"Perhaps ADHD Wasn't the Only Problem."
As a pre-schooler, Christie was the most affectionate, enthusiastic, and happy child among her large circle of friends. She was popular with her peers and adored by most of the adults in her life. She was clearly a bright, creative girl, with a ton of ability and a personality to match. She was the biggest source of joy in her parents' life.
Christie's parents began to notice signs of learning difficulties shortly after she started first grade. She struggled with reading and learning new facts in school. Her teacher described her distractibility, restlessness, and difficulty following directions. After speaking with Christie's parents and teacher, her pediatrician diagnosed her as having attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD) and prescribed a stimulant medication.
The medication reduced Christie's distractibility and restlessness. Unfortunately, the learning problems continued. She still had difficulty reading and struggled with spelling words. Perhaps ADHD was impairing her concentration and memory; it was difficult to tell. Christie took an inordinate amount of time to complete her homework, but her parents knew this was not uncommon for a child with ADHD.
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