for testing as well. Good luck, and please explore every option before you assume ADD.

B.

She might have sensory integration dysfunction. Many children with SID Do better in school/concentration if they have sensory input such as jumping or swinging or chewing on something or even sitting on a special therapy ball or pad on the chair. That might be why she was jumping up and down ( although she may not be aware of the reason.)

My children have Asperger Syndrome and SID. You might want to look into it. Unfortunately if the psych DX ADHD does not mean that's what she has and it does not mean she doesn't have SID. SID and AS are fairly new being DX here in the US, although they have known about these neurological 'disorders' since the forties.

Our daughter had many of the same issues when she was in kindergarden and we had to keep her back a year. She was in a private school and they recommended that the public school system arrange the testing for learning disabilities. It was several days of testing and she was found to have multiple learning disabilities. The testing was very in depth and the report I got was at least an inch thick. She then went to public school in and attended regular class (1st grade), but for math and reading she went to "learning resource" or a type of special education class. She also needed speech therapy and occupational therapy. Please call the school's nd !

it may be ADD or you may be overseeing some minor form of dyselxia.

There is a book by Frank Lawlis--called Thee ADD answer( You may have seen him on Dr. Phil) about food allergies and how it can cause problems with children. Some kids with these allergies have been misdiagnosed with ADHD and ADD. These allergies can manifest in many ways. I just purchased the book myself-I am looking forward to reading it. Maybe this will help you. Good Luck!

Hi H.,

Have you taken her to her pediatrician for evaluation? That would probably be a good start. It's good you had her eyesight tested so you know it's not that...I assume her hearing is okay, too? I'm curious to know how she is doing in other subjects at school, not just reading. If it seems that most of her problems are related to reading then there is the chance that there is some sort of learning disability and her getting up and moving around is her way of avoiding reading-related activities. I agree with the others that ADD/ADHD is used too often. However, my boyfriend's 15-yr old daughter is truly ADD and Concentra (sic) has helped her tremendously. Hang in there...it sounds like you are a good mom doing all you can! :)

I would also have her tested for dyslexia. My son who is almost 12 has dyslexia and had to repeat kindergarten because he was having problems with the alphabet still and he couldn't read very many words. He was put in alphaphonics at school for his dyslexia and we have seen a major improvement. He still has problems with spelling and reading some words but has improved so much with this program. The school can actually test for dyslexia but you have to push for it and most schools will make you wait until 3rd grade but you may be able to get them to do it sooner, or the psychologist may be able to do it too.
If she is having problems with reading then she could be acting out because she is embarassed or doesn't know what else to do. It also doesn't hurt to have her tested for ADD. It could also be what she is eating too. I hope this helps.

Reading may not be the problem may be she has dislecia -not sure fo spelling where they see letters reversed I had a son with it he out grew it. but the problem is like a hickup in the brain and they just don't get what they reasd only what they hear I had to read lots of his lessons to him throu high school. They are not dumb just different. Hope this helps. Kathy