So, in a couple of earlier threads, I mentioned that the school had recommended testing my son for ADD. Our pediatrician preferred not to test him at such a young age (he was 5 at the time), but I did agree to some less instensive testing this year and their results indicated that, while he doesn’t have ADD, he may have some mild form of sensory processing disorder, with particular issues in contextual cues and more pragmatic thinking.
The results of the testing fit with some of the issues he’s had - he doesn’t completely get facial cues until he’s reached the point of no return and gotten immensely frustrated as well as having gotten himself in hot water. And once he’s in trouble, he has problems interpreting whether someone is still mad at him, which makes it more difficult for him to let the issue go. Also, he understands complex instructions, but it takes longer for them to sink in than some of his peers and you may have to repeat them several times before he’s truly grasped what you’re asking. He’s above average academically especially in math, which he loves, but I could see that unless we do something about this now, the behaviors resulting from this could eventually cause significant issues.
I’m somewhat relieved because I can put a name to some of the issues he’s having, though have some trouble accepting it because many boys his age seem to have the same spectrum of issues. So part of me struggles with wondering whether they’re diagnosing typical kid behavior (particularly in boys) as a disorder. Still, I’m going to accept whatever help I can get.
In the meantime, I’m wondering what other Dopers’ experience with this is and whether you might have some recommendations for things you’ve done at home to help.