To be dreading the half term because of my daughter's neediness?

I have a live wire 7 year old (boy) too but not to this extent. It does sound exhausting and I think you need to keep pushing for support. Sounds like a fob off from the GP in all honesty - children can behave differently in school and at home so both sides need looking at.
I would also be concerned about the reading - though if she is quite wired much of the time, it makes sense. It is certainly more unusual behaviour.
It may be worth exploring diet and things like screen time, as these can affect behaviour.

Diagnosis by MN.

I've read through your responses and what I've not seen is an answer to the question "what happens when you say no?" Do you ever actually say no and mean it or do you just nicely explain that you're busy but then give in and do what she wanted immediately anyway?

DD went through a stage of wanting constant attention, and when that wasn't possible because I had other things I needed to do, I told her that I needed to do something else and would be able to play with her in xx minutes but until then she needed to do something else. If she kept it up then I would give a warning and then if she kept going there would be a consequence. She didn't like it, it took some getting used to for her and sometimes resulted in a tantrum, but it was important to follow through and be consistent.

What happens when you do that?

I think children are massively over stimulated at school, massively and they can't decompress. They don't know how to. They don't know how to be bored, to look out of a window, to colour or invent or play.
I don't think it's a syndrome.
I suggest making a timetable for your own sanity. Some down time.

OP you said at 7 she can barely read. Is this not a bit of a red flag for the school? My 5 year old can read a very simple book by herself with little support. My nephew is just turning 8 and can read an age appropriate book/magazine by himself.

Have you spoken to them about this?

Presumably she isn't allowed to talk non-stop at school? So she is capable of controlling it, and maybe just needs firmer home boundaries. But this doesn't rule out ADHD.

Is that ros? Yes I love that couple! They are on insta too.

Sounds like she’s bored to me. Not all children (or adults for that matter) can amuse themselves. Are there any clubs or activities you could send her to?

I feel for your daughter.
Sounds like she is masking at school and it's all coming out at home.

Even if she is ADHD op, it's okay to put down boundaries about when her wanting attention is inappropriate. Like any kid, she can still learn manners when it's appropriate to interject. I was a really good kid in school but I still got told off for chattering or for not paying attention at times. I ended up feeling never good enough from different things throughout my life.

Does she struggle to make friends,

Sounds like the hyperactive type although I don't know for sure. I have inattentive so the hyperactivity was mainly in my head but I can talk and talk. Maybe she's hyperactive one as she has to be doing so many things.

How does she sleep op?

Definitely go through right to choose at your gp otherwise you'll be waiting forever.

I agree it does sound like ADHD but that doesn’t necessarily mean it is.The symptoms do present different in girls.Although,your daughters personality does sound in part similar to my DS growing up.He was diagnosed when he was 6.
There is a lady on Tik Tik/Facebook called ADHD Love who explains about it in a wonderful and informative way.

She's sounds very much like my daughter and she has adhd and well as autism (which was never picked up on at school, private assessment pushed for by me).

I think I am just fed up with reading posts where every single thing is put down to being neuro diverse and that is probably why when people do have genuine problems it takes forever to actually get a diagnosis if at all.

@Aeiouuoiea if you read my follow up post, you'd see what I meant.

I never said that OP should shout or punish

Agree with pp about adhd testing.

I’d come home from school (or work as an adult tbh!) and my hyperactivity and talkativeness would be very intense- I’m sure it’s a response to the effort of concentrating and behaving all day. It was easier to regulate in the holidays, so there’s that.

'Tell her off'? What does that entail? Shouting? Detailing what's she's doing wrong and making sure she knows exactly how much you dislike how she is? Punishing her when she does things you don't like? What would those punishments be?

Please don't do this @Sacredhandbag. Of course there need to be boundaries, and they need to be firmly held but 'telling her off' is not the way. Punishing and shaming a child - any child, NT or not - is never the way. All it does is give you, the adult, a little power trip.

I was like this as a kid. I wouldn't be so quick to write off the idea of ADHD

As per pp, I also think ADHD might be what's going on. I have a very similar sounding DD, now 9. School saw nothing. We eventually sought a private assessment which included a school observation and she was diagnosed with combined type ADHD. She seeks constant input/attention/engagement from us. She needs lots of activity and never seems to get tired. We have lots of other difficulties at home that school don't see. She can just about keep a lid on it at school because she says she doesn't want her friends to think she's weird. But she's aware she's masking how she really feels. So don't be put off by school and GP. They do look for it in 2 settings but if you could afford private assessment or just seek a private school observation, a trained person might see what a teacher doesn't see when splitting their attention 30 ways. Or the school questionnaire might still show signs that are enough to get you to assessment. You know the difference between your two children, you have raised them both the same way, it's not the home environment that's the problem. But the cheapest thing for the education and health system to do is blame the parents and send them on a parenting course. Good luck with whatever you decide to do x

@Oioisavaloy27

I work with ND and undiagnosed ND children. OP's daughter's behaviour aligns with this profile, as described.

There exists treatment for ADHD, children shouldn't have to live with the symptoms, which can have a horrendous negative impact on them (and others).

It does sound like possible ADHD. I’d see Gp and take it from there.
What activities does she do? Brownies or cubs is usually a cheaper option.

I read you have another child too. I'm sure you take steps already, but please don't let your daughter push her sibling aside in a bid to get your one-to-one attention all the time. I was the sibling in a similar case when we were growing up and it wasn't much fun.

@biscuitsandbooks Yes, like I mentioned, DS1 is impeccably behaved with great manners, it's just that he still struggles with impulse control so I have to be careful about how I address these behaviours with him.

She sounds a bit like my DD. She would have lots of meltdowns at home though which she didn’t have at school

Undiagnosed ADHD until highschool. Primary school “didn’t see it” and didn’t encourage paeds/medical checks. Just made me feel bad like it was home and boundaries and give me parenting CDs to listen to

she fell apart in high school. We got a diagnosis medication and totally different child.

make a diary and talk to your GP.

I didn't mean shout or give her a bollocking - maybe that was poor wording on my part.

I meant more that if time out isn't working, she maybe needs stricter boundaries or different consequences. Even children with ADHD (if that's what she has) can be taught how to behave and learn what is/isn't acceptable.

Some kids are just like this, sounds like it could be ADHD, but even if it is, it could take years to get properly assessed and in the meantime you need help for this half term!
I noticed you mentioned a limited budget, so that may rule out holiday clubs. So I’d suggest arranging lots of play dates, so that she’s got someone to play with. A walk in the woods or a trip to the local park are much fun with a playmate, especially as it sounds like DS isn’t really playing with her. Also things like dance apps ( is Just Dance still a thing?), as well as role play with dolls or whatever she’s interested in.
If it works for your location, walk rather than drive to places like the library or shops. Get her involved in helping around the house. She sounds bored. She needs frequent changes of scenery and activity, but those don’t all have to be “ fun” things. So helping strip the beds and remaking them followed by 15 minutes tea break for you and her drawing, followed by prepping lunch with her helping then all going out to post a letter, back for lunch, clearing up, getting ready for outing ( park, meeting a friend/ grandma) etc.
Find games the family can play together( jenga/ ouisi/ kerplunk/ twister. Get a swing ball if you’ve got outside space, which she could play with DS. But most of all get her other kids to play with.

Not all children are neuro diverse especially if they have no boundaries in place, sometimes issues can be down to parenting I'm not saying that's the case all the time and sometimes children can just be hard work