Is this ADD? Should I seek medical evaluation?

[Anonymous]

Kid is doing pretty well in a tough high school. Can get top marks on exams and papers. Top SAT scores of 1500+. But every semester there’s some class that gets ignored. For years there is one class where stuff isn’t turned in. I’m talking semester-end papers turned in January when the teacher emails me. Other classes half the homework is done and the penalties add up. So instead of all As, there is always a C or B in there. And it’s all from work not turned in.

I don’t think it’s a time problem, kid has plenty of time and opportunity to do homework. I even limit video games for part of evening so there are no distractions. But the missed deadlines are just crushing the kid. I don’t intervene until the teacher contacts me. Help! Should I leave it alone?

[Anonymous]

That doesn’t sound like ADHD to me. It sounds more like his schedule is too rigorous.

[Anonymous]

What does your kid say is the reason?

[Anonymous]

Kid will say they forgot, but there are all sorts of online assignment due apps. So it doesn’t seem accurate.

The coursework is really high level but no problem keeping up with classes. Kid enjoys tough classes.

[Anonymous]

if you have suspicions get them tested. adhd and the other disorders that sometimes travel with it are not things you can self diagnose based on grades

[Anonymous]

If it's just in one class, I'm not sure I'd think ADHD. I'm not sure how that wouldn't manifest across the schedule. Is there anything the problem classes have in common?

[Anonymous]

In our case, yes, this was ADHD. The full neuropsych testing was eye opening.

The thing about ADHD/inattentive and a really smart kid is the silence and the inconsistency. When they are "on" they are really, really on; when they are "off" they are really, really off. They work out strategies to stay "on," but it doesn't always work, especially if there is that one class they don't like, or one teacher they don't click with, or something else gets in the way mentally (a fight with a friend, lack of sleep, illness), then the self-regulation coping strategies stop working. It's like the straw that broke the camel's back. Having the diagnosis helps them start to see what their brains are doing to them in these moments, and that can help them refocus and work to overcome it. That and meds. You have to understand that if it is ADHD, this kid is using 10 times the mental energy to arrive at the same place as other kids.

[Anonymous]

This is not a symptom of ADHD, but this is how I was, both in high school and college, and I was later diagnosed with ADHD.

[Anonymous]

If it's mainly in one class, it could be anxiety-driven avoidance/procrastination?

[Anonymous]

For my 2e DD with inattentive ADHD, this tends to happen in the “easy” classes. Kid has been reading on a college level since about 5th grade, but had a B in freshman English. Just zoned out, couldn’t quite lock on to the teacher’s methods and expectations.

Did the work in about 2 seconds and moved on to something more interesting, but couldn’t seem to get it turned in. Like it totally disappeared from her awareness as soon as it was done. Or had trouble with classwork because of sensory overload in a chatty classroom. If the work had been more challenging, she probably could have focused better and tuned it out. That sort of thing.

I think harder classes fire up the brain and stimulate the dopamine, making it easier to focus. Easy ones just don’t stick for some reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it's just in one class, I'm not sure I'd think ADHD. I'm not sure how that wouldn't manifest across the schedule. Is there anything the problem classes have in common?

It’s been going on for several years. It’s in different subjects—foreign language, history, English, math. Every semester it’s something. But once problem class is over kid goes back to As. Testing shows pretty even aptitude across math and English.

[Anonymous]

I think it is more difficult now because there are so many different ways to turn in work. Before the teacher said in class to turn in your work so you got the paper out of your folder and handed it in. Everyone did it at the same time so it was easy to remember.

Now some assignments are checked off in class, some are physically turned in, some are submitted via google classroom or canvas- only if the teacher has created the assignment. My son has a teacher that makes students turn in math assignments via google classroom but then lags in creating the assignment online. So he finishes his homework but can’t turn it in. He has to check again in the morning to see if the teacher has created the assignment. Other teachers set assignment due in Sunday at midnight.

My 8th grader was not turning in some assignments so I told him I was going to check everyday for a month to help him get back on track. I was so incredibly frustrated!

[Anonymous]

ADHD has to be present during early childhood. Sounds like he just needs some organization/executive function coaching regardless of diagnosis. It’s not like you’re going to givd him Ritalin and he’s magically going to start remembering deadlines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ADHD has to be present during early childhood. Sounds like he just needs some organization/executive function coaching regardless of diagnosis. It’s not like you’re going to givd him Ritalin and he’s magically going to start remembering deadlines.

It’s true that symptoms need to one present in early childhood but perhaps there were symptoms present that OP didn’t notice.

OP, just look at the DSM and see if those symptoms sound familiar.

[Anonymous]

An evaluation is in order before college. -school,psychologist