<p>My parents won't let me get tested and they say it's that I don't have it. The doctor then suggested I might have it, so then they said that they didn't want me to be diagnosed with a learning disability... :/ I don't want to go on meds but I think it's affecting my grades</p>
<p>I'm loud, impulsive, extremely hyperactive, always daydreaming, and if i sit in a corner with no phone or laptop i'll find myself reading the book but not comprehending... simply because I'm thinking other thoughts or I'll get distracted by something else like the ceiling... </p>
<p>The thing is... this only affects my grades in classes where there's a lot of reading. Classes like honors precalc, ap chemistry, physics, etc. I find extremely easy. I can sit down and do a math/chem/physics/whatever problem and concentrate.</p>
<p>If I'm given something to read... my thoughts jump around and I just can't concentrate or think. I can't really describe it... nothing comprehends. At ALL. It's extremely frustrating. I don't think it's an IQ issue either, or that I'm lopsided in math and science, because I'm absolutely terrible at ap bio (too much memorization >.<). </p>
<p>If you ask anyone, they'll say how hyperactive and impulsive I am. I've been like this since ...well as far back as i can remember in my childhood. I'm...just not sure. Do you think I have ADD? >.< That I should get tested? And if i do, should I go on meds?</p>
<p>And in the mean time, what can i do to help me concentrate? :( . It's driving me nuts.</p>
<p>Hmm i totally relate to paragraph 4. Either I used to have ADHD, or ADD or smt (I was referred by teacher in 6th grade), or you’re just like every other kid. But I really dont know what happened. I didnt take any meds, i just worked my ass of and spent all my time studying for the same grades those kids always playing outside got. It was weird cause I’d always do well on Star tests and other standardizes tests, but never in class)
But I guess it paid off. Now i can pretty confidently say that I’m normal, probably even above average by a good amount. Just stay motivated, work hard, and it will pay off in the end, i promise. If your thoughts jump around, get back on focus!
You could try doing yoga excercises (clearing your mind, stuff like that), or spending time in a sport (i was a hardcore runner and that really tuned my focus). Even if you suck at sports, try excercising, i think it should help.
Honestly, as a now-wannabe doctor who sees at least 10 cases on a weekly basis, i guess my personal style is a bit anti-meds, because you never really know the side effects. And if you get tested and choose not to go on meds, then being tested wouldnt really make a difference.</p>
<p>1) You can go to your counselor yourself, and ask for a formal assessment. You have the right under federal law to ask for this yourself. There are provisions for the school to order a formal assessment even though your parents aren’t on board. </p>
<p>2) What you describe may be a dyslexia rather than ADD. There are various types of dyslexia issues, so there are different accommodations for them. </p>
<p>3) Even if your diagnosis is ADD, medication is not the only possible choice. A good educational psychologist can help you find out about your options.</p>
<p>4) In your parents’ generation labels were big, ugly, and kept people from doing things that they wanted to do in life. Fortunately, in your generation, labels mean that it is more likely that a student will get help that they need to do their best. This is a big improvement over the past!</p>
<p>5) Everyone’s biochemistry is a bit differently. If you were allergic to peanuts, your mom wouldn’t be packing a PB&J sandwich in your lunch box every day. Perhaps if your parents could see your brain “style” as the biochemical equivalent of a food allergy, they would be better able to support the lifestyle adaptations that you need to have in order to function better.</p>
<p>Being unable to concentrate doesn’t make you ADD. Daydreaming a lot doesn’t make you ADD. Kids think this all the time. Every kid thinks they’re so impulsive, crazy, hyperactive, and everything. Because in truth, all kids are as such. But it doesn’t mean you have a psychological difficulty, it just means you have a short attention span. It’s something that you should learn to work on your own, instead of blaming genetics.</p>
<p>It’s only ADD if you can’t concentrate on ANYTHING, even subjects you are good at or activities you enjoy. I know this because I thought I might have ADD, but I’m just unmotivated/get bored easily / short attention span.</p>
<p>“It’s only ADD if you can’t concentrate on ANYTHING, even subjects you are good at or activities you enjoy.”</p>
<p>Actually, that is not necessarily true. Many people who are formally classified with ADD can (and do) hyper-concentrate when they are completing activities that are interesting for them. What is more difficult for those individuals, is maintaining focus when the activity is not particularly compelling for them.</p>
<p>It is important to remember that all of this terminology (ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, etc.) describes highly variable phenomena that can have very different root causes. If your attention span is weak and this plays havoc with your daily life, then you would almost certainly benefit from finding out ways to compensate for that weak attention span so that it is less disruptive. All of us have to learn to live with the brains we’ve got. Me, I’m on the distractible side. One tool for keeping my life in order is a pocket-sized planner that goes everywhere with me.</p>
<p>GET TESTED… if its a matter significantly effecting your school performance, it’s important. I got diagnosed with dyslexia and received a 504 Plan the end of my Junior year. Wherever I attend college, I will be covered.</p>
<p>Do you attend a public or private school? A public school has a legal obligation to provide testing where warranted and to provide accommodations to ensure that you get an appropriate education.
You may find that some simple changes, like a seat in the front of the class, make a huge difference in your ability to learn. Where is your seat in your AP Biology classroom?</p>