Search Results for: blog adhd or is your child actually gifted

Is ADHD Becoming More Common in Older Kids?

A report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in July 2008 took a look at attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. ADHD is characterized by impulsiveness, hyperactivity, and an inability to focus or concentrate. In children, ADHD usually appears by the age of seven. The problem is often noticed in school, leading to diagnosis before the age of twelve. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimate that more than four million children in the United States have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. According to the CDC report that surveyed nearly forty thousand households: The rate … Continue reading →

Adults with ADHD in the Workplace

A new study from the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) lose more than three weeks per year in workplace productivity. Researchers from the World Health Organization surveyed nearly two hundred thousand people in thirty countries around the world. They also performed diagnostic assessments on more than seven thousand employed adults in Belgium, Columbia, France, Germany, Italy, Lebanon, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United States. According to the data from the World Health Organization, between three and four percent of all adults worldwide suffer from ADHD. However, many adults may not realize … Continue reading →

“Hey Mom, I LIKE Gifted School!”

My eight-year-old son has embarked on his new journey into the gifted “spectrum” program in our school district. At first, he was very reluctant. He has several good friends who live within walking distance of our home who he liked to play with at school. Leaving those buddies behind was a little hard to face. “I don’t think I want to go to gifted school,” he said. Several readers urged me to have him attend anyway, because of the marvelous educational opportunity he had been given. Finally, somewhat hesitantly, he determined to give it a try. One drawback has been … Continue reading →

Can Your Child Use a Word Processor?

If your child is in third grade or older, knows letters and words, and has reasonable functioning of the hands and fingers, he or she can benefit from learning to use a word processor. Children with all kinds of learning disabilities and especially those with ADHD or dysgraphia should have a word processor available for them to use at home, if at all possible. I remember when my oldest son was in his first years of elementary school. Every time I went to parent-teacher conferences I was told, “He does good work and scores very high on tests, but his … Continue reading →

ADHD, Middle School, and Those Two Dirty Words

We were on a long drive, and I was trying to gather up the courage to tell my husband something. I knew it would be a little bit touchy, and I wanted to approach the issue in just the right way. After all, it was about his oldest daughter–my stepdaughter–and I knew he had very tender feelings for her. And I’d have to use two dirty words: special education. For months I had watched Sunni drown in her middle school classes. To read my previous blog on this story, click here. Despite working with her, meeting with teachers, and enrolling … Continue reading →

“I Don’t Want to Go to Gifted School!”

Yesterday I opened a letter from the school district inviting my seven-year-old son to attend a special school for gifted children. Based on test scores and teacher recommendations, he was invited to start attending a new school in the fall. He would then continue enrollment at the school under the same gifted program for the next four years. Hmmmm. I sat down with my son and had a little chat. I explained to him what a great opportunity this was, and told him he could go visit the school and meet the teacher. But Liam wasn’t so sure. “What about … Continue reading →

Your Child Could be BOTH Gifted and Learning Disabled

Is your child bright and intelligent, yet still struggles in school? Are you often amazed at your child’s creativity and talents, but can’t figure out why certain things aren’t getting through academically? It’s not often understood that a person can be both gifted and learning disabled. We assume that a child who is gifted has no learning challenges, and a child with ADHD or a specific learning disability is “slow.” It’s hard to imagine that both conditions could exist at the same time. But they can. The classification is “Gifted and Talented/Learning Disabled” or “GT/LD.” These children require a whole … Continue reading →

Ten Signs that Your Child May be Gifted

Gifted and creative children often have behavioral problems in school which resemble ADHD, ODD, or other disorders. Sadly, many of these children are reprimanded, medicated, and denied the ability to reach their full potential. When this happens, our entire society suffers. Imagine if Einstein, Churchill, Edison, and other great thinkers who struggled in school were held back and forced to be ordinary. What if we had labeled them as slow learners and medicated them? How might the world be different today? I wonder why we assume children who misbehave are unintelligent. For some reason we’ve adopted this thinking in the … Continue reading →

ADHD: To Medicate or not to Medicate–That is the Question

Not long ago I received written warnings about my two stepdaughters’ ADHD medication in the mail. It was sent to me by Rite Aid pharmacy, where I pick up their meds. I decided to investigate the issue further. In April of 2006, the New England Journal of Medicine reported that the FDA had voted to issue a “black box warning” for patients taking controlled substances as a treatment for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). (The vote had a narrow margin of eight to seven.) What happened was that the FDA had decided to take a closer look at the potential cardiovascular … Continue reading →

ADHD? Or is Your Child Actually Gifted?

Gifted and creative children often have difficulty in the public school system. Their behaviors can mimic ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and they can sometimes be labeled as problem children, daydreamers, or even slow learners. Instead of getting the special educational opportunities that they need and deserve, they are incorrectly classified and improperly held back from achieving their full potential. When gifted children have their talents properly channeled and find an appropriate setting for education, they can make contributions to society which can transform the world. A New Perspective Just think…perhaps your child is not just hyperactive, restless, and reactionary, but … Continue reading →