More than Low IQ and ADHD

[Tickett]

My son is 10 years old.  He was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 5.  He had to repeat kindergarten.  At that time, we had him tested in school.  He has had an IEP since then.  He is in special resource classes for reading and math.  His handwriting is very poor and his fine motor skills are very poor.  The school did more testing this last school year and found that his IQ is 62.  I know his sister (from another mother) has Asperger syndrome.  Can this be something that is hereditary?  I feel that there is more going on with my son than just ADHD and a low IQ.

[Tiger_lion]

Hello

My son is 13 year old and he has failing grade as a fresh men in high school. he seems to lack focus. He does not have drive to study and does not take any responsibility. How do I address this issue? Can I do some IQ test

[d826]

Hi,

I teach special education so I know about children with ADHD and other disabilities.  So you didn't mention much about how your son is doing now in school--is he often in trouble---I know you said his IQ was tested at 62, which does fall into the mild range of mental retardation-yet IQ tests often can be unreliable judge of intelligence with those with special needs.  What grade is he in now, does he do well in school, and what kind of class is he in (a 15:1, 6:1 or a regular classroom? Reading and math difficulties are very common, due to lack of focus (schools usually don't care much about social studies and science in early years). I know you said that he has poor handwriting (which is actually again very common with children diagnosed as ADHD) and poor motor skills, in which I would talk to your school about him seeing a Occupational Therapist (they are required to give him services, if found needed, in the US). I know you mentioned his sister has Aspergers Syndrome-- so I have to ask how are his social skills in school, and at home--does he show eye contact, initatiate conversations, and seem to "connect" with others? There really has not been shown a large correlation in multiple family members with autism/aspergers. Oh and one more question is he on meds for his ADHD?  If you feel there is more you can request to have him evaluated further --in which his school district should be responsible for.

hope that helped,
d

[daniel232]

adhd ***** my doctor diagnosed me at the age of 6  i  was HYPER.. i literally learned how to run across my playpen before learning how to crawl or walk. People used to call me  "the crazy kid"  who took "crazy pills" and it never really bothered me until i hit about 15 and started caring about my social status and it wasnt very often id here it but it seemed when i got around people i knew in elem-mid school id always get the question "do you still take those crazy pills?" To be honest it made me feel low and insecure..but not as bad as ritalin has made me feel, i remember having to walk to the office everyday to take it and i would dread it so much that when they gave me the pill id pretend to take it and spit it in the sink it makes you emotional unsocial no appetite cant sleep its horrible please dont give this to your kids whoever reads this. just last year i was having problems concentrating for short periods of time with no focus whatsoever so i started researching ways to help my problem  i came across this "ADHD/ADD Natural Remedy Report" book that i was VERY skeptical about i meen $33 is allot of money if you dont have it but i figured look theres a 60 day money back guarantee and it had about 25 people telling me good things about it so i purchased it not knowing what to expect.. and to be honest with you its so informational and theres so many different excercizes and things you can purchase at your local grocery store that will drastically help you focus and concentrate. it was also a great deal cuz it came with two bonus books ADHD/ADD Natural Remedy Report i believe thats the site i ordered it from ill recheck and post if its not

[SueNYC]

I would have a professional test his IQ.  My son is getting ready to take the John Hopkins test.  There was a parent on those boards who originally tested at an IQ of 75.  He took the John Hopkins test (he has autism) with an aide tat kept him focused and aced.  The John Hopkins test is only given to kids in the 95% percentile and half of those don't get in.  Don't trust the schools to do their own testing - sometimes it is better to go to a trained professional.

My son had a neuropsych done on him last year.  He was so anxious that I was allowed in the room (not standard).  I sat and read a book - and all the doctors came out and told us that he may be the smartest person in the building.  

[Sally44]

I would also agree that not being able to demonstrate learning again does not indicate low IQ (which as already stated, depending on the diagnosis, is an unacceptable form of testing anyway).  For example, if you have visual/verbal/auditory memory retrieval problems you may find it hard or impossible to demonstrate learning when asked to do so, however the information may well be learnt and stored in memory but the difficulty the child has is in getting access to that stored memory information.  So these are quite subtle learning difficulties.  If your son is showing ability in other areas eg. construction, puzzles etc then that is an indication of potential (although everyone may have a range of abilities).  

[Sally44]

If you have autistic spectrum disorders already in the family then I can understand your concern.  
Do you think he has low IQ, or do you think the tests given to him, which probably rely heavily on understanding verbal instrucitons are causing him to under perform in tests?
Does your son have language and communication problems?
If he has handwriting problems and poor fine motor skills then you need to ask to be referred to an Occupational Therapist.  That will probably be through your GP or paediatrician (if your son is still under one).
If your son has an IEP, I assume you are in the UK.  If you are told that OT is not an educational need then that is not true.  
I don't know if there are national ADHD organisation you can contact.  If not you could contact the National Autistic Society who have an educational helpline and they can give you advice about further testing you think your son needs and also about supports and therapies he may need in school.
If you go to the autism forum and click on the Health Page link on the top right hand corner of the forum page I have posted the diagnostic criteria for DSM IV for autism.  I have asked parents to post examples of their child's behaviour so that you can see what behaviours the professionals are looking for to meet the criteria.
You can also google DSM IV for Aspergers and see what the difference is.
If you suspect that something else is going on ie. you think your son is not just low IQ, but 'something' is causing a low IQ result, then you have every right to get more assessments.
If you can afford it, it would be beneficial to get independent reports from an Educational Pscyhologist, not someone employed by the Local Educational Authority.  An independent assessment will tell you what your son needs.  Someone working for the LEA will assess bearing in mind what services are available and what their budget is.
I would say ask for more assessments.  You don't have anything to lose, only to gain.  If there is also autism or aspergers then your son will need his work to be presented to him in an autistic friendly way and he will need other strategies and approaches to help him learn.
Hope that helps.