do these symptoms ring a bell?

[Peela]

I could swear I posted here this morning and I cant find the post anywhere.

Ds14- dyslexic but reads well. Strongest symptom has been poor wrting skills and poor organisational skills, and difficulty with reading instructions.
Lately, dh and I have been becoming quite concerned because we have noticed that ds's memory has become terrible. It probably wasnt ever really good, but others are noticing it now too, such as the guys he works for. He will ask them 3 times what he needs to do next because he just forgets.
At home, he forgets a lot and has been getting very frustrated with his schoolwork but tries to cover it by rushing through.

Last weekend he went on a Scout camp and he came home very excited but quite mean and cool with us all. Dh and I sat him down for a D&M (deep and meaningful conversation) and it turns out ds feels he had a very clear mind all weekend, managed to remember all his knots and everything he was supposed to do, and felt incredibly competent. And, it turns out, he was drinking a lot of caffeinated drinks. When he came home he was trying tomaintain that clear headed space by being tough and distant- his words wre alogn the lines of not wanting to "relax" into the home vibe because his mind will fall apart again.

SO this mornning we put him in a separate room for his schoolwork (because the distractions in our shared schoolroom, even though its usually him !- are really upsetting him) and gave him coffee with breakfast- and he stayed engaged and focused on his work. he was very happy with himself.

His other symptoms are sensory- more and more he cant stand certain textures such as carpet or wool, and his range of foods is narrowing to white bread, fruit and meat.

I dont want to actually label him but if any labels come into your mind, I would appreciate hearing them so I can do some more research. He is not at all hyperactive and never has been- unlike his diagnosed ADHD half sister, and undiagnosed ADHD father. He does have trouble concentrating and while I wouldnt call him "dreamy" he certainly doesnt focus well. We would not medicate him. But I am concerned for him, because he is really nticing this himself and feeling bad about himself, and I am wondering what other support we can give him.

thanks

[melissaL]

May be I should try giving one of my ds's coffee!

[sheryl]

I could swear I posted here this morning and I cant find the post anywhere.

Ds14- dyslexic but reads well. Strongest symptom has been poor wrting skills and poor organisational skills, and difficulty with reading instructions.
Lately, dh and I have been becoming quite concerned because we have noticed that ds's memory has become terrible. It probably wasnt ever really good, but others are noticing it now too, such as the guys he works for. He will ask them 3 times what he needs to do next because he just forgets.
At home, he forgets a lot and has been getting very frustrated with his schoolwork but tries to cover it by rushing through.

Last weekend he went on a Scout camp and he came home very excited but quite mean and cool with us all. Dh and I sat him down for a D&M (deep and meaningful conversation) and it turns out ds feels he had a very clear mind all weekend, managed to remember all his knots and everything he was supposed to do, and felt incredibly competent. And, it turns out, he was drinking a lot of caffeinated drinks. When he came home he was trying tomaintain that clear headed space by being tough and distant- his words wre alogn the lines of not wanting to "relax" into the home vibe because his mind will fall apart again.

SO this mornning we put him in a separate room for his schoolwork (because the distractions in our shared schoolroom, even though its usually him !- are really upsetting him) and gave him coffee with breakfast- and he stayed engaged and focused on his work. he was very happy with himself.

His other symptoms are sensory- more and more he cant stand certain textures such as carpet or wool, and his range of foods is narrowing to white bread, fruit and meat.

I dont want to actually label him but if any labels come into your mind, I would appreciate hearing them so I can do some more research. He is not at all hyperactive and never has been- unlike his diagnosed ADHD half sister, and undiagnosed ADHD father. He does have trouble concentrating and while I wouldnt call him "dreamy" he certainly doesnt focus well. We would not medicate him. But I am concerned for him, because he is really nticing this himself and feeling bad about himself, and I am wondering what other support we can give him.

thanks


Well Peela adhd and add are related but different. AD"H"D is the hyper manifestation part of this whole add scenario. A"D"D is the lack of focus. My dd has both! Sheryl <><

[Laurie4b]

It sounds like ADD. You don't have to have the hyperactivity to have that diagnosis. I believe (the last time I looked), the DSM IV calls it all ADHD, but lists subtypes, one of which was inattentive type.

The fact that the main issues are writing and organizational skills are much more ADD than dyslexic, as is the difficulty with working memory (which is what you are describing.) There was just a long thread that I started on an ADHD workshop I attended.) http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=172480

[Peela]

Thanks- I was thinking ADD too but for some reason we have never felt he was. Now it feels like he fits many of the symptoms.

It does help for *me* to have a label, even if I dont want to put it on him (yet, anyway- his dad is very adamant about that- we will see). Thanks for your notes Laurie.

[FairProspects]

My dh is a Licensed Mental Health Therapist, and he always says the best way to tell if a student is ADD is to give the student a stimulant (caffeine in this case). If the stimulant causes the reverse intended effect, such as calming or clearing of the mind, the student has the proper "chemical" reaction to be diagnosed with ADD in a medical setting. Whatever you choose to do with that knowledge is up to you (whether pursuing diagnosis, medication or neither), but I'm glad you and your son found something that will work for you! HTH!

[proudmamma]

Okay, but it's not like they have a caffeine deficiency, even though that seems to be helping... There has got to be something natural that the body is lacking, maybe some sort of neurotransmitters or something...which would call for certain amino acids to create the needed neurotransmitters. I don't know, I'm just thinking outloud here :) I have a boy that is 14 that has some of these same symptoms. Hmm...I am thinking about giving him coffee in the morning and seeing how his focus is. If it helps, then I'm off to research how to help this with something that is actually good for him :)

[Mergath]

I could swear I posted here this morning and I cant find the post anywhere.

Not sure if anyone mentioned this yet, but you posted it over in the "kid who spaces out" thread. :001_smile:

[Laurie4b]

It has to do with dopamine uptake, which you're not going to affect much without a stimulant or other medication.

Caffeine is not totally bad. Tea and coffee both contain tons of phytochemicals that are really good for us. God put the caffeine in the same package.

You can search this board for "natural" and come up with all the non-stimulant ways to manage ADD; however a lot of people find that they need the stimulant for optimal functioning.

[Peela]

Not sure if anyone mentioned this yet, but you posted it over in the "kid who spaces out" thread. :001_smile:

Lol, thats kind of ironic, isnt it? I meant to start a new thread.
OK, more caffeine for me before I write stuff like that.

[scrapbookbuzz]

My dd is dyslexic, ADD, and possible Asperger's. She struggles with dysgraphia (handwriting) and for that we've found that when she writes in cursive vs. print, her handwriting is SO MUCH BETTER when she writes in cursive!

The sensitivity to textures could indicate any number of things, including Aspergers.

As for the not being able to be organized, I've NEVER been able to keep my own self organized (and I even spent time in the military!) so what does that say about me?? LOL

[ImAhomeSCHOOLmama]

I think ADHD . Caffiene works differently in children with AHDH.