please tell me if this is normal behaviors..i told my friend their child needs counseling~

[jsstme14]

8 year old  female child
never  plays with toys
obsesses food
eats excessive amounts of food
sneaks food
injures animal intentionally
laughs when sees animal cry in pain
constantly touches herself, private part
rubs one finger all the time
can't remember what she was taught in school
but can sing every song on the radio

[Sandman2]

    Actually, they can do brain scans that are pretty successful in finding ADHD.  The only trouble is - you don't want to do that with a child.  Consequently, the new standards for diagnosing ADHD are pretty specific.  And it has nothing to do with only observing the child.  I don't know where you got that information.  Any doctor that did only that should be instantly removed from his practice.
   One of the most important changes in the new guidelines is the part which states, "For preschool-aged children, evidence-based behavioral therapy alone is recommended as the first step toward treating ADHD symptoms and associated impairment. Behavioral treatments may include behavioral parent training, classroom management, and/or peer interventions. These behavioral treatments represent a set of behavior-modification techniques that are provided to parents for implementation in the home, at school, or through group-based training sessions and are often delivered by clinical psychologists."     In other words - NO DRUGS.
   But, as I stated to the original poster two years ago, the symptoms she described don't by themselves point to ADHD.   If you would like to post what is worrying you about your child, we may be able to help.  Also the child behavior forum (found here - http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Child-Behavior/show/64) can also be very helpful.   Go onto that site and take a look at some of the problems we are able to help with.
   Let us know if we can be of help.  And consider starting your own post - you definitely have the right to do so.  Best wishes.

[prayingfornana]

oh my goodness.... you have described my 5 year old little girl to a "t".  Can I give you my phone number?  I feel so afraid for her and lost in how to help her.  They have tried to say she has adhd and odd...I simply don't go for that since neither one of these phsyciatric disorders are able to be tested for in any way...they only observe the child.  My name is Angie ..I am also on facebook if you want my full name I'll give it to you so you can check me out if you are uncomfortable with exchanging info.  May God help both of us find an answer for our little girls!!!!!!!!!  

[Sandman2]

    Well, the food part is certainly not healthy.  The hurting of animals is usually regarded as cause for concern.  
    Don't see that many traits of ADHD/ADD if that is why you posted to this forum.  The child's teachers probably have the best view of the child and that is certainly where I would go to first ask this question.