...to ask how you tell the difference between a child who might have add/adhd or who is just very full on?

[PurpleMinionMummy]

As it says really. Dd has always been hard work. Non stop, never sits still (unless on an ipad), fidgets all through dinner, can't sit through a whole film, is always rolling around, waving her legs about, jumps, skips, faffs about walking anywhere. Homework and reading take ages and are torture (for me!) as her mind is off elsewhere every other minute. Never stops talking and we get a running commentary on everything, everrrrrrrything. Argumentative, takes ages to do anything you ask or forgets along the way. I've never thought anything of it, just thought she was a very full on child with a daydreamy personality. She had the same teacher at school for almost two years, nothing mentioned, assumed all was fine at school. Six wks into yr 3 and her teacher said she has trouble concentrating and misses instructions. Now I'm wondering if there's more too it?

Sounds like my DD, she is still like it now and she's yr8 at school, it is so frustrating! She was referred to an OT back in yr3, she has some mild SN. Not enough to get any help with but enough to make life difficult and frustrating for her (and me)sometimes.

You could ask for a referral, even if it is something mild and there is no support as in the case of my DD, it is something concrete to work on if you get some sort of diagnosis. If there is nothing wrong then at least you have ruled things out. Good luck!

Hi I think you need to take this further with the school tbh. Four weeks into starting school, I was told by the senco that my DS was presenting as having adhd but I had a feeling for a while something was going on. A lot of what you describe in your post is familiar! Ask to speak to teacher further to gauge how much of an issue it is and see what, if anything, they plan to do to support your DD if things are becoming problematic with her learning.

I used to think DS was just an energetic boy but he has been diagnosed with ADHD. Start keeping a diary so you can see if it's certain situations or she is the same all the time.

When your DD is using the iPad does she sit still while using it? At DS's assessment meeting with the consultant, I gave DS my phone to play with so that I could talk to the consultant (& 2 others - can't remember who they were!). DS quietly played away on the phone & I remember thinking that they wouldn't believe me that he spends most of the time bouncing off walls! At the end of the consultation we were told that they were diagnosing DS with ADHD. I said that I was surprised as he had sat there quietly & the consultant said that watching him with the phone was all the evidence he had needed (although being able to demonstrate how he was in other environments helped).

Apparently while I was talking to the consultant, DS changed position about 1000 times - lying on the floor, lying over the chair, kneeling etc., yet his attention never faltered from the screen for a second. Apparently an element of ADHD is hyper attention!

I would suggest doing some research on ADHD and making notes on when she is displaying symptoms/actions that may be ADHD. Having this info is really useful if you get to diagnosis stage so you aren't having to rely on memory!