Some Answers, More Questions: ADHD or Learning Disability?

The K Man had his first appointment on the road to figure out what is happening in his brain. Anyone who has met him can tell he is friendly, enthusiastic, intelligent and creative. This is the short list of positive things about my son.

We (I and his teachers) suspected ADHD. K Man is movement. Once he had ear tubes as a baby he started crawling and hasn't slowed down since. He talks a lot. A LOT. He can't sit for a meal at home. If there is a toy within foot reach he will fiddle with it until we move it out of reach. Conversely, he can sit for a church service and a funeral service with no issues.

He falls apart if you ask him to practice spelling. If he has math homework he does it with no issues and mostly gets the problems correct the first time. He's still getting help at school in reading and math. The math help at school puzzles me. Though he took a standardized test and scored below grade level in math, reading, vocabulary...etc, etc. When he brings the math worksheets home he does them with no fuss and gets the problems correct most of the time. Spelling and reading homework cause crying jags. Refusals to do homework. Family upset.

Initial diagnosis? He's borderline considered ADHD. I don't like the idea of medication so that is last resort. He may have a learning disability so we're testing for that in a few weeks. My suspicion is that he has a learning disability that causes him to act out. This boy is SO SMART. He's so creative. He has IDEAS. He's happy, friendly but unfocussed.

He's going to be tested for learning disabilities, which I suspect may be the real culprit here. I'm looking at dyslexia with a pointed glare.

It probably seems silly to most parents, the anxiety and stress behind seeking a diagnosis such as ADD or a learning disability, but I assure you it sucks rocks. My boy is my heart. I hate to think there is anything "wrong" with him. (If you think there is something wrong with him I'll arm wrestle you and I'll win.)

I recognize that this diagnosis is far better than something like cancer. Things are relative. We are lucky and not at the same time. Our kids are phenomenal. The appointments for K are because he is struggling with reading, spelling, vocabulary. He consistently transposes letters and numbers. It reeks of dyslexia in my mind. But I'm not a doctor.

The saga continues...