ADHD

[Valetta3]

My 7 year old son has been labled exceptionally gifted. He does not have any behavior problem and gets along well with his peers, he is not implusive nor disruptive. He is currently in the second grade and his teacher has complained that he has a hard time staying on task, following directions and completing assignments without several prompting. He performs well in the class room, but his teacher says it is because she is constantly redirecting him. She states that he is extremely smart and capable of doing the work when kept on task. The scores on his 2nd grade achievement test places his intellectual ability at mid year 3rd grade. DO my son have symptoms of ADD-ADHD. Should I retain my son in the second grade to improve on the weakness stated by his teacher.

[treemarks]

I have ADHD and my son has ADHD.  It runs in my family from way back before ADHD became rampant and misdiagnosed.  My son also has a very high IQ - and had the same difficulties as your son.  I also work in the school as a speech pathologist.  Request an obsevation by either the School Psychologist or a Teacher Consultant, if they have one.  They can also give you a checklist that can be filled out by you, the teacher and your son.  Schools cannot label ADHD, they can only state the symptoms and make sideline suggestions.  After receiving information on how much he is on task versus off task and having the completed checklists compiled by the psych or teacher consultant, take your son to the doctor.  If medication is needed - which I was whole heartedly against but now have found out my son needed only a little bit to refocus - take him to a psychiatrist.  I was not going to go the medicine route even though I am on medicine - but the psych said it's better to know if it does work by just experimenting. Then I can choose whether to continue or not continue with meds more confidently.  My son was pleased with the change and commented that it was nice not to have three hours of homework a night.  Anyway, psychiatrists are more up to date on medications. It may take some different trials to find the right one.  They also are more aware of the proper dosing.   After you find the right medication, then the family doctor can continue with the prescription.  ADHD is real and you will find that gifted, creative children often do have it.  It's not just "being a boy" or 'he will grow out of it".    Too many children are being misdiagnosed due to environmental causes, that it give us 'true bluers' a bad rap.  

Also, you can request a cognitive test by the school psychologist - do it in writing though.  Anyway, you can then find out your son's IQ.  Maybe he is in the extremely gifted range and thus, he is bored.   That does happen but you need to rule out ADHD first.  Sorry so long - just have had a lot of personal and work related experience with this.  I'm a mentor for the ADHD kids at our school because I've been there.

[Sandman2]

    Oh, that's an interesting piece of news.  If he is exceptionally gifted, he really shouldn't be getting any B's or C's in academic subjects.
     What you might want to do is get a book I recommend a lot.  The book is, "The ADD/ ADHD Answer book," by Susan Ashley.   Besides giving you a lot of good information about ADD/ADHD it also gives you a lot of ways to help your child in school and more importantly suggests ways to get (force if necessary) your school to help your child.  Given what is going on, I really do think that you will need some more information - and this book will prove to be very helpful.

[Valetta3]

No he has not been tested for anything else. I am currently working with his doctor to address the concerns she stated. THe sad part is the principal nor the teacher is following the handbook nor state policy. If my son was as bad as she claimed, why didn't they do the proper interventions that would have been neccessary to show growth. My son is passing his courses currently with an A,B, & C. The teacher has shown inconsistencies in her grading. She lost my sons work and assigned him "0" it wasn't until after I emailed her regarding it did she state that she found the assignments and would change the grades. I don't know now to even believe anything she is saying is completly right. I really believes she stretches things I just don['t know why. My son has not shown any of the signs nor symptoms she has claimed outside of a normal 7yr old boy. I requested a meeting with the principal, teacher and the superientendent to address the concern of the principal attempting to hold my son back without my permission nor have followed the proper procedures of interventions; she has not gotten back with on a meeting as to this day.

[dollyn]

Has your son been tested for other things.  I  some children have a hard time because they are having absent seizures and know one knows they are having them. So they think they are add or adhd.

[Sandman2]

      I also should add that sometimes a teacher believes so honestly that a child needs help, that they will do what this teacher is doing.  I have seen it happen before and kind of been a part of it as a principal.  
     The other thing that you want to mention is what you have said about sending a evaluation form to the school because you are trying to get your son help.  Then ask them what they are going to do next year to help him have a successful year?  Are they going to do a 504 so that his new teacher will be aware of his "problem" and will help him?   And are they suggesting that he should be tested for ADD since the teachers comments indicate that is what he has?   In short, you are saying that the teacher has said my child has these problems.  Holding him back won't help him.  So what other suggestions do you have?  And then let them do the talking for awhile.  

[Sandman2]

           Interesting, this is beginning to sound more like some kind of a power struggle on the teacher's part for some reason.  Probably one she will lose.  Hopefully your child won't get caught in the middle.  Not sure how the policy works in your state, but I don't think that they can retain without your permission or one heck of a better reason.  Asking for the superintendent to get involved is a good idea.  Let them know that you have no problem going to the school board if you have to.  
          By the way, do try to be diplomatic.  Best wishes!