Discussion on Over-Focused ADHD Type | ADHD Information
Thanks for your comments everyone. Yes, we've thought that our son might have OCD issues. In the past, he's displayed repetitive behavior such as chewing on his shirt, sniffing his hand when stressed, and sniffing his food before he eats it. But we also thought this OCD type of behavior was a side affect to his meds. Currently, he's not showing any signes of OCD. And he's never done the "classic" OCD behavior such as repetitive hand washing, checking locks, arranging of things. That may be due to a very recent change in his meds. We also started with behavioral therapy (yesterday was his 2nd session) which we hope will help him with his anxiety and anger.jaderock54, you asked how long does he hyperfocus once a project is completed... He doesn't spend much time at all once it is completed. Typically, he moves on to another project, game, toy, TV, etc. We've gotten used to his behavior though and have learned. Take for instance, we never allow him to start a project, game, TV, etc before school, before church, before bedtime as we know there is not enough time to finish it. However, school is another issue... Most of his teachers are very good at understanding his hyperfocusing struggle, but it remains a struggle to switch from one project to another, one class to the next.
What you said about Lego games is true with our son. (Some of those Legos puzzles take hours to complete!) We'll keep that in mind and encourage games that have an obvious ending time.I saw this post in the "mens" forum and thought this was like my son...
[QUOTE=equazcion]
Hyperfocus usually refers to an extreme level of focus that becomes a hindrance rather than a benefit. It means that you spend more time on one thing than you need to. In that state it can become difficult to "pick your head up out of the sand" and switch to the next item on your agenda; "tunnel vision", in other words. You may continue to focus on solving a problem or completing a task even after the problem is already solved or the task completed, or you may become a perfectionist and keep on working on something, never being satisfied with the results, always thinking you can improve it or perfect it (and maybe end up screwing it up because you overdid it). Hyperfocus can happen if you take more of an ADHD drug than your body can handle, or if you just take more than you're used to taking. It can also happen if you become physiologically hyper, ie. increased blood pressure; This can occur from further stimulating your body by adding caffeine or other stimulants to your body in combination with your ADD drug, and/or, again, taking too much of the drug. If you find yourself ignoring interaction with people in favor of completing a task, such as doing paper/computer work at home for hours while your kids/spouse try to get your attention, maybe snapping at them, getting annoyed, or ignoring them, then that's a sign of hyperfocus. If you see you're getting that way, you should immediately drop whatever you're doing, pick your head up from whatever it is, whether it's done or not, and take a break. Have a conversation with someone you've been ignoring, and while you're at it, re-evaluate your dosage and/or your intake of other stimulants.The sixth-sense thing, as has been said already, is a common feeling. ADD drugs just make your brain work more efficiently, and depending on how much you take, it can not only make you "in-line" with "normal" people, but send you "above" normal, in terms of sharpness of your senses, cognitive ability, and comprehension of what's being said and what's going on around you.[/QUOTE]
I would have to agree with MamaBear, here. That description goes beyond what I've experienced and seen in my dealing with other ADHD people. It also seems to be attributing hyperfocus almost entirely to things other than a simple dysfunction of the brain (meds, blood pressure).
It's also been my experience that once the task is complete, the attention begins to shift. Of course, it becomes a problem with children when they are involved in an open- ended activity, like constructing with legos, that doesn't have a clear ending. I've often wondered how many hours my son would spend playing with his legos if left undisturbed. DadinAkron- how much time does your son spend hyperfocusing on things once they are complete or solved? This can be an indication of a co-morbid condition such as OCD.
Also, let's not forget that hyperfocus can be a positive thing as well. As a teen I learned to control it to an extent, so that I could sometimes get myself to hyperfocus on something that I wasn't really interested in doing (schoolwork) so that I could get it done. It worked well for me, I always had good grades, and it's something I still do to this day.
[QUOTE=Dad in Akron]I saw this post in the "mens" forum and thought this was like my son...
[QUOTE=equazcion]
Hyperfocus usually refers to an extreme level of focus that becomes a hindrance rather than a benefit. It means that you spend more time on one thing than you need to. In that state it can become difficult to "pick your head up out of the sand" and switch to the next item on your agenda; "tunnel vision", in other words. You may continue to focus on solving a problem or completing a task even after the problem is already solved or the task completed, or you may become a perfectionist and keep on working on something, never being satisfied with the results, always thinking you can improve it or perfect it (and maybe end up screwing it up because you overdid it).
This sounds obsessive to me?
Dad what type of medication are you using with your son? Just curious to see if you are using stimulants or something else.Last summer, we started Jacob on Ritalin 5mg, but that did not work (he had a re-bound side-affect and had trouble swallowing a pill). Then we changed him to Adderall XR 5mg and then up to 10mg. Adderall XR worked better, especially the fact that we could open the capsule and sprinkle the drug on yogurt. Also, with Adderall XR he didn't have to take a pill at school during lunchtime.But latly we told our doctor that he is dealing with anxiety issues. So he changed the med to plain Adderall 7.5mg and he's been taking that for about 3 days now. So far plain Adderall seems to be OK, but we need more time to see how he ineracts at school, swim lessons, sunday school, etc...
I too agree with MamaBear and Jaderock.....sounds like obessive behavior, which many of our ADHD kids have.
My son can hyper focus literally for hours on the things he is intensely interested in. Things an "average" child of his age would have NO interest in whatsoever. His interests shift over time......but they take the form of what I would call an "intense interest" versus an obession. My son is almost 14, but when he was the OP's son's age....he behaved very similar the OP's son. For example.....I remember back when my son was ages 4 to 8....he would literally draw for hours sprawled out on the floor. One day I caught him taking a car engine book out of my husband's bookcase. Why? At the time he was intensely interested in mechanical engines and would draw very complicated diagrahms of the engine parts, etc. Now....what kids would do that at that age? He went through a phase of obsessively drawing roller coasters, ships, houses, bridges, etc.
Now at almost 14, his hyperfocusing has shifted to the computer. He is obsessed with simulation games like Flightsimulator X, Rome Total War, Medieval II, and even some RPG games like Runescape. He's been through all the sim games like Sim City, Roller Coaster Tycoon, Zoo Tycoon, etc.
My son's dx's are ADHD Primary Inattentive, generalized anxiety, and dysthymia (low grade depression). While he is primary inattentive (highly distractable and disorganized), he does have hyperactivity behaviors like figeting, silliness, etc. most of which he can control well. It's the inattentive symptoms and organizational deficits that he struggles most with. He is doing well on a combo of Concerta, guanfacine (Tenex), and Zoloft. We also take an Omega 3 supp called Coromega. His meds are managed tightly by monthly visits to a psychiatrist and he also has done very well with psychotherapy with a psychologist using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Okiemom
Dad in Akron,
One thing I forgot to mention is you might want to get a copy of the book by Ross Greene PHD called "The Explosive Child:Parenting the Chronically Inflexible Child".... or something to that effect. The rigidity you describe in your son (my son had it....hard to transition, etc) is called "chronic inflexibility" by Dr. Greene. He give great strategies in the book on how to help these kids who seem to "get stuck". It's NOT your standard parenting advice.....but then, we aren't trying to parent standard children either! The book helped me tremendously. Good luck with your son's therapy......anxiety usually responds well to CBT from what I've learned. Okiemom
Thanks so much for the book recommendation. I'll add it to my reading list. Knowledge is power. Thank you! Someone asked the question "What is Over-Focused ADHD?" Well, I read about it in a book titled "Healing ADD: The Breakthrough Program That Allows You to See and Heal the 6 Types of ADD" authored by Dr. Daniel G. Amen, MD. (No, I'm not trying to sell his books.)
Dr. Amen does SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) studies on his patient's brains, which give him the ability to see brain blood flow and activity patterns. As a result, he's able to diagnostically see that people with ADD / ADHD have different brain activity patterns and then prescribe an individualized and specific medication or treatment plan for his patients.
Although our boy has not had a SPECT study done, I found the section about the 6 different types of ADD very helpful. When our boy was first diagnosed last summer, I didn't think he was like other kids in his classroom with ADHD. Most of the ADD kids in his class have lack of attention problems, are easily distracted, have poor organizational skills, and are forgetful. But our son is just the opposite. Although he displays some classic signs such as restlessness, hyperactivity, talks excessively, impulsive, "acts as if driven by a motor", and has difficulty waiting his turn, our boy has different symptoms...
For example, our son has no trouble paying attention. He has trouble stopping his attention. Or, he has trouble shifting his attention from one subject or activity to another. He also gets stuck with negative feelings and thoughts (high anxiety). He has the same thought over and over. At times he is argumentative (thinking his way is always best) and becomes extremely agitated when things don't go his way. He has trouble seeing options in situations and as a result, having play dates with other boys is a difficult and stressful time. Many kids see him as being mentally intense and worries too much about small matters.
Over-Focused ADHD is much like people with OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and OCPD (obsessive compulsive personality disorder). The difference is that people with only OCD have clear obsessive thoughts and/or compulsive behaviors such as hand washing or repetitively checking locks, but do not possess the classic ADD symptoms. People with only OCPD have difficult personality traits such as emotional rigidity, the need to always have their way, and compulsive cleanliness, but none of the classic ADD signs.
I'm hoping to hear from parents who know that their child is "over-focused" or "hyper-focused" and what kind of meds or treatment they have found to be helpful. I have heard that the typical stimulant medications help with the classic ADD symptoms, but what meds seem to work well for the anxiety problems of the "over-focused" child? A combination of meds? Behavior therapy?Dad in Akron39086.4732060185
Hi- interesting subject. I've read Healing ADD as well, it was the first book that our therapist recommended to us and I made the rest of the family read it as well.
My son (8) is dxed as ADHD- combined type, but he does overfocus as well- as do many many of us ADHDers. He's currently on 20mg of Focalin XR and it's working wonders for his attention and impulsivity. He hasn't really had trouble switching gears since he started on 20mg (10 did nothing for him). I do find it strange to see him engaged in an activity, and when it's time to do something else, like have dinner or run an errand, he is able to do it without the yelling and anger and frustration we had previously.
I'd say the number one thing that helps him, though, is lots of warning and reminders when changes/shifts in attention are required. If we're going to change activities he gets a 15, 10, 5, and 2 minute warning. If we're going somewhere new we prepare him by letting him know what's there, what will happen, how long it will take, who will be there, etc. He's get anxious as well, so these things help with both. We actually had to go on a friends MySpace page to show him pictures of her and her kids before we went to meeting them at the RenFest, because he was refusing to go, even though he'd been before and loved it. It took a couple hours to figure out that it was because he hadn't met our friends before, although he knew all about them. After seeing their pictures and reading a little about them that she'd posted he was excited to go.
We also do play therapy which helps immensely with the emotional/anxiety side of things.
What is "Over-Focused" ADHD? I'm sorry, I just haven't ever heard of that. Is it somehow different from O/C behaviors?
MamaBear39085.7542361111
Do you mean sensory oriented? Mine is over sensorized so that he wants to see and go everything he sees and hears. I thought to that the aim was to make our children focussed more with all this?
Google it, IMO. 
There are quite a few generic descriptions out there.
I don't know what it looks like in children, so I don't have much to contribute. OTOH, I've been living with an adult like that for more years than I care to admit. 
Super-super focused on the issue that's at-hand and/or interesting to them at the moment. Zero interest in anything else. That's how I'd describe it. But there are better, more technical descriptions all over the web. 
I'd like to hear comments from other parents who know for sure their child has this "over-focused" type of ADHD, which is different than the classical inattentive type. Questions we have are: What kind of meds have been successful for your child? Are you doing anything else such as behavioral therapy or dietary supplements? Does (or did) your child have any anxiety (negative thoughts and feelings)?
Any discussion is welcomed...