If 2 of my boys have ADHD and ADD would that say I have one of them?

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   lady222posted 13 years ago

   If 2 of my boys have ADHD and ADD would that say I have one of them?
   
   2 of my boys have been recently diagnosed with ADD, ADHD and dyslexia, I'm wondering if they inherited it from me. It seems to me that I have some similar symptoms but have never been diagnosed. School seemed easy for me, but my boys are really struggling. Any advice? Thank you.

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2. 72

   Jeff Berndtposted 13 years ago

   ADHD may be hereditary, so it's possible.
   Contrary to popular belief, ADHD doesn't 'go away' as we grow up. Rather, by the time we grow up, most of us figure out how to compensate for it. If you don't have a hard time remembering stuff, staying on task, or getting your daily work done, I wouldn't worry about the possibility of your own ADHD. if you have it, you've probably figured out how to overcome it, or at least, function well enough in your life. I'd focus more on your sons.
   
   It's hard to diagnose in the very young, because so much ADHD behavior is also common in youngsters without ADHD. Who diagnosed your sons, and at what age? If it was a teacher, well, they see ADHD a lot, and can recognize the symptoms, but they're educators not psychologists. Even your pediatrician isn't the perfect person to make the call. If you haven't already done so, take your boys to see a child psychologist for ADHD screening, just to be sure.
   As for school, well, those who have ADHD tend to be more intelligent on average than those who don't; it's the inability to stay focused on stuff that isn't interesting to them that makes school difficult. The added challenge of dyslexia is probably making it harder for them to succeed in school. It's important to remember that your boys aren't being lazy or defiant when they don't get their schoolwork done. It's harder for them to stay focused than it is for other people. Their psychologist can work with them to develop strategies to stay on task, and may recommend medication, which only a licensed physician (M.D. or D.O.) can prescribe.

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3. 57

   lady222posted 13 years ago

   Thanks for the information. They were diagnosed by a neurologist at the ages of 12 and 10, but also with a doctor at 7 and 5, but they were doing ok in school so I didn't think much about it. I know bad mommy. I would ask the teachers about it and they would say they didn't see it, but then on the report cards they would put - doesn't stay focused. So they lost a few years there. I think teachers should be more aware of the symptoms and it would help the children and parents a lot.

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4. 0

   Austinguyposted 13 years ago

   There was a news story this morning about ADD/ADHD being a genetic thing.  Do you have it?

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