Did My Daughter Have ADHD?

[SheGlimmerz]

Up until the age of 10, my daughter wasn't like other kids her age. She was very much in her own world ALL the time, never payed attention in class, when someone is speaking to her, she wouldn't listen (or she will pretend to listen and then not know what was said to her) and she would stand up in the middle of class because she didn't want to sit even if the teacher told her to sit down, she wouldn't. She did not do well in school at all and was often forgetful. She had a huge imagination and would come up with the most random things to say. When she was in kindergarden, the teachers would tell me that she had a temper and would push other children. She was very shy and by herself most of the time. Now her life at home... She is an only child. Her farther and I divorced when she was four and he's not in her life very much. I was always working so I couldn't be with her all the time, but my mother was always there. We never understood why she behaved this way. We worried that she may be stressed or have anxiety problems. She would attend a private school and they wanted me to pull her out of it. They told me she doesn't listen, is aggressive because kids are mean to her, and one day she cut a piece of her hair in class. They told me to seek help for her but wherever we went, they just told us she is hyper and we need to be patient with her. No doctor told me there's something wrong, but I don't think this is normal behavior; Nevertheless, she is extremely talented!! She doesn't pay attention in school or things around her but she's an excellent singer, and artist! She drew pictures that adult artists would draw. Cartoons were her main thing but it amazed me how focused she was on that and her singing but couldn't focus on something simple at school. Was it carelessness? immaturity? I am happy to say that now she is 21 and completely different. She is an actress, and singer. She is studying communications at a university and is an incredibly social person. She loves public speaking and puts herself out there in a way I know I never will be able to. She's so open and does not get nervous performing in front of others. This is so odd to me because she changed to the opposite of what she was! The change started to take place once she entered middle school. I don't know what triggered it. To this day though she is a chronic knuckle cracker. She constantly cracks her fingers and bites her nails. This does worry me. Is this from stress?

But I do want to know what the problem was back then.... Why was she that way as a child and then completely changed when she got older? What caused her to behave that way as a kid? I have never gotten an answer and even though it seems she grew out of it... I still wonder.... Does anyone have an answer or opinion?

[Sandman2]

     It really is hard to tell.  They say Einstein had ADHD - don't really know if that was true.  But I do know that if people with ADHD like something, then they can almost hyper focus on it and do very well.
    It's always possible that she just liked living in her own little world (the divorce might have had something to do with it).    
     I recommended the that particular site because it gives a pretty good feel for what adults with ADD go through.  Its different than with kids.  A good example is this link about having a high IQ and ADHD - http://totallyadd.com/adhdandhighiq/
     To see what the symptoms are for kids you might want to check out here - http://www.rxlist.com/attention_deficit_hyperactivity_disorder_adhd/article.htm#tocb
     So in short its hard to know why she didn't listen.  I guess whats important is how she is doing now in her everyday, kind of boring things that do not hold her interest.

[SheGlimmerz]

Thanks for your advice! I will take a look at that website. She is actually very good at math, but doesn't do so well in science. She loves algebra and statistics and she's very fast with it. I suppose the strange behavioral problems when she was a child always worried me. She didn't listen like other kids did.

[Sandman2]

     Well, there are a lot of famous people who apparently have/had ADHD.  Check out this site - http://www.add-adhd-treatments.com/Famous-People.html
      So it certainly is possible to do very well in music, etc. and have ADHD.  Personally, I know of at least two kids I had in school who found that drama or music changed their lives because it gave them a place to be successful in.
      Her other symptoms do fit those of someone who has ADHD, but other things could also be the reason.  If her grades still continued to suffer in subjects like math or science (even though she tried really hard, but never got above a C) that would be a better indication.
       And yes, adults with undiagnosed ADHD tend to have a lot of anxiety and then depression problems.   You might want to check out this web site which is for adults with ADD.  If it seems to answer questions or give you helpful information, then you might want to recommend it to her.  The site is totallyadd.com and you can either follow the videos or read the forums.  I can also direct you to more specific sites with information if you wish.  Hope this helps.