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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Adhd and….jigsaws?

10 replies

Magicmonster · 05/04/2022 18:26

Have a meeting with dd’s school soon. They say she is struggling with the academic side of things. She is reception (age 4). I think the main problem is that she struggles to concentrate. This then limits the pace at which she learns. I suspect they are thinking she may have ADD/ADHD (albeit too early to formally diagnose). I agree that her concentration span is not good…and this is the case in and out of school…but she can do jigsaws for hours at a time. She’s just done 19 in a row over the course of 2 hours. She’s super quick at them and concentrates really well. I just wondered whether this rings any bells with other parents? Do others who have kids with (suspected) ADHD actually concentrate incredibly well when they are doing something they enjoy and/or find easy? Or perhaps you have kids who have been similar, and who ended up being diagnosed with something different / or indeed nothing at all?! Thanks in advance.

OP posts:
colouringfoxes · 05/04/2022 18:29

Yes, that's called hyperfocus. It's often fixated on a specific topic or activity, so jigsaws fits.

PickySlackTastic · 05/04/2022 18:30

I have adhd and am currently obsessed with jigsaws.

Specialists think that adhd should be re-named because people who have it don't want have an attention deficit, they just have very little control over the direction of that attention. I can only speak for myself, but this hyper focusing on something yo find stimulating can be as much of a problem as not being able to focus on stuff you don't.

puddleduck234 · 05/04/2022 18:30

Take a look at the YouTube channel "how to ADHD", it explains how there is a lack of dopamine and attention regulation a lot better than I can.

But basically yes, if the jigsaws are giving her the dopamine she needs (rewarding to see a final picture) it could absolutely be ADHD.

ZittiEBuoni · 05/04/2022 18:31

ADHD dd is 18 now and still loves a jigsaw. She now does massive 1000 piece ones that take up a lot of floor space Hmm. But yes - hyperfocus.

MsMeNz · 05/04/2022 18:32

It's called hyper focus. I get it. My son also gets it. Having ADHD doesn't mean you can't focus ever just hard to do stuff you aren't interested in doing. I enjoy doing jigsaws and I can spend 23 hours focused on tidying and cleaning and deculttering in a hyepr focus state.
But I can also start cooking dinner. Forget was I was doing and walk out start doing 3 other things then I'm like shite! What's that burning smell! 🤦

sunshineandshowers40 · 05/04/2022 18:45

My eldest was diagnosed with ADHD at 12 years old, he use to love doing jigsaw puzzles when he was younger and was very good at them.

Magicmonster · 05/04/2022 18:47

Ooh this is super interesting and helpful, thanks all!!

OP posts:
Tigerteafor3 · 05/04/2022 18:49

Ooh I have ADHD and love a jigsaw. It's definitely a hyperfocus thing, but wait for her to lose it and then you'll have half finished jigsaws everywhere!

romdowa · 05/04/2022 18:54

Adhd and concentration is so weird. I love reading , I could sit all night and read but I have to be in mood and it has to be the right book. The amount of books I've started and put away because they didn't grip me is huge. Yet 6 months down the line the book could just click for me. At the moment I'm craving a new switch game, gaming is my hyper focus at the moment. As well as owning every monopoly set ever made 🙈🙈

LabiaMinoraPissusFlapus · 05/04/2022 19:17

My daughter has ADHD and loves jigsaws. She has always been amazing at them since under a year of age (doing 24 piece ones then). She scores well on spatial awareness and visual puzzles. She is quite badly dyslexic. She still enjoys jigsaws and other puzzles now as a teenager.

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