any btdt experience with sdhd in girls

[malphy]

Dd is struggling in 1st grade. She has difficulty with reading, sight words. She has been monitored but we cannot pin down her issue. She is very bright, more of a numbers girl, good comprehension of stories. She is a fidgeted, can't sit still and has sleep apnea so her focus is minimal. Any help would be greatly appreciated

[egoldber]

My younger DD was diagnosed with ADHD-hyperactive type in K. But she is old for grade and was 6.5 at the time.

We started medication and literally that afternoon she picked up a book and started reading it (vs. just looking at the pictures). Before that we thought she knew some sight words and that was it. Turns out, she just couldn't sit and focus long enough to read!!

[Indianamom2]

My DD (9) was finally given that diagnosis this year. Up until now, it's been potentially diagnosed since she was 6. We ruled out a lot of other things and started treatment for anxiety, which helped rule that out as a potential cause, and still she was given the ADHD, inattentive type, diagnosis. I agree with it.

In my very limited experience, it is hard for girls to be diagnosed with ADHD because they are better compensators than boys. They can "fake it until they make it" quite often and for a lot longer than boys. But eventually it will catch up with them. The brighter the child, the more likely it is that this happens and the diagnosis is missed because her grades/school performance look fine, but there are subtle signs before the grades go south.

If you are already suspicious, my advice would be to talk to a developmental pediatrician and get the ball rolling with some testing. Just be aware that it may take a few years even to finally come to a diagnosis because the signs are so subtle in younger girls that many experienced professionals even miss them.

[inmypjs]

Please research dyslexia along with attention issues. Almost all children who are dyslexic are first identified as having attention problems. Some actually have ADD/ADHD, some do not. And difficulty with sight words is common. Susan Barton's web site is a great place to start, as is the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity. One in five children have some degree of dyslexia.

http://www.dys-add.com/
http://www.dyslexia.yale.edu/