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Smart, with a "Glitch"?Filed Under: Adult ADD: Late Diagnosis
Q:
"Although my 18-year-old daughter graduated with honors from a competitive prep school, a senior-year teacher mentioned her distractibility and recommended getting her tested for AD/HD. Should I?" 
A:
If her loss of attention and "distractibility" did not begin until the end of high school, I would look for other possible reasons. AD/HD is a disorder one is born with, and diagnosis depends on proving that the problems are chronic (noted since early elementary school) and pervasive (occur in two or more life situations, such as at school, home, and social events). Were there other sources of stress in her life during her senior year? A mental health professional who is familiar with AD/HD can clarify the reason for her difficulty, whether it is AD/HD or not.
Larry Silver, M.D., is the author of Dr. Larry Silver's Advice to Parents on AD/HD and The Misunderstood Child: Understanding and Coping with Your Child's Learning Disabilities. He is also a clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
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