Daughter Not Listening at School

[kc4braves]

I mentioned my daughter ( who has no ADHD dx or anything) a couple of months back. We were still at our old school and her teacher was writing me notes that seemed out of the blue telling me that she NEVER listens, etc. She sited a couple of exaples to me when i asked for more specifics. I guess once they were doing a lesson on the board together and dd didn't have paper out and was looking at a different book. Finally they called her name and she got on track and completed the work. Another time, I guess she was working ahead without hearing the directions and had to be corrected. She started over and still finished with the class. I guess a few times she didn't change tasks. ie...the class finished one paper and moved on to somethng else but she wasn't aware that ti was time to move on or something. Some weeks the teacher would say she did well, then we would get another note saying "dd NEVER listens". We were considering getting her hearing checked but then it was time to move. Oh...the teacher also said that she was never disrespetful or anything.

So..now we are here. We started the new school when classes resumed after Thanksgiving. I was trying to check in with the teacher every few days because I don't feel she gives much input. But her teacher kept saying. "everything is fine, she is on target with her academics, etc." She finds most of the work they do fairly easy. She rarely required any assistance with homwork or anything and reads all the books they send home without issue. She aces the spelling and dictation whether i study with her or not. She has been a dream after working with ds so much.

She didn't get a report card ( I guess her teacher had only had her three weeks at that time) so I emailed at the end of the first school week in Jan and asked how things were going. She said...."everything's great but i'm having some issues with dd not listening." I had not mentioned this to her because I wanted to see if she saw the same things, etc. I alsed for specifics and she said something about dd not following the directions about where to turn her paper in. I guess dd finished a paper and asked where to put it. Apparently, the teacher had already given directions on that and Rachel didn't know it. So thet eacher told her she should listen. Dd was in tears at home when i asked her about it. She said, " I didn't know she had told us what to do with the paper."

Well, today, I just got an email from the teacher and dd saying that she had to be told to listen three times during circle time and had her bracelet taken away because she was playing with it. Then, her teacher handed back graded papers and told dd to put them in her cubby. When the teacher came back by later, the papers were laying on her desk. teacher said she asked dd if she understood the directions and dd said she had herad andunderstood them. Teacher says, " dd CHOSE not to follow directions." She had dd write the email with her so that dd couldn't say she didn't know.

I have no idea why she didn't listen in circle. The only thing Ican figure is that whatever they were doing didn't interest her. That's not ok but usually she is very much a participator. Not sure if all they were to do was sit and listen. I KNOW what happend witht he papers, though. She decided to LOOK at the papers first then it never crossed her mind again that she was told to put them in her cubby. I guess that was choosing not to obey but really she made a decision to obey "in just a min." and forgot. I see this all the time at home. Sometimes she just gets sidetracked before something is completed and sometimes she thinks it can wait briefly. She never gets back to it. She doesn't say to herself ( I don't think.) , "I don't have to do that." She has good intetentions just not immediate.

Any ideas on this. She is only 6. Not sure if she is normal childish behavior or a sign of things to come. We will discuss it with her again when she gets home. Just not sure how much carryover that will be. Any ideas how to enforce listening and following directions as a good behavior? I know when she is focused on something she doesn't hear anything and not sure that can be changed but the rest...maybe? lol

Thanks,
KAthy

[Mayleng]

Have you considered Tolerance Fading Memory - APD?

[kc4braves]

Actually, I'm not sure if I should be considering anything. It's frustrating becasue I know that IF my son wasn't ADHD, I would just figure she was being a kid and wouldn't think so much about it....at least for a while. But knowing as much as I do...and that's just enough to make me dangerous...I do worry. I really don't know anything about Tolernace Fading Memory. Is that something she is likely to have without any other diagnoses? It gets confusing. I will try to read up on it tonight.

When my daughter got home today, she told me that she did NOT hear the teacher say to put her papers in her cubby. I'm not sure if she is telling me that to try not to be in trouble or if the way the teacher asked her about it, caused her to answer the teacher in a different way. The teacher says that my daughter told her that she had heard and understood the directions. I don't know what to think. Of course, dd also tells me that she WAS listening to the teacher in circle time but that she was also playing with her bracelet. When I said...the teacher told you 3 times to pay attention...she said...well i didn't hear the first two times. Which tells me she couldn't have been paying attn at all. I just don't know.

Thanks for the suggestion. I will look into it. I do know, though, that as long as she is making good grades, if she were to be ADD, Iwould have a hard time using meds. She is sweet and wonderful ( 90% of the time lol) and, I think, very bright and creative. I would hate to lose any of that. I really have a sneaking suspicion that she is bored...but that's no excuse.

Kathy

[Mayleng]

Here's the link to TFM/APD

millermom.proboards23.com/index.cgi?board=comorbids&action=display&thread=1095792681

[d]

What does that teacher expect a 6 yo to answer when put on the spot like that by her? 6 yo's in general don't want to displease the adults in their lives, like a teacher.

There's a big difference between not listening and choosing to not follow directions versus not hearing or forgeting directions.

Forgetting to put the papers away and the reminders to pay attention in circle time could be working memory stuff - retaining a piece of info in your brain long enough to apply it to another piece of info. It may have registered that she should *look* like she was paying attention at the teacher's reminder, then she forgot to continue to *look* like she was a few moments later .

Hope it doesn't escalate into a contentious teacher vs student battle of wills. Neither will win but the teacher is in the driver's seat with that. I'd want to know more about what is going on in that classroom and that teacher better.

My dd responded best to positive reinforcement - encouragement or praise for doing things right. That encouraged her to do the "right" things again. OTOH, she shrinks into a wall if singled out - she would have cringed at those 3 reminders at circle time. Also, punitive stuff like taking the bracelet away probably won't get that teacher far. I wonder if the circle time thing occurs regularly or if it was an isolated incident. Most importantly, did your dd absorb the book or lesson in circle time? Was she able to answer questions about it even it was boring? If she did abosrb it, she was paying attention and fidgeting with her bracelet was maybe helping her listen although it may not have appeared that she was. What was she doing when she wasn't "listening" - was she talking to friends or was she sitting on the perimeter of the circle fidgeting just a little tiny bit to help her pay attention? Doesn't sound like this teacher will get that subtle distinction. (In case you couldn't tell, I don't care if a kid has to fidget to pay attention, the teacher has to get over that one - oh well. Particularly at 6!)

Anyway, positive reinforcement by the teacher - a smile and small praise for putting her papers away immediately, commenting on how well she did in circle time ("wow I see you really understood the story, great questions...") should work well. Positive reinforcement works great for all kids, ADHD or not.

I'd keep my eye on dd for the time being. The teacher may need some help though. ;D

[kc4braves]

Mayleng,
Thanks for the info. I read and read on TFM. I don't think that is it. At least I don't see many of the characteristics in my dd at her current age and grade. If she has it, it may become more obvious as school becomes more dificult. Right now, if anything, school is too easy. So far, my dd is one of those kids who aces the spelling tests with out studying on Wed so she doesn't every have to take on Friday. She tells her 4th grade dbrother how to spell things and repeats the rules of the household to him at very inappropriate times. lol She has a large vocabulary and, though I don't think she has been tested, her reading skills seem to be above average. She reads so much better than ds ever did, maybe that's why I don't feel there's a problem. He reads at age level or better now...in 4th grade, but that was not he case in Kindergarten through midways 3rd grade. She picks things up easily...even some of his multiplication tables. I may be missing something and the work may just not be hard enough yet to show a problem.

The listening part is the only thing I saw that looked much like TFM. We do feel like she is ignoring us sometimes. And i know she sometimes says she hears us but really she didn't LISTEN to us so has no real idea what we said. That is usually if the tv is distracting her, though. We had a discussion the car tonight and when we got inside, she asked me something that indicated she really hadn't paid any attn to what we talked about. Drives me crazy at times but dh says i do the same thing if something is on my mind. So I'm not sure it's drastic enough to be considered a problem. If that makes sense. I guess we will have to see how things go. I guess I'm not really in a hurry to dx her with something unless her grades or her classroom behavior deteriorate alot more. I still welcome your thoughts, though.

KAthy

[kc4braves]

d,
I think Ithought kinda the way you did. I asked dd what they were doing in circle time. She said something about sentences but didn't come forth which much more info. So...I'm not sure if she retained or not. I was hoping to determine that. She just really didn't want to talk about it. She is kinda like my husband when he gets home from work. The last thing he wants is a bunch of questions about work. lol Anyway, I may try that line of questioning again later.

If she retains the info and doesn't disturb the class, i'm good. My ds, with ADHD, was one of the kids who wandered around his kindergarten room and sometimes sang. His teacher was God's own angel, though, I believe. She would always question him on things afterwaards and said he was retaining. (He would come home and tell me all about the stories of the day in great detail.) As long as he didn't bother anyone, she let him be. She was an older teacher who had more than 25 years experience and believed we were pushing some kids too hard. Unfortunantly for him and us, his 1st grade teacher wanted perfect kids...but that's another story.

I'm thinking of going in to observe soon. I may also make the suggestion of posivie reinforcement to the teacher. Now...gotta get the bracelet back.

Thanks,
Kathy

[kc4braves]

I emailed the teacher to remind her ( guess she also forgets) to give my daughter her bracelet back ( the one she was playing with that the teacher took). I asked dd about it today when we picked her up and she said it was in her book bag. I asked why had she not put it on. It is an italian charm bracelet that she got for Christmas. We have told her always to wear it because if she takes it off to wash hands or anything she loses it. This is her second one. Anyway, she told us," I guess my teacher didn't believe me when I told her that you told me to ALWAYS wear it. She said, 'Oh no ma'am. Not in my class.'" Surely she was joking. I told my daughter she could leave it in my jewelry box for a week then she could wear it again. What i didn't say outloud was...How DARE she? That was my thought. CAN she prevent my child from wearing her only piece of jewelry? My other thought was...what if she had been playing with her shoe laces or earrings or belt. Would those be forbidden as well? I'm sure this is an overreaction....on my part and the teachers. She WILL be wearing it again. What an interesting week.

KAthy

[d]

Unless there is a dress code and I cannot imagine a public school that has one that says no accessories or jewelry for anyone (particularly Kindegarten girls which is primo princess syndrome age). I just don't see it.

The only dress code so far in our district starts with middle school - no hats of any kind, no midriff tops and no sayings on tshirts that wouldn't be allowed to be said aloud in a classroom. Sounds reasonable to me.

I was thinking about your dd today and my childhood. You said something to the effect of no need to persue anything unless school work is affected. I was like your dd when I was young. Elementary school was effortless for me - I never had to try, even skipped a grade (I take that back my handwriting was atrocious no matter how hard I tried). Your dd may have been bored at the circle time sentence lesson bc she either knew it already, got the lesson in a minute and had to endlessly wait for the rest of the kids to get it or she was listening but she just needed to fidget to absorb the material - oh well too damn bad for the teacher if she doesn't like the external appearance/behavior of your dd in any of those scenarios.

Your dd also hasn't been in her class as long as the other kids. A few elem teachers told me it typically takes them from Sept to Nov to figure all their kids out (and conversely a month+ for elementary kids to settle into routines and expectations, probably longer for 6 yo's!).

I was dx'd with ADHD shortly after my dd was. Sure I took some knocks along the way, but not in elementary school, particularly the academics or from teacher attitudes. I was never a "behavior" problem. It's a different time with different expectations for kids now.

For me, I'd have to get to know that teacher. Observing the classroom then a 15 min face to face meeting with her. Maybe you both are overreacting, but man my initial reaction would be the same as yours. She singled out your dd - not good. I have found in almost all situations like this, the teacher welcomed the communication with me and has been willing to work with and for the kids (exception being my ADHDers Kind teacher and my neurotypical's 3rd grade teacherfromhell - 2 bad apples of 15+ teachers is not bad odds).

[Mayleng]

Kathy, just to clarify - my son has ADD(inattentive) and has TFM. He has above grade reading and math is his strength. So it has not affected his learning but it does affect him remembering multi-step instructions (especially academic) and he does tend to switch off if the lecture or conversation is too long. For him any explanation that is more than 5 seconds is too long.

Your dd is still young, just keep an eye on her but keep in mind that ADHD and ADD (inattentive) show totally different symptoms, especially for girls. They are like two different disabilities, in fact, some doctors like Dr. Barkley believe they are. No one can tell that my son is ADD if I don't tell them.

[kc4braves]

Thanks both of you for your replies. As I was reading about CAPD and TFM, all I could think was that it sounds more like my ds than dd. My husband made the same comment. I was looking around on the web and found this: " “Tolerance/Fading Memory” subtype:

Often seems to “ignore” people, especially if engrossed.

Hears less well, or is less attentive/productive, in ordinarily busy surroundings.

Difficulty following a series of spoken directions.

Unusually forgetful of information previously memorized (such as multiplication tables, correct spelling), or of household or school routines and responsibilities, despite frequent reminders."

This sounds so much like ds much of the time. My daughter has no issues with rote memory such as math, spelling, etc. Ds still does addition and multiplication on his fingers. He can spell for the test but misses the same word when writing an sentence. And he SEEMS to forget often what he is supposed to be doing ( especially the morning routine.) of course, he doesn't have meds in him good then either.

It only sounds like even possibly my daughter when it comes to following through with directions. I have learned or am learning lol, that if i want something done at home, I need to turn off ALL the tv's and tell her one or tow things at a time. Then I need to go see in 5 or 10 mins IF she followed through or got distracted. Ds is much the same but better with meds. (So we see the behavior more at home.)
I do know that the multi-step commands issues can be age and maturity related. So...I'm not sure i'm ready to dx her.

I wasn't saying that I would never consider it...the possibility that she may be ADD. I just don't want to jump to that conclusion. I have prayed that she would never go through the things he has...never feel things as deeply as he does...never get fussed at as much as he has...never have problems at school like he has, never be dependent on meds that many disagree with and so forth. I have thanked Him frequently for letting her be a happy "easy" child. Maybe it's just her time to require more attn. I don't know. I feel so blessed, when i'm not stressing, that God has given me the kids that he ahs. I guessit's still normal to hope that my dd would have it easier.

That said, I don't want her to suffer unnecesarily like I have heard many people with adult ADD say they did. So I will keep an open mind if problems continue. I wish I had a "normal" child model. lol It's so easy to get caught up in every problem when you have an ADHD kid. lol I know my parnets had it so much easier. lol They will tell you so.

Anwya, thanks for the understanding and support and ideas. it really helps to connect with someone who gets it.

KAthy

[Mayleng]

kc4braves said:

I wasn't saying that I would never consider it...the possibility that she may be ADD. I just don't want to jump to that conclusion. I have prayed that she would never go through the things he has...never feel things as deeply as he does...never get fussed at as much as he has...never have problems at school like he has, never be dependent on meds that many disagree with and so forth. I have thanked Him frequently for letting her be a happy "easy" child. Maybe it's just her time to require more attn. I don't know. I feel so blessed, when i'm not stressing, that God has given me the kids that he ahs. I guessit's still normal to hope that my dd would have it easier.

That said, I don't want her to suffer unnecesarily like I have heard many people with adult ADD say they did. So I will keep an open mind if problems continue. I wish I had a "normal" child model. lol It's so easy to get caught up in every problem when you have an ADHD kid. lol I know my parnets had it so much easier. lol They will tell you so.

KAthy

I hear ya.

[d]

kc4braves said:

I wish I had a "normal" child model. lol

I don't think "normal" exists, neurophysiological stuff like ADHD or not. ;D

Your dd is already doing just fine so far so stop worrying about comparisons to your ds's situation. (I know the difficulty of ADHD with comorbid learning differences - I am conditioned like pavlov's dogs to worry about and be on top of everything with my dd who has both.)

So who in the family gene pool blessed your ds with the "gift" of ADHD? ;D

[my3texans]

KC,

I have a friend who's DD was DX'd with ADD in middle school. The doc told her that ADD manifests itself differently in girls & many can go through elementary school with little or no problems. He said then when the pressures/stresses of middle school hit, with more complex work, hormones, body changes, etc, they start to have troubles. This girl was a straight A, gifted child, but could get distracted.

One of the things that struck me was how your DD forgets instructions. My friend used to say they would tell Dau to put up the crayon box on the shelf & she would forget what she was supposed to be doing before she got halfway across the room. That, coupled with some falling grades in middle school, caused them to look for the root of the problem.

Like you, I wouldn't rush to judgement or a DX at this time. Chat with the teacher, observe the classroom. Does the teacher know you will be observing? Is it possible for you to observe without the teacher or DD knowing about it? I ask that cuz, everyone's behavior can be different if they know they are being watched or when it is going to happen.

I, too, find that because I have one child with ADD, I am quicker to "see" the symptoms in my other kids. It could just be that the similar symptoms are really just normal for all kids at different ages, it's just that the ADD/ADHD kids seems to do them in a bigger or more noticable way.

I hope & pray you can get to the root of the problem, both for your sake & your daughter's. I hoping she is just plain ole bored, b/c the old school was ahead curriculum wise to the new school.

[notab]

Your dd sounds just like my two "previously viewed as neurotypical" kids. After my little ds was diagnosed with ADHD, I can see that none of us in the family is totally NT. I think that ADHD is definitely a spectrum, not either you have it or you don't. Those two kids and and I get at least halfway down the ADHD symptom list. I think that we are more "type A or A+." This can cause some problems, like what you have found with your dd, but it also has many advantages (high energy, creative, leadership qualities, etc.) In fact my other kids and I have always aced school, so the attention factor was not a big issue in the long run (although I still climb the walls when I have to sit in a long or boring meeting).

Regarding the jewelry issue - I have been there. My daughter was always told to put away any jewelry she had on as she played with it. I guess I don't see why it is important for them to wear jewelry to school. My daughter doesn't. Playing with jewelry can distract the child and those around them. I still play with my jewelry when nervous, especially bracelets. I am a big jewelry lover, but I know that I need to leave the bracelets at home when I am doing something important that makes me nervous. It is just a way that I cope with my personality issues.

Good luck!

[kc4braves]

Thanks for all the replies.

d,
I'm not certain who blessed my son in the gene pool. He has my hair and eyes and his dad's bone structure but beyond that, we aren't for sure. My husband has a strange family history involving adoption. We have heard from his biological aunt that her son ( his cousin) is "very ADHD" as she put it. My brother who is 32 has claimed for a few years that he is ADHD. I'm not sure about that as he is the type to always look for a way for things not to be his fault. He maybe, though, since I cannot judge how he feels or thinks. My memory of his school years is that he did great ( he was very talented in school and sports if/when he applied himself.) My husband was always the wiggly child and still has one leg moving most of the time, but beyond that, I don't see any ADHD issues. I have gotten less organized since having kids and, compared to my Mom (who I tease about being OCD) I look ADD but, I think I'm just more on the disorganized side of "average". I did well in school and was one who really pushed myself. Graduated college with honors. HAd to work hard but never saw a problem with that. My dad, I'm pretty sure had/has a learning disability to some degree. BAck in the 40's they just labeled him kinda slow and went on. He didn't read well when he graduated and still writes like he's dyslexic. (Ds and my dad have similar handwriting but ds spells a bit better) But he has learned to read quite well on his own and understands all things political. lol So all this to say, we aren't sure where it comes from if it is genetic. May be a little here and there.

Back to the bracelet. I have never seen her play with it or fidget with it. I have no problem keeping it at home if it becomes a regular problem. She doesn't wear much in the way of jewelry but has had a bracelet of some sort since she was 18 months. It is kinda part of her. I know that sounds crazy. I just don't like it being taken for one offence.

I've about decided not to think too much about it unless i start hearing complaints frequently. I hope to go in and observe since I have yet to be in her classroom here. ( They didn't even have a Christmas party.) I am trying to work with her on following a single step command immediately so that she has no time to forget. What a nifty idea. lol I think she will be fine.

Thanks ya'll and have a great weekend.

KAthy

[kc4braves]

I got dd's weekly behavior report and M-W this week is marked..."not listening well". I asked her about it last night and she said..."oh yea, I went to see the nurse today." Of course, I asked why. She said that the nurse tested her hearing. I guess the nurse told her there was nothing much wrong with her hearing. Can they test hearing at school? I remmeber when they had their hearing tested as babies in a sound proff room and an audiologist. how much could a nurse really do? Oh well. Found that odd. I guess we should just go ahead and try to get it done right. Does anyone know if you have to have a referral to see an audiologist?

If i start feeling human again today, i'll make some calls and try to find out. I took the first does ( and only one I think) of Zoloft for PMDD last night. OM goodness I have never felt so bad in my life. I only hope that nothing I have ever given my son has ever made him feel this way. Oh well, that's a different story all together.

Thanks,

KAthy

[d]

kc4braves said:

I got dd's weekly behavior report and M-W this week is marked..."not listening well". I asked her about it last night and she said..."oh yea, I went to see the nurse today." Of course, I asked why. She said that the nurse tested her hearing. I guess the nurse told her there was nothing much wrong with her hearing. Can they test hearing at school?

Did they test all the kids or just your dd? If they tested all the kids, it was a regular screening. My district screens all the kids regularly for hearing, sight and scoliosis (4th grade). It is not a big deal, nor is it a comprehensive test. If the nurse tested your dd only, seems that teacher is intent on finding out why your dd is not listening. How did your conversation with the teacher go since the bracelet incident? And why is your dd on weekly reports? Do they do that for all the kids?

kc4braves said:

If i start feeling human again today, i'll make some calls and try to find out. I took the first does ( and only one I think) of Zoloft for PMDD last night.

PMDD? I often wondered if I could get that dx. I'd be very close even if I didn't merit the dx.

[Mayleng]

The schools do test all the kids for their hearing, sight and scoliosis. But if they are pulling your dd out and only testing her without your approval, the school might want to be very careful about that. Our School District Attorney warned one of the Sped Ed teachers at our meeting yesterday, that that could cause problems for the school.

[kc4braves]

I'm not sure if they tested everyone or not. I didn't know to ask that. lol I think maybe the teacher was giving her the benefit of the doubt. I haven't gotten to talk with the teacher much. We have been so busy. I do know that dd loves her so she doesn't feel angry towards the teacher or anything.

KAthy

[kc4braves]

We have been having a not so great week. Is there a certain age at which "neurotypical" children become more organized...can clean up their own room with minimal guidance, can locate their things easily, can follow 3 step commands, etc.?? Also, are kids born ADHD or can they "become" ADHD? My dd, who we always have considered "neurotypical", besides not listening at school, seems sooo disorganized lately. I went to church to pick her up from AWANAS tonight and her half of the table looked just like her room...a huge MESS! Her room is not just a normal mess it is destroyed. She tries to clean it and get's majorly overwhelmed. I helped her clean it the other day and it only took a day for her to mess it up. She just doesn't put anything away. She used to be able to find any of her stuff and now she often cries...." I can't find anything in my room. It's a mess and i can't clean it up." Picture that being whined loudly. lol I find her stuf all over the house but i can't give more than one command at a time and then i had better follow her because she will end up playing or something. She has almost missed the bus all this week and both kids missed it this morning. She used to be the one who got up with her clock and was ready to go. Now she is as bad as my ADDer about getting distracted and not getting ready. I just don't think she is SUDDENLY ADD. Do kids go through phases like this? She is only 6. Hopefully, a long ways from puberty. CAn they be conditioned to react like an ADDer from being around them so much? Any ideas?

Kathy

[Mayleng]

ADD in girls appear differently from boys. And if she had it, it did not suddenly happen. Kids are dxed with ADHD normally shows symptoms by age 7 when the demands are greater. So she may be starting to show signs. BUT - it may not be. I know "normal" kids who are just as disorganized and messy as ADHD kids. Keep an eye on her though.

d can probably direct you to some articles about girls with ADHD.

[kc4braves]

Thanks. I know there are non ADD people who are messy and disorganized. My mom would probably say I am one of those. I have parts of my life that are organized and other parts that are not. She often laments that neither of her children took after her in that way. She knows where everything is at all times, has receipts for the last 40 years AND can put her fingers on them in less than 3 mins., and everything would always be in it's place if it weren't for Dad. ;-) I would like to be that organized but I get crazy when I try to keep things that way. lol We often say she is over the top with organization, though.

I would love to know more about ADD in girls. I think whether she is or isn't, she is easier to "manage" than ds. She doesn't really have any behavior issues except the ones that forgetting to do what we told her or getting distracted from it cause. She does well at school...so far... and is much more independent than her 9 yr old d brother may ever be. She sat in her room and very small and neatly wrote the first and last name of each of her classmates on Valentine's last night. I couldn't believe how good she wrote with no lines for guidance or anything. And she didn't require that i sit and watch her the entire time as ds would have. Of course, she left it all out all over her room including crayons, pencils, etc. lol

I guess all kids, whether ADD or not, have their own issues.

Kathy

[d]

Kathy, there is a book called "Understanding Girls with ADHD" by Patricia Quinn and Kathleen Nadeau. They are awesome, pioneers in this. The overwhelming majority of ADHD research is based on boys. Girls present differently and they are on top of it.

I think they have a website too so maybe do a google using their names.

[Mayleng]

Kathy, ADHD girls and boys who are the inattentive types, do not have any behavior problems. So keep that in mind. My son is inattentive is one of the better behaved kids in his school. d's adhd/inattentive daughter is also not a behavior problem. They are disorganized and forgetful and have difficulty focussing. BUT they can hyper focus on things they like. In my son's case video games or computer games.

[kc4braves]

Thanks for the info. I LOVE Google! My ds with ADHD can also hyper focus...especially on video games...but also on movies. ( He barely breathes at the theatre.) I think Dr. Amen's research shows that has alot to do with the chemical's released in te brain when playing video games. Anyway....gotta date with GOOGLE! Thanks ya'll.

KAthy

[Mayleng]

here's an article about girls versus boys with ADHD.

www.schwablearning.org/articles.asp?r=464&f=search

[wetmores]

As the mom of one of the first girls to be formally diagnosed with ADHD (then called minimal brain disorder) welcome!

For years parents were told ADD "didn't happen" to girls. It does.....it just shows itself differently. We were really lucky....Debra presented jsut like a boy!
peace,
marge
www.nt-haven.net

[d]

wetmores said:

For years parents were told ADD "didn't happen" to girls. It does.....it just shows itself differently. We were really lucky....Debra presented jsut like a boy!

I'm honored myself and my dd are in such great company.

My dd was dx'd six years ago. Her 1st grade teacher commented that she couldn't possibly have ADHD bc "only boys get that".

[Mayleng]

Hey, how about my son's 1st grade teacher telling me my son couldn't possibly be ADHD because he doesn't bounce around and is not a behavior problem.