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[quote=Anonymous]Our DS has low processing speed and ADHD. ADHD is certainly tricky since it manifests in so many different ways for kids.

ADHD was very, very clear by 5 years old for our DS. He was exceptionally chatty, interrupted teachers/friends/us all the time, lots of foot tapping/jumping up and down, impulsiveness (like grabbing other people's things even when he knew not to or touching their hair), difficulty with learning to read because he couldn't sustain attention when he wasn't interested in the material, emotional highs and lows that were often disproportionate to the situation, hyperfocus when he was interested in an activity or topic. He's such a sweet kid and he was getting in trouble for disrupting class a lot. It was tough for him to go from one step to the next in a class project in an orderly way. It was all taking a toll and he would explain how hard he was trying in tears. It was really hard to watch and we had him assessed at 7 years old and it was no surprise. Medication changed his whole life, let him make reciprocal friendships (and stop being impulsive and weird!), and let him show who he really is academically and socially. He's irritable in the morning and then the medication kicks in and he's ready to go be his best self. It's amazing.It was a lot of trial and error and a great pediatric psychiatrist. He's in middle school now and thriving.

The low processing speed was a surprise. He is very sharp and had compensated really well for the most part. But now that we know, it's super helpful. You can see it in his social interactions (takes an extra beat to respond sometimes) and he really does need the extended time (like a difference between a C and an A), mainly if there are long reading passages on a test.

In any case, hope you can figure it out for your DS in case he does need more support. High school and college are when a lot of kids who can compensate get really challenged for the first time and it can really impact self esteem, so you're right to investigate now. Best to go to a good developmental pediatrician or psychiatrist for a thorough assessment and recommendations. There may be strategies or other supports in lieu of medication or along with it. Good luck![/quote]

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