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My son who has know just turned 5 has still been having accidents on the potty. I recently made him a chart and it has been helping. Now his preschool teacher has suggested he might have ADD. Now I am analyzing his every move and in worry that he does have it. He still acts like a toddler and gets into things. Also he does well with puzzles and playing by himself which I heard is also a red flag. I always thought he was just active like my older son who also doesn't sit still. How do I know if this is just his personality or I need to have him check out for ADD.

Jack Marcellus Replied: Please know that there is NO definitive "test" to prove ADD. Schools use a checklist of traits and once a student displays a certain number of those traits they are deemed "eligible" for their label. ADD simply means a child has a deficit in his or her ability to pay attention. As a Certified SOI (Structure of Intellect) clinician I will tell you there is most likely an underlying problem that is at the root of this inability. Many times this type of behavior can come as a result of underdeveloped visual or auditory senses. I would look at things like his balance,coordination, ability to control his eyes and or follow multiple instructions. Contact me and I will direct you to the nearest IPP Clinic or professional who can help you accurately identify the source. His pre-school teacher is not a doctor nor a skilled clinician and while she may be a great and caring teacher she is more than likely someone who does not know how to deal with active students. He may be a student who is more of a figural learner and is not feeling connected to the typical semantic delivery system employed in most schools.
Posted On 2010-06-20 22:51:45

Ellen Gibran-Hesse Replied: In raising my sons, ages 24 and 21 now, I noticed that most little boys are very active my oldest included. I think that many teachers, who never were taught to diagnose ADD, are far too quick to pounce on this instead of the fact that school activities often are designed for more sedentary activities and personalities. And I think that the teaching profession has more of these sedentary personalities. You have good instincts about helping your son. The fact that you created the chart and your little one can focus on it to help himself, says a lot. Even when I ran a cub scout troop, my co-leader and I made sure to keep the boys active to run down their energy and change activities frequently to keep their focus and interest. All these active boys have turned into easy going adults. We are seeing a serious shortage of males entering colleges and I think the real focus needs to be on what they are supplying to male learners. If your little one enjoys puzzles and alone time, I'd say he is curious and focused enough for his age. Don't worry!
Posted On 2010-06-20 21:32:04

Naomi Drew Replied: Why don't you give him a little more time, and give him the benefit of the doubt. It sounds as though he'll be starting kindergarten in the fall. Try to hang in over the summer and see how he does when he enters kindergarten. For now, if you possibly can, just let him be a kid, enjoy him, and try putting your worries aside. If you're just not able to do that, contact your school district to see if they have any preschool evaluation measures that can be used to give him an initial assessment.
Posted On 2010-06-14 21:07:41