She thought she was well-versed in the traits of ADHD, until her daughter was born. Writer Susan Ince reported on Robertson's experience in an article on parenting.com:
Knowing that these kinds of problems tend to run in families, the Lexington, Kent., mother feared a similar ordeal when her second child was born. Instead, daughter Samantha was so laid-back that she never even received a time-out.
Surprisingly, Samantha's transition to school was also tough. Although she sat quietly, Samantha couldn't focus well enough to learn or even to play with the other kids. "There I was, on the national board of CHADD, and I completely missed that my daughter also had attention issues!" exclaims Robertson.
If even this savvy mom was caught off guard, how can less informed parents know when their youngster needs help? Indeed, more and more experts are saying that the way kids with attention troubles have been identified has done American families a disservice.
They're adamant that half of all kids with these difficulties are not being diagnosed, and those like Samantha -- who lack focus but don't exhibit other behavior that attracts notice -- are the most likely to slip through the cracks. (Often confusing is the clinical diagnosis for Samantha's problem: ADHD, predominantly inattentive type. In other words, she has a hyperactivity disorder without the hyperactivity.)
Labels: parenting
Posted By: Aspen/CRC
