ADHD

[steph122272]

My daughter is 8, and I also have 2 yr old twins. She was the only child for a long time. We noticed right away that she was very outgoing and outspoken. She got in trouble sometimes for talking too much. She can be bossy with her peers. She is VERY bright. She always tests well and loves school. Her behavior is the problem. She talks back, throws tantrums, screams, and is rarely embarrassed in front of others. She can be very sweet and funny, and very generous. She does not get along well with her peers, but wants to play all the time. She gets excited when we are going to play with a neighbor, but then shortly into it, they are fighting. I have even had other kids say they want to go home.  Last year (2nd grade) was a hard year. Her teacher was very negative and she could sense that. She would not complete her work, she got sent out of the classroom a lot, and she even talked back to her teacher a couple of times. This summer took her to a local child psychologist. We feel like all we do is argue and yell at her. We don't want her to live like this. After a series of tests on her part and questionnaires on our part, he diagnosed her with ADHD (inattentive type with no H factor) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. He recommended meds for ADHD and family therapy for the ODD.  Our pediatrician does not take this diag lightly, so they are testing her again as like a 2nd opinion. We do that on Sept 16th.  I am just so overwhelmed right now. My parents are telling us that the dr is wrong and there is nothing wrong, but we just want to do what is best for her. She has been in school for 3 weeks now, and her teacher says she is doing great, finishing her work, etc... I did not tell her teacher about the diag yet. I am just so confused as to how she could be diagnosed ADHD, yet she excels in academics? Also, the counselor came and observed her last year, and told me that she definitly was not ADHD, however, she never tested her either? Does this seem possible?

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Yes, it is possible. Academic peformance and degree of intelligence are not directly related to ADHD. Most children who exhibit ADHD are perfectly bright and many do well academically. The second opinion is a sensible plan, and both diagnoses are possible. Oppositional Defiant Disorder is a type of Disruptive Behavior Disorder; it is not a type of anxiety disorder. The recommended treatment for ODD is a sytematic program of behavior managemnt.

[jdtm]

Here is another thought - many children who suffer from anxiety are misdiagnosed with ADD/ADHD as many of the behaviours are common to both issues.  By the way, ODD is an anxiety disorder.