[Yummymummy4]

My son is 12 and ADHD was questioned as to weather he had this a few years ago. But things have got worse, I have made a dr appointment for Monday. His symtoms are:
Fidgeting
Lack concentration
Low self esteem
Short attention span
Easy distracted
Losing things
Talking loudly
Doesn't understand why his in trouble for things
Interrupting people
Finds it hard to wait his turn
Takes things that isn't his and the list is endless
Any help would be greatful, or questions I should ask dr etc please?

[Skeezyks]

Hello Yummymummy4: I see this is your first post here on PC. So... welcome to PsychCentral... from the Skeezyks! I hope you find the time you spend here to be of benefit.

I don't know enough about ADHD to be able to offer any suggestions. But I saw that no one had yet replied to your post. So I thought I would. With my reply your post will be cycled back through the new posts forum. Perhaps other more knowledgeable members, who have missed it so far, will see it & reply.

[Travelinglady]

Hi, yummymummy4, and welcome to Psych Central! I can't say for sure, since I am not a professional. I know you are anxious to find out, but you'll need to wait until some testing and questioning is done by a professional. So sorry, dear one. It won't be long until you know for certain.

My older son has ADHD. He was just diagnosed at age 24 or so! I can't believe that I didn't recognize any signs, but he's a quiet guy. Even none of his teachers suggested it to us! His coworkers at his part-time job thought he should get tested.

My guess is that your son does, but my track record isn't so great.

If he does, then please don't worry. My son is a college graduate and is now getting a Master's in accounting.

There are plenty of resources available for folks with ADHD and their relatives. I happen to like a book called Driven to Distraction.

Please keep in touch. We can serve as a resource if he does have it.

Again, welcome!

[heyhey.im.j]

Sounds like it. I have adult adhd, so they're similar. Have him evaluated soon, it's miserable as a child. How are his grades, and friend status like?

[alwaysin6thgear]

Originally Posted by Yummymummy4

My son is 12 and ADHD was questioned as to weather he had this a few years ago. But things have got worse, I have made a dr appointment for Monday. His symtoms are:
Fidgeting
Lack concentration
Low self esteem
Short attention span
Easy distracted
Losing things
Talking loudly
Doesn't understand why his in trouble for things
Interrupting people
Finds it hard to wait his turn
Takes things that isn't his and the list is endless
Any help would be greatful, or questions I should ask dr etc please?

From the actions you describe about your son many are symptoms of ADHD. The low self-esteem is more of a result of suffering from these symptoms, he has no control over most of these actions and being 12 years old he has probably spent much of his childhood being criticized, disciplined, bullied, treated as an outcast because he is different. I went undiagnosed until I was 38 (53 now) and up until then I was considered lazy, stupid, unmotivated ect. Little was known about ADHD when I was a kid so basically my childhood was a living hell. What you should do between now and your sons Dr. appointment is read up on-line as much as you can about ADHD, you need to educate yourself and understand what it is and what your son has to go through. Is the doctor your going to experienced with ADHD? That will be a major issue in getting your son properly diagnosed and a proper treatment program. I would also keep much of your sons issue with ADHD to yourself/spouse and teachers. There are many people who don't believe ADHD is a real disorder or blame it on diet, bad parenting, ect. What you don't need is someones unsolicited opinion or advice as it will only make it more difficult and confusing to go forward with the right treatment. Although medication is not a cure it is an important part of a treatment plan. If I had the opportunity to be put on meds as a child I know for a fact that my life would have turned out much different, for the better. It's made a huge difference in my quality of life, but still suffer from the effects of going undiagnosed most of my adult life. But as I said educating yourself is the key to help your son, there are many great websites where you can get valuable information. I can tell you right now that your son is most likely extremely frustrated about his actions and behavior. People with ADHD are not stupid or lazy, far from it, most likely he has a very high IQ. Our brains are wired differently, we process information much differently than so-called normal people. Telling him things like "try harder" or "why can't you be like other kids" will only make him more frustrated. Dr. Ned Hallowell described ADHD this way to a young kid he had just diagnosed with it " A person with ADHD has a brain of a Ferrari, extremely powerful and complicated, but has the brakes that belong on a bicycle" . I will tel you this ADD is real, it's a real disorder and you did nothing wrong to cause it. Chances are either one of the parents have it.

[alwaysin6thgear]

Originally Posted by Yummymummy4

My son is 12 and ADHD was questioned as to weather he had this a few years ago. But things have got worse, I have made a dr appointment for Monday. His symtoms are:
Fidgeting
Lack concentration
Low self esteem
Short attention span
Easy distracted
Losing things
Talking loudly
Doesn't understand why his in trouble for things
Interrupting people
Finds it hard to wait his turn
Takes things that isn't his and the list is endless
Any help would be greatful, or questions I should ask dr etc please?

And to add one more thing: People who have ADHD have symptoms that are unique to them, everyone is different. Some do very well in school, many struggle. Some kids are exposed to a certain subject early and just happen to like it and don't get bored, others aren't as lucky. ADHD is not just about lack of focus or forgetting things, it goes way beyond that. What he will need is patience, understanding and support. Most of the work will come from parents, don't depend on the school system. The more you educate yourself the easier it will be for both of you.

[Ceara1010]

Hi!

Yes, many of those symptoms you list can be found in ADD/ADHD. But be careful. They also describe characteristics that are normal for children that they outgrow.

ADD/ADHD is grossly over-diagnosed in children. But doctors make a profit off of this, so there is no incentive to stop.

Teachers today are very overtaxed as they have to deal with many more students than in the past. One of the unfortunate results of this is they are having trouble dealing with energetic children that just need to learn some discipline, organizational skills, social skills, etc. Because teachers don't have time to do anything about this, they blame the kids and say they are "disordered" and request they be medicated. The last teacher I talked to about this told me that "half the children in our school are on ADD/ADHD meds."

Parents can also feel overtaxed by the normal growing pains children go through and want quick solutions. I'm not saying this is you as I'm sure you only want the best for you son.

Also, if a doctor does give your child an ADD/ADHD diagnosis, insist she/he tries other treatments before putting your child on medications. (i.e. diet changes can make a big difference) Drugging children should be resorted to only when other methods don't work.

Good luck!

--Ceara1010