Doesn’t ADHD run in families? | ADHD Information

There is a lot of evidence for a genetic link for ADHD and because it looks like it is multifocal (comes from more than one gene) it can present itself in many different forms. Often times parents are diagnosed after thier child is and they have learned alot about ADHD.

If my youngest had not had such a hard time, and we had not gone through so much in the way of diagnosis and treatment, I would never have recognized the inattentive form in my oldest daughter. The doc has also opened up the option for treatment for my husband and I (I am really considering it at this time).

One of the kabillion doctors my son has seen was very clear on this particular issue with me.  The tendency to inheirit adhd is second only to the height gene (as in if your parents are tall, you may be as well)  In my case it was a no brainer, since my son's birthmother's other children all have some form of adhd and have been medicated for years.  I have met several of his birthsiblings, and boy, you can tell they are related.  Many studies find that ADHD/ADD does run in families. What they are not so
sure of is why in some families one child has adhd and the other doesn't. My
11 year old has ADHD, but my 6 year old shows no signs of it at all. Someone told me back when my then 6, now 7 y/o was diagnosed wtih ADHD that I should have his brother (now 9) checked too because it ran in families or was genetic or some similar comment.  I didn't think a lot about it at the time because when they were together (my ex and I now have split custody, it works better for both kids), the older seemed calm compared to the younger. The 9 year old lives with me, and just this year I have noticed he gets in trouble a lot more for talking in class, and has a lot of problems with his homework when I know that his teacher has been over it in school, and sometimes I have explained it to him myself. Just a few mins ago he was upset because he was doing a math problem where he had to write out the numbers in word form and the line on the worksheet wasn't long enough. I told him to get a sheet of notebook paper out and write it on there, but he insisted that it *had* to be on the worksheet. He also seems more hyper than in the past as well. This is all a little confusing for me, because it was apparent to me for a long time before Christopher was diagnosed that he had ADHD, but it seems to be kind of a sudden onset for his brother. Could something else be going on here, or could I have just missed the symptoms in him because I was so caught up in his brother?

I also wanted to point out that when Steven (the 9 year old) was in 1st grade there was an incident where he stabbed another child in the leg with a pencil, and we never could get him to tell us why. Now he says he didn't stab him, but doesn't really remember what happened. Around the same time, there was another incident involving a girl's possession, I think it was a calculator, but not sure. It was missing for about a week or so, and Steven gave it back to her saying he "found it" and it was broken. Several other children either said he took it or thought they had seen him with it, I don't remember which. Also around this time, he took something from Kmart. I don't remember what it was, but I do know that it wasn't candy or a toy, and he didn't even know what he took, just that he took something. Shortly after that, he changed schools and did wonderfully for the rest of 1st grade. In 2nd grade he had a lot of problems finishing his classwork. I don't know what he was doing, but it wasn't because he was working on it and just ran out of time. In 3rd grade he got in trouble a few times for talking, but nothing like he is now. Other than that he did well, although there was one thing in particular that he learned about and came home all excited talking about it like he was really interested in it, but then did poorly when he was tested on it.

 There have been times when he was really hyper, because I remember telling him I was going to give him one of his brother's pills (please don't take that literally, I wouldn't really give him someone else's meds, he was just *that* hyper), but aren't all kids hyper at times?

I also have wondered if I might have it because when I was a child, I would "space out" in class and daydream. I still do. Also, I was hyper enough for my mother to put me on a special diet. I haven't thought much about it until now.
litlcntrygrl39750.5588310185I believe it does to. .My Husband has undionoged ADHD.and I think I do to. We grew up dealling with it and didn't know there was a problem. We just thought we wern't smart and we bothe had problems in school. Well My 15 year old step-son wad Dionosed at the age of 5. Then Our daughter was at the age of 8. Now we belive our son who is 7 also has it but The teacher wants us to wait until dec. to see if thing improve On him though it would just be ADD But they are both treated the same way. Now also our Yougest daughter. who is 6 her teacher said at a conference that she has trouble focusing but it isn't so bad that her grade down so we are going to wait and see on her to. Her's would also be ADD. So it may end up that all our children have ADHD/ADD to some degree. Melissa

I do believe that it  runs in families but that doesn't mean all children will get it.  We believe my brother has ADD (never formally dx'd) but I don't.  My oldest son has ADHD but my younger son does not.  He isn't hyper and he can sit still for the most boring things with no problem paying attention.  He seems to be the opposite of his older brother.

You mentioned that your DS in question is 9 so I guess he is in 3rd grade?  I read many times that somewhere around 3rd and 4th grade learning disabilities will start to become obvious (the reason:  in the earlier grades we learn to read but starting in about 3rd grade, we have to read to learn and so things start showing up.  Also, 3rd grade is when they start expecting abit more from the kids and this is difficult for some.)  Even if he doesn't have ADHD, he could have a LD that is frustrating him and causing behavior/school issues.  If it were my child, I would get him checked out.  Then you know what you are dealing with and can help him.  Good luck!

Took him to the doctor today. He said that since the waiting list is so long to get into any of the places that could formally diagnose him, and considering that his brother has it and his teachers (his present teacher and his teacher from last year who I saw the other day when picking him up) thought it would be a good idea to have him checked out, that we would just try the same med his brother is on and see if he improved any. We will go back in a month and see how things are going.