Hello,

My husband has been diagnosed with Adult ADD and his brother has had an ADD diagnosis since his was a teen. Now my son is five years old and I'm starting to think it is passed down. For anyone who had childhood ADHD does this sound familiar:

1) He has trouble paying attention when we talk to him, constantly changing the subject or looking around (but not right at you,) and then asking questions about completely unrelated topics or jumping topics very quickly. For example, Me: "Are you having fun playing your game?" Him: "Giraffes are really tall. I like giraffes. Can I have some milk?"

2) Once he gets going he doesn't stop until he collapses. It is almost impossible to calm him down. He is jumping up and down constantly racing around the house. Jumping on furniture. Screaming and making random noises. Unable to sit still and play with one toy for more than a minute or two. He has always been a "rocker." When he was smaller (2-3) he would sit on the couch rocking and rolling cars back and forth while watching t.v.

3) He is completely unable to focus on his homework (yes, he has homework.) He gets bored almost instantly and instead of writing his letters or numbers he starts making them odd shapes, scribbling on the pages, or complaining he's tired (although then he runs off like the Tasmanian devil.) He also is unable to pick up toys because he gets distracted after one or two toys and forgets what he is doing. He only sticks to activities if he is really, really interested in them.

5) Repetition, repetition, repetition. He will get one word or a series of words or noises and repeat them over and over and you can't get him to stop. Since he's five this tends to be words like "toilet" or "fart" or burping or spitting (raspberries) because he thinks it is funny.

6) He doesn't respond to correction. He continues to do the same things over and over. We have tried time outs, taking favorite toys, grounding him from activities like t.v. or games. We go over and over again and again what the rules are but it is like he never hears. We go over the rules over and over again. Also he doesn't listen. Telling him to stop, time out, etc doesn't stop the behavior he just seems to get more and more hyper and more and more defiant.

I also have a nine year old son and he has never been this way, which is why I'm curious. I don't just want to run off to the doctor with my concerns just yet. I was curious what others who have had ADD or ADHD a long time might think.

Sorry this is long! Thanks