I've n/c for this, also know that no one on mumsnet can make a diagnoses but it might help me get some perspective.
My son is 8 and he's always been a bit challenging but up until now I've always thought it was just normal childish behaviour. However, I had parents evening last week and apparently he's started being disruptive at school, constantly talking, getting out of his seat, getting distracted and distracting other children, he is now slipping behind despite being capable, so I am told.
I must admit he's exhibited challenging behaviour for a while. He was a lovely and really easygoing, happy baby and toddler, but he started becoming challenging once he started school.
Son examples of his behaviour are,
Getting distracted so easily, so I could literally send him upstairs to get a jumper and he'll have forgotten by the time he gets upstairs.
Not listening even when spoken to directly and bursting out with laughter. I just cannot get him to be serious about anything.
Shouting out random things at inappropriate times, like this morning I sent him to get his school jumper and he randomly yelled "oh my god Donald Trump is president". Or walking round a shop he'll shout out "pepperoni pizza" or "I'm a cardboard box". Just totally out of the blue, completely random stuff. He also does this in accents and I've asked him to stop because people might think he's making fun of them.
Constantly picking things up in shops despite being asked, pre warned, made to hold my hand, even me just leaving the shop with him.
Breaking out into dancing in the middle of a shop if music comes on.
Stealing sweets, for example last year he was bought 3 advent calendars from different people, and I found out he'd ate them all in one go. Or we had a box of cakes, he had one after his tea, the next day I found out he'd nibbled all the edges off the rest of the cakes, this sort of thing happens a lot if there's sweet stuff around.
Doing without thinking, so he might do a lovely piece of homework let's say designing a board game, then he needs a bit of paper and ripping a huge chunk off the piece of homework he's just done. Making mistakes even when copying.
When I read to him he constantly asks questions but so much so we don't progress through the book.
Self management, so he will wait until he's desperate to use the toilet resulting in him needing to go when there are no toilets available. If we are on our way out I ask him to go and he argues but then desperately needs to go once we are out.
He doesn't sleep. No matter what, I get him to bed early to wind down, read with him, got him a new bed, he doesn't get to sleep. This only started since school, once he does get to sleep he's dead to the world.
He asked questions that I wouldn't expect him to, like my husband has noticed at a certain activity he does that he keeps asking questions, to the point it's distracting to the group. If we are in the supermarket he wants the free samples and he asks the person at the deli/cake counter if they've got any free samples.
Previously school have never had any complaints and no one had mentioned anything to me so I was shocked to hear that he's now misbehaving at school.
The thing is, he's not horrible, never nasty, he loves everyone but I feel people are starting to dislike him because of his behaviour.
His diet is ok as far as I'm concerned, I'm not saying it's perfect but we don't have any sugary cereals, he has a school meal, a home cooked tea and any pudding is after tea, he has no fizzy drinks or squash only milk or water.
He does lots of activities after school I try to keep him busy.
I'm at a loss now, we had a big chat about school but he seems to believe it's other children distracting him, he tells them to shush and then gets into trouble, however this is not the story his teacher tells. He seems to think children are moving the table, knocking him, kicking him under the table, but I'm inclined to take his teachers word.
Even when I'm doing things one to one sometimes it's impossible to get him engaged and concentrating.
Although he can concentrate when he really wants to but his concentration seems to be getting worse. Of course we have times when he behaves beautifully so it's not all bad but things are becoming more noticeable as he gets older.
How does all this sound?