I thought I would post this on the general forum to see what others have done.
I know that in order to be diagnosed ADD, you have to show symptoms back to age 6. Well, I'm in my forties and my father is deceased and my mother doesn't remember a whole lot. My report cards only show the teacher's pet persona that I used. This was how I dealt with restlessness in the classroom. I finished my work early and then I could work on things for the teacher: bulletin boards, artwork, sorting papers, etc. - whatever my teacher needed.
I was such a passive, shy kid that no one ever thought I struggled with anything. I've just always considered myself highly creative and always found a way to get around being bored or restless.
If my symptoms didn't become problematic until middle school, does that mean I'm not ADD?
Any females here that were diagnosed ADD but were passive and had good grades anyway?
Just searching for answers...
Go read some books specifically about women with ADD. What type do you have? If you are ADD inattentive (without hyperactivity), then the early coping mechanisms you describe above make sense and this type of ADD often goes unseen for a long time. You'll find a lot more and detailed info in the books. Go to Amazon.com.