ADD diagnosis in HS?

Parent Cafe
1

I believe my D (HS senior) has (probably mild) ADD. She has most likely had it for a long time now, but has been pretty “high achieving” thus far. What I am noticing though, is that she is starting to wear down. I think she has had to work so much harder to keep up in high school that it is taking it’s toll.

To be honest, I just thought she was a bit of a perfectionist and was putting unnecessary pressure on herself, working extra hard, etc. She has to get A’s, has to take AP classes, has to give the best performance, etc. (She puts this pressure on herself. It’s not coming from us) But, what I think I am understanding now, is that it just really takes up so much more time and energy for her to focus and get things done. I am seeing other seniors working jobs 16 - 20 hours a week, participating in clubs and sports, etc. I assume they are getting most of their homework done…?!

Between a couple of clubs, music lessons, and a few hours of work per week, I would say the time commitment to those activities totals less than 15 hours per week. She should practice her music more, but she always puts it second to schoolwork and the schoolwork is never done. ( Which just leaves her unhappy. Music is what she loves.) She often goes to bed exhausted by 10 pm because she is just too tired to keep going. Some mornings she wakes up as early as 4 am to try to complete homework before she has to leave for school. Basically, on any given night, she is doing homework from 6 pm to 10 pm - minimum. If she has tests, she is staying up later and getting up early to put in an extra hour or so. She tends to procrastinate her homework on weekends, but she is easily spending 10 hours per weekend on homework. Her social life is pretty nonexistent.

I admit, I am somewhat torn. It’s hard for me to determine if she is just taking a heavier load than what she is capable of or if she is possibly capable of even more and being held back by attention / focus issues. All I know is she seems miserable. I googled ADD / ADHD in teens and looked at the “checklists”. She meets the criteria.

So, finally, my question:

Does anyone here have experience with getting a HS student diagnosed this late in the game? Is anyone going to listen because she has such good grades (though I don’t know if she is going to maintain them this year - it’s not looking too good). Where do I start?

Thanks to anyone willing to offer advice.

2

Start with your family doctor. My doctor said, “If it’s ADD, you will notice a change immediately after starting meds.” That said, there are side-effects from the meds. I think it’s good to start while she’s still at home because it makes monitoring much easier.

3

My D was diagnosed senior year. Her brother is WAY WAY ADD, so she didn’t seem ADD by comparison. The diagnosis is helpful in college. She utilizes the accommodations to which she is entitled.

4

Your description sounds like my child. She was diagnosed in junior year. Meds made a lot of difference. I would see a psychiatrist, as many family doctors will not prescribe ADD meds. She does not use any accomodations and does well now. It might be a good idea to have more manageable workload in terms of APs, we cut it down to 4.

5

My husband has ADD but he figured out ways to cope and has never taken drugs for it. My middle son had problems but didn’t start meds until 9th grade. I didn’t want to put him on anything unless it was absolutely necessary.

My oldest was a A student with AP classes that spent many hours on homework in high school. Because he always got his work done we thought there wasn’t a problem. However near the end of freshman year in college he came to me and told me that he thought he had a problem. We had him tested and he has ADD. The first day he took the meds he was doing his Calc III homework at the kitchen table. He said it was amazing that he was able concentrate and get the problems done in a reasonable amount of time. He now takes meds on days he has classes or is studying for tests.If you think your DD has ADD get her tested. If she has it and she is put on the right drug she will notice an improvement right away.

However it maybe that your DD is just overloaded. There are/can be side effects to the drugs so I would make sure and have her tested before she tries anything. There are doctors out there that will prescribe meds just to see it it helps. Please don’t go that route.

6

I would begin by seeing if a reduction in work load is helpful.I would do it sooner rather than later, well before your D has a chance to fall behind and get into a game of “catch-up” that has a good probability of not ending well.

I see no harm in seeking a diagnosis now, especially if the check lists seem to make sense. Even if your D maintains her grades it could be a helpful data point to have should she begin to have difficulties later on in college. (Even from the little you have written here, I would suggest that you rev up the helicopter when your D starts college.)

Also, I am not sure that I would agree that if a child does not respond to meds, it can’t be ADD (or difficulty with focus or executive function.) Several of the young people (and a few adults) in our family have been diagnosed and fit into that profile, and not all who have tried meds have done well. The side effects can be pretty awful with some individuals. Sometimes a change in dosage makes a difference, and sometimes a different med will work.

7

My S was diagnosed senior year. Meds definitely made a difference. We considered just doing the meds M-F for school, but then the doc asked if S ever drove on weekends. Hmmm…we hadn’t thought about that. ADD affects more than just schoolwork, so getting a diagnosis and treatment seems prudent.

Also, now while she is still home would be a better time to try any meds rather than when she is away at school by herself. As stated above, sometimes the first med is not the right one.

8

I would start the process of getting her tested. I have a high-achieving sophomore in college that I’m starting the process on. I spoke to a specialist and was told it is more common than one would think that high-achieving high school kids without behavioral problems to be diagnosed once they hit college. Being sharp kids they probably compensated for ADD through high school only to learn those same compensations may not work in college. ADD is harder for a parent to notice since it’s missing the hyperactive component. Good luck!

9

Formal evaluation now is an excellent idea. She can take advantage of the Resource Team at her high school and learn better strategies for keeping herself organized and on task, and she can try out any recommended medical options. When she leaves home, she will have a much better handle on her situation.

10

One additional reason to seek a diagnosis is to have meds totally set by the time college starts.

As I mentioned, D was diagnosed senior year. Her Psych would only prescribe Stratera. We were initially enthusiastic, because it’s not a controlled substance (making refills easier). Only Stratera didn’t work. Her Psych at college keeps providing everything BUT controlled substances. Even though D has a formal diagnosis, the Psych at school just won’t prescribe anything with street value. (Sale of Adderal and the like is rampant on college campuses.) She has yet to find something that works and we need to find another psychiatrist.

11

Ditto the formal diagnosis and treatment. Trying to do less won’t solve an underlying problem. I’m sure you found lists with differentiating characteristics for giftedness and ADD- it sounds more like ADD than gifted to me but a person can have both. Get the formal diagnosis now- rule in/rule out ADD. Long term help instead of short term fixes that may or may not work. If not ADD then you know other strategies need to be used- and easier done while she lives at home and is in HS.

12

Thank you all so much! We are working on getting recommendations for a doctor to evaluate her. I admit that I am beyond nervous about putting her on meds. I am one of those people who reads all the side effects and gets freaked out. But, I guess sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do!

It’s been a rough few weeks. She has fallen behind in a couple of classes and is definitely in “catch up” mode. We have a long weekend coming up and I’m hoping she really can get caught up!

She is working on getting her counselors recommendation letter (for college apps) and is worried that if her counselor finds out how much she is struggling and that we are thinking ADD is a possibility, it will be a “ding” against her. I’d like to believe that is not the case, but I admit that I kind of want the recommendation letter done before we disclose any of this as well. Thoughts?

13

S2 was only diagnosed because I was complaining about him to some moms at the overnight prom party. One of the moms said “I’m giving you my daughter’s doctor’s name. You should call her!”. The meds have been a huge blessing.

He noticed a huge improvement even at his summer job at Academy. He could remember a list of shoes/prices for long periods. He was so excited. Wish we’d figured it out sooner. He’s successfully holding down a job and doing well in his classes.

Good luck! He started with mild vyvanse. Now he also has adderall for the " long days " (when he has to stay for evening labs). Only side effect is loss of appetite, so not too bad.

14

My son was diagnosed after his freshman year in college. After his nervous breakdown. Don’t wait. It could be that your daughter will learn to deal with her issues, especially once she understands them. Or, it could be that she’ll get on medication. Either way, it’s good to know. My son and I both wish we’d have had a diagnosis sooner. Even one year sooner - his last year in high school - would have made a huge difference.