Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)/ADD - personality

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Expert: Christine D. DeLoatch, MA CCC-SLP - 10/20/2008


Question
My Daughter, age 13 as ADD. She has no problems with hyperactivity and makes good grades.However I am trying to understand her personality. She has always been a private and shy child, has a hard time making friends(they have to approach her)When she is with friends she has fun and seems happy. My concern is she seems to show little emotion in the line of sadness or hurt feelings in herself or for others. I have to prompt her to apolize when she has said something hurtful to friends. She does not seem to realize peoples feelings and she does not seem to show hers in this way. If something happens to her that seems it would be hurtful emotionally she seems numb. Is this normal to ADD symptoms? Info I find deals with anger or behavior problems...She has no anger problems although she does frustrate easily. I worry about the absence of emotional expression in my Daughter.I have spoke with her Doctor and feel its pushed aside.I appreciate any help you can offer.

Answer
Dear Pam,

Thanks for asking me your question.  I apologize for the delay in my response, I have been having some computer issues.  Please forgive me.

You are correct that the signs you are seeing are not typical of ADD, with or without hyperactivity.  I would strongly encourage you to look into Asperger's syndrome.  It is on the Autism Spectrum - but usually children or individuals with Asperger's syndrome don't have a delay or disruption in communication or language skills.  They usually have average or above average IQ (intelligence).  But they have a hard time with socialization  - usually seeming not to express or interpret emotions very well and also difficulty making friends.  

Please start at do2learn.com, then move onto the Autism Society of America's website to get more information. If you need to contact me personally, to discuss it further, send me a private e-mail at soulspeech@bellsouth.net  with All Experts Question in the subject line and I will call you so that you can get your questions answered.

Thanks for being such an observant mom.

Christine

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

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Christine D. DeLoatch, MA CCC-SLP

Expertise

My expertise is both personal and professional. I am an adult with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder, and I am an ASHA certified Speech-language pathologist. I worked in the school system, giving direct theraputic servies to children with both language difficulties and attention deficit disorder. (I am very familiar with the IEP process and the IDEA.)I have consulted on-line, in person and via the telephone with a number of parents of children with ADD.

Experience

My area of expertise lies in my holistic approach to ADD and other similar neurologically-based conditions including Non-verbal learning disorders. I am a researcher of medical treatments, studies regarding concrete documentation of the geographical differences in the "ADD" brain (PET scans, SPECT scans, etc.) herbal treatments, functional organizational strategies for children and adults (stuff that'll get you through the day; sensory techniques for relaxation and stress relief; and organizational tools - from the technological to the home-grown type. I am also a researcher of other conditions that are frequently co-existing with ADD. I have read extensively about women's issues and am an empathetic individal who would like to share strength, hope, experience and education.

Organizations
I hold a Certificate of Clinical Competency issued by the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association.

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