Does My Child Have ADD or ADHD? | ADHD Information

Hi, I have a 5 year old and she is having some trouble in school. They think that maybe she is ADD or ADHD, but I'm not sure. She is a very sweet girl. She has never been in daycare or playgroups. She was the only child up until Jan. But that doesn't seem to effect her at all other than she loves her. She gets very excited around other kids. She didn't have any playmates before school either. They tell me that she has crying fits and doesn't like to follow directions. They tell me that when everyone else is sitting down for reading time that she is running around the room getting into things and trying to get the attention of the other children. She doesn't act like this at home. Her school also goes full 8 hour days with NO nap time. I know she gets crabby when she is tired. She has always taken naps and I think that this is part of it. On weekends she will disappear into her room, and I find her asleep. She is a pleaser she wants all the kids to be her friends but they don't take to her cuz she doesn't know how to act around them. She seems to come home knowing alot more than when she went to school. But I keep asking how is she learning SO much if she never stays in her seat and is always disruptive. They don't know. When she is home she can sit and watch movies for hours without even getting up. So, how can she be hyper? She is very calm here at home. But she loves attention. She is the kid that always wants to be the helper. So, please help me from a parents point of view, DO YOU THINK MY DAUGHTER IS ADD OR ADHD???????I'll give you the "pat" answer that no one can diagnos your child over the internet... best to find some professional help with that!  However, that said, sounds like she has some hyperactivity going on.... You ask why she is calm at home?  Probably b/c she is used to the surroundings.  Kids with ADHD typically get more hyper in situations where there is more stimulation.  I am guessing home is much more calm for her than school.  I read somewhere where they defined ADHD as the inability to focus on a boring task(such as schoolwork).  Sure ADHD kids can watch a movie or play gameboy for extended periods of time, but that's because it's interesting to them.   I think parents see this behavior of their child sitting still for hours in front of the TV and don't understand why the child can't sit still in school.

well,for one with ADD,you are more on the sluggish side because you don't have the hyperactivity.

but i agree with the others,have her checked by a professional if you are worried,but it seems that school seems to jump on the ADHD wagon when they can't cope with a child.8 hours is a bit much for a 5 year old,i think .

you should also try to socialise her more with other children or get her to do more after school activities.

Remember asd kids are that way also. Asd kids love self doing activities. Some do love others but not all asd kid do.

I remember thinking the same thing, how can my kid sit and watch TV or play video games for an hour or so but can't sit in his seat for 2 minutes? cr12345mr is right. TV and video games provide that constant stimulation that their brains need (ie eye candy).  I even think they have come out with video games specifically for ADHD kids, even educational video games.

I also agree that 8 hours for a five year-old is a bit much. All that stimulation used to drive my son nuts! He didn't have the ability to filter anything out so kids tapping pencils, talking, flipping paper, even walking by him would send him over the edge.

Before the school tries to diagnose anyone, they will need to do a lot of testing, which is FREE (at least in CA it was free when I did it 10 years ago).  Based on the questionnaires, one of the things the tests will determine is if your daughter acts one way at home and another at school, and the severity of the differences.

It's hard to be objective when thinking about your child's behavior. There are times when I thought my son was acting normal but my husband would point things out to me why my son wasn't being normal. I guess I just got used to the odd behavior, that's why the objectivity of testing is a good thing.

Your daughter sounds like a sweet girl. Maybe she just needs time to adjust? Maybe you could hold her back until next year? Maybe the extra year will help with the social issues and she'll have an extra year to mature.

marinewife38974.653912037Thank you for your replies. I was worried that I would get alot of negative responses, but you've been really helpful. You all sound like good parents. It's nice to see that I'm not the only one that cares.