Just got back from yet another meeting with 13-yo DS's teachers. They like him, say his grades are better this year (even got a couple As, and no Fs this quarter!), and he is polite, BUT he is so impulsive. They all said they literally cannot turn their back and he is doing something. He gets out of his seat constantly. When they tell him to sit down, he does, but once their back is turned, he is out again. He talks incessantly to everyone and will not stop. His more recent stunts this week included grabbing a friend's camera out of her desk and snapping 5-6 pictures, and taking part in rough-housing outside at recess. He was left out of an outdoor walk because the teacher just couldn't be with him the whole time and she wasn't sure what stunt he was going to pull this time.

I know they are not exagerating, as he is like this at home. A typical scenario with him is like this: "DS, don't touch that, it's not yours. Put it down. Put it down now!, I SAID PUT IT DOWN NOW!" Then he'll turn around and do it again. He is constantly bothering his brother and sister and making them angry or cry. It just goes on and on.

He has been this active since he popped out of my womb. LOL! Have been told by every teacher every year, that "he is VERY active". He gets very angry at home and sometimes throws things in his room.

And it's not that we don't discipline him. We use every method possible, i.e. grounding, loss of privileges, early bedtimes, etc. And it's not that he is from a dysfunctional home life. We are very "normal". He has a married mom and dad. We camp and take trips together. We go to church together. The kids are involved in activities, scouts, music, sports, etc. We have always played games with them and read to them, and just spend lots of good family time together.

I suppose he should have been evaluated years ago, but I am going to do it now. Any suggestions on what I can expect at an evaluation? If he is diagnosed, will he automatically be put on meds? I don't want to put a damper on his "spark". He is bright and fun and usually very happy. Just can't control his impulses; doesn't know when enough is enough.

Based on this info, could he have ADD?

When my son was evaluated they asked me to come in alone first. They took me to an office and gave me several questionaires to fill out that asked questions about my son. Then they gave me some forms to give to his teacher for her to fill out. There was also one for a medical doctor to fill out. I took him to a Pediatrician and he had a physical exam. Also, they tested his thyroid after I asked them to since hypothyroidism runs in our family. Two weeks later I went back to the psychiatrist with my son and we got the results. Then the psychiatrist discussed the different treatments available with us and we all decided on what treatment to try.

Dear Krazemom
If this behavior has been going on since he was little didn't your school suggest testing earlier? I have a 13 1/2 yr old son who was diagnosed with ADHD/Impulsivity in the 1st grade...for behavior like you described. I would start in several areas. Get your school to provide a child study team evaluation...can take 90 days to get done or longer. See if your teachers this year can fill out a "Conners" rating scale. Also you and your husband and the pediatricin should fill one out"Conners" or something like it. If the school won't do an evaluation then it should be done by a child study teammany insurance plans will pay for at least part of the testing. They normally do a total workup from physical, psychological and educational. Medication might be suggested along with some type of counseling and behavior modification. It is a lengthy process but worth it to find out what is going on with your son. Once he hits High School it gets harder, the teachers won't tolerate the disruptions and the grades count for college. I know meds sound scary and they aren't for everyone...hope this helps

Thanks for the info. As far as his school getting involved, it is a private Catholic school and, unfortunately, they do not offer those kinds of services like the public school system. Years ago I asked his pediatrician about his activity level and they felt he didn't "fit the criteria" for an actual diagnosis of ADD/ADHD, but was just extremely active. It has gone way beyond that now. He is disrupting the class and annoying the heck out of his teacheres. Like I said, other than that, he is a good kid with a great big heart. He is just impulsive to the point of driving everyone around him crazy.

I am anxious to get started on the evaluation. We will have an appointment with a child psychologist who specializes in this, so hopefully, should get some answers. If he is not diagnosed, at least then we can get some therapy to help him focus and channel his energy in a more productive way. I feel so bad for him. Looking forward to making him feel better.

Krazemom
My son too is a nice kid with a good heart and very bright. he too is driving his teachers nuts...but in our case because of puberty his meds aren't working. What happens is if we don't get help for these kids they will get marginalized socially and that is very damaging. It isn't easy getting a straight answer. By the way how does your son sleep? There is some thinking out there that hyper activity is made worse by lack of sleep. My son has always been a short sleeper...very hard sleeper but not for more than 6-7 hrs a night...too little for 13 yr olds...good luck

Testing for ADD/ADHD involves lots of things including questionaires as well as things like the tova test some times. The best tool for diagnosing these problems though seems to be the SPECT scan. I have not heard that mentioned at the clinic that tested my kids but have read up on it after reading more about it in this forum. ADD is genetic in nature so when one or both parents have it there is a good chance one or more of the children might have it. Be sure they do thorough testing on your son before making his diagnosis and be sure to keep your copy of the test results in your files in case you need them since ADD/ADHD people are covered by the american disabilities act. As for medication.............go over the test results with your doc and then decide where to proceed from there. If the doc feels that medication would benefit your child don't hesitate to try it since your child deserves all the help he can get. Help your child is not limited to medication but using what ever means is the best choice be it meds, counseling or a combination of both. You might also want to consider taking him for allergy testing if he has never been tested since allergies can often cause part of the problem. Good Luck.

Krazemom
If you view my post about teens w/ add: Log #1 you may find some helpful info. I hope you view it and it helps.
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Krazemom,

Our son was diagnosed by his pediatrician. We had an initial visit to speak with him, both alone and with our son. He gave us checklists to take back to the school to be filled out, and we filled out one too. Then we had a follow-up visit after the forms had been completed. The pediatrician prescribed the medication that day--he had known our son since infancy and had seen him in his office throughout the years (he was almost 9 when he was diagnosed)--and was not the least bit surprised of the results, nor were we. I'm a teacher and knew he had ADHD, but my husband was very resistent to "labeling" and medication. After seeing the positive change medication made (for our son and our family), he can't believe he ever didn't want to do anything about it. And, yes, our son's two biggest problems aside from lack of focusing were impulsivity and incessent (sp?) talking. Though still issues, they are now at tolerable levels.