ADD signs in girls
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Anonymous
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I’m wondering if DD8 has ADD … things I’ve noticed with her are she’s a perfectionist, yet easily distracted. Also, she says she can’t focus on her math, but sings the entire time and distracts herself. She seems to have sensory issues as well, particularly around clothing. Has to do things in a certain order. Forgets to do basic tasks that she does every day like brush your teeth put on deodorant, etc.
She gets her feelings hurt easily and really doesn’t take criticism well. Socially, she makes lots of friends and is well liked, but when I see her with her friends, she’s prone to interrupting and rambling story telling. Thoughts? |
Anonymous
| I don't know, but you've described my 7yo DD perfectly, and I've wondered the exact same. The only difference here is mine is very focused on math but can't focus on her language arts work and thus struggles to finish in-classroom assignments. |
Anonymous
Op here. She’s the same, but vice versa with reading and math. She likes to read, but can’t focus enough for math. She’s also pretty well behaved… the only real exceptions are when she’s frustrated or anxious. She’s anxious a lot. |
Anonymous
| That's me and I'm 43 and very definitely have ADHD (self diagnosed, but with confidence). I'd have it looked into. |
Anonymous
| That sounds exactly like me as a child. I'm 51 and was never diagnosed. I have always squeaked by but barely. The pandemic made it very clear that I am definitely adhd inattentive and (once I get around to it, lol) I plan on getting diagnosed. |
Anonymous
| Sounds so so much like my 8 year old DD with ADHD! Especially the singing and interrupting. I think if you are wondering enough to post on DCUM you should just get her evaluated. Ask your pediatrician for names but get a real evaluation- pediatricians tend to not recognize ADHD in girls who are doing ok academically. We had that experience and my DD is a textbook, severe case. |
Anonymous
Me again- one thing that tripped me up until I learned more about ADHD is that my DD is capable of really remarkable attention/focus/work when she is interested in something. She will sit and read a good book for hours. But apparently that’s common- it’s actually called hyperfocus and when kids enjoy school or parts of school they are able to focus really well on those. Or other activities! If you saw my DD watching the instruction at her studio you would not believe she has ADHD because she’s laser focused. Anyway I just throw that out there because it was confusing for me for a while |
Anonymous
The ability to hyperfocus is amazing and a real trait of ADHD. My daughter can read a book for hours. She can build civilizations out of Legos and craft supplies in her room for hours. But tell her to do two different things and remember them both? No way. Tell her to finish a task that is multiple steps? No way - it will always get halfway done. I have no idea how she does so well in school. I'm not sure that she always will. |
Anonymous
Op here… this sounds just like her. If she’s into it, she’s all in. If she’s not, it nearly impossible to get her to focus. Who diagnosed your daughter? Was the solution meds? If so, which one? |
Anonymous
| Op here. Also, are there any supplements that anyone recommends? |
Anonymous
Isn't it just human nature to be able to focus more on things that are interesting to us? It's not some great feat of "focus" to read a book for hours. It boggles my mind that everyone wants to pathologize normal human traits these days. Amphetamines for all! |
Anonymous
I have hyper focus and it’s not exactly like that. I have no sense of time. I literally have no idea what time it is. I will lose myself in a task. It’s different than focusing on something that I’m interested in. I have never understood how people can multitask. I cannot. I struggle with being on time and have to set alarms to remind myself. Even then, I will lose track of time while getting ready to go or whatever it is I set my alarm for. I always thought it was a quirk. It can be very useful because I will do whatever it is I set out to do well. But it comes at a cost. As a child, I was a perfectionist who was always late. My grades were excellent, but often at the expense of fun activities. |
Anonymous
Not that are going to fix ADHD. You’d need a diagnosis and some school supports, therapy referrals and perhaps medication to get your daughter the assistance she would need. I think you have enough here to warrant a Vanderbilt assessment. Talk to your pediatrician. Each parent will fill it out plus a teacher or two. It’s the first step towards a diagnosis. |
Anonymous
Also, they don’t really recommend or prescribe amphetamines like adderall for hyper focus because it would only make it worse. The only suggestion I’ve ever gotten is to try St. John’s wort. I’ve adapted my life to deal with it. I delegate a lot of things! |
Anonymous
+1 - from a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult - hyper focus was amazing when I was handling a critical, complex problem at work. But if don’t get into that ‘zone’ - it’s impossible to finish anything. My 9DD was recently diagnosed with ADHD - different specifics - she will spend hours constructing something out of cardboard, duct tape, and Ali foil, but can’t get through some fairly easy tasks without getting distracted. She’s also HIGHLY sensitive to criticism and will go into doomsday mode if she makes a mistake. Her grades are good and she’s not disruptive in school, so I’m skeptical there will be much intervention at school now — but it’s helpful for us as parents to know some of this is just the way her brain works. No meds for her now. |