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Post by Kay123 on Feb 9, 2015 15:47:57 GMT
Hi, I have a 7 year old daughter who has recently been diagnosed with ADHD, she has two cousins, one from either side of the family that have been diagnosed as being on the autisitic spectrum, one with aspergers and the other with PDD-NOS. I believe my daughter has ADHD, I grew up with a sister who also had ADHD and recognise so many of the characteristics from her as well as researching the condition on the internet etc. My main concern is the fact that she also has some behaviours which I am not sure about.
The main thing I am wondering about is her immediate ability to be still and calm to watch a full length film or several back to back when seconds before she was bouncing all over the room. She can literally be running around dressed as Batman ready to launch herself off of the sofa and 5 seconds later be sat still mesmerised by a film, and it doesnt have to be a fast paced action movie, she loves all sorts, even ones with no talking like the snowman. Also, like so many kids with ADHD, she loves computer games and can play them for hours.
I know I probably sound like I am over analysing her, its just for the life of me I can not (and neither can my mum) remember my sister ever sitting still unless she was medicated. My daughter also goes to bed when she is told (sometimes with a little resistance but thats normal for any child) and sleeps a full 11 hours. As well as that she doesnt like loud traffic noises when we are out, she always covers her ears at loud motorbikes, sirems buses etc. She can not abide shoes or socks that she deems too tight, it drives her mad, she wont stop getting angry until they are removed from her feet, she also has trouble tolerating jumpers or tops she deems itchy or tight (i know all kids would complain, adhd or not, but she gets real angry about it). I guess my question is does anyone's kids that are diagnosed solely as having adhd also share any of these personality traits? or should I be asking the paediatrician about them again when I see him next.
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Post by JJ on Feb 9, 2015 17:24:57 GMT
Hi Kay123
EVERYTHING you've said here is entirely consistent with ADHD - they scream it in fact! It's natural you want to make sure and double check, but the first part (about being able to concentrate / sit still sometimes / for some things) is 100pc classic symptom - I'd be astounded (and skeptical of the diagnosis) if anyone with ADHD said that wasn't them.
That's one of the reasons there's so much media stuff about it not being real or kids just being naughty or lazy - people see total immersion in something the ADHDer is interested in or wants to do, and assume we can do it at will. But that's not the case, concentrating on / or doing things we're not interested in is super difficult. Look up 'hyperfocus' and you'll see examples. There's also books written on too much gaming / internet use in ADHDers - because it's so common.
Listen to Professor Russell Barkley on You Tube - or buy one of his books (I don't know what the ones about children are called) - he explains this very well - and he'll also give you a comprehensive understanding of the idiosyncrasies of ADHD that aren't generally mentioned in the media. I bet you'll find loads of things that you thought were just your daughter's own quirks, when in fact they'll be adhd traits. It's so much more than the strict diagnostic criteria.
Re sleeping - 70% of people with ADHD have sleep issues - which means 30pc don't. My sister's son has severe adhd and doesn't have sleeping issues.
I've read many times too (and it's the case for me), when we sleep (especially as children and young adults), we sleep very soundly.
Sensitivity to sounds, textures, touch etc is very common with ADHD too - not all of us, but lots. I have sensitivities like this - things feel itchy or tight and I can't bear anything round my neck - I feel like I'm going to suffocate if I wear a high necked jumper - I need to get it off and away from me - even the thought now makes me shudder! If you look on this forum you'll see many threads about this. I don't know where the crossover is, but if you look up 'sensory processing disorder' you'll see your daughter's symptoms explained and also note of how common these issues are in ADHDers.
You should sign up for an account on here, which will give you access to the search function. Or in any case, just have a look round on the boards. You'll find a zillion threads about all these things and that might help to put your mind at rest. That said, I'm 100% confident about what you've written, these aren't subtle the subtle nuances of ADHD here, they're the big bold marker symptoms.
Do come back and ask anything you want - many of us are parents of course, but also, as adults, we're more able than a child to describe and explain what it's like, which can be more helpful for a parent who only has their child's outward behaviour to see.
I hope I've put your mind at rest a bit xx
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Post by Kay123 on Feb 10, 2015 10:23:03 GMT
Hi, thank you so much for your response, it has definitely put my mind at rest, i am going to see if i can find the book you were talking about, it sounds very interesting,
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Post by blaze on Feb 10, 2015 12:33:07 GMT
Lots of people with adhd will be hyper.sensitive to seansory issues. However.many of us who have developemental disoesers have more than one, if that wasa concern.sensory processing disorder wd.be the obvious one from what youve mentioned, but asd and dyspraxia as well asother dds have sensory components so its worth reading up on all dds to beable to keep an eye out. The out of sync child is a gd tead pn spd, and as many of uswith dds identify wit the criteria for high.sensitivity the highly srnsitive child and raising your spirited child may be helpfil to uoy also
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Post by timebandit on Mar 6, 2015 10:16:15 GMT
Just wondering how you've got on since writing that post? My daughter is not diagnosed either but I'm sure she has the inattentive type. She doesn't bounce off the walls but finds it really difficult to concentrate on anything she's not keen on. From being a baby she has been completely and utterly mesmerised by the TV though and will spend hours and hours on Minecraft given half a chance. She absolutely has this thing with sensitivity to certain types of clothing. She was an incredibly placid baby/toddler right up until the point she could begin to tell me what she didn't want to wear. Then she would get extraordinarily stressed if I tried to either either impose something on her or rush her into making a decision on what to wear. I swear I once took her to nursery in her PJ's because I just didn't have the time to spend getting her dressed!
She's now nine and loud noises still startle and upset her. She'll even cry at the dinner table because one of us has scraped a knife over the plate, making a sound that really distresses her.
Her teacher wound me up recently when I suggested I thought she may have ADD because she clearly didn't have any concept of the inattentive type. She actually turned round and suggested my daughter may have Aspergers! This is a child who displays perfectly normal behaviour, has lots of friends that she communicates very well with (she talks for England!) and is incredibly sociable. It may sound contradictory but she also needs/likes to spend quiet time in her own company. which pretty much describes me as a child too - although I was sociable I often felt like I just wanted to be left alone which would confuse friends! She does have very poor short term memory and (like me) absolutely no concept of time whatsoever. If she is very focused on a task she will not hear one word you are saying until you stand right in front of her and make eye contact.
Because of these issues with not retaining information, I'm seeing her become more withdrawn with each year that passes. She's becoming more and more aware of how behind she's getting at school (she has dyscalculia) and I don't know where to go next for help because the referral the doctor made to the local psychology service has just been rejected!
I hope you've had better luck than me!
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