I have had ADD all my life. I was diagnosed in the early 80's when ADD was first listed as a mental disorder.

A lot has changed since then. Now you only see it referred to as ADHD. With the main focus being on the hyper activity and impulsiveness. But not every ADD sufferer has hyper activity or impulsive behaviors. Some of us just quite simply can't focus, are seem unmotivated (even though we are not we just can't function) and can't pay attention.

Now lucky me I was diagnosed at an early age and I did have it quite extreme level in my early years. Getting properly medicated for it is easy me because I already have a diagnosis.

Why do I bring this up then?

Well my son. I know he has ADD I recognize all the symptoms in him. I've always know it and he did have a diagnosis for it before he was enrolled in milton hershey school.

Now just to catch every one up my children are in a boarding school. That is they reside at the school and the school takes care of all their medical and dental needs while they are on campus.

Also a few years ago my uncle convinced me to sign over my sponsor ship to him. As a result he does not believe in medicating any one for any mental disorder and he doesn't even believe their are mental disorders and illnesses. Now the school tested him and reported that he does not have ADHD but he does have an attention span problem.

That leaves me scratching my head going "wha?"

That's like a fancy political way of saying he has ADD with out the H. I'm sitting here going No Duh!

They will not medicate him for it probably due to pressure my uncle was putting on the school.

Now yes he is doing well but you have to understand he gets special help and he's in a well structured environment which is excellent for ADD children.

So why am I so concerned then?

well he won't be in a school that caters to his needs for the rest of his entire life. Meaning when he grows up he's going to find out that he struggles and can't function like a normal person with out it would. Not only this but ADD can also be the cause of poor judgment and poor decision making. Meaning he's far more susceptible to things like drug addiction. Something that happened to me when I went unmediated for it.

My whole line of reasoning and thought processes are so much different on ADD meds then with out. Unmediated I'm taken advantage of and make the worst decisions of my life. I'm unorganized, unmotivated and unfocused.

I see all of the same symptoms in him that use to be the criteria for ADD. Now though the criteria is mostly surrounded by Hyper activity which my son doesn't have! I don't even have it and I never did!

When I spend time alone with my son I see all the same issues in him that I had.

Short memory

Can't stick to one subject for long

lack of attention or short attention span

unorganized

can't follow long or complicated instructions

If you give him a list of things to do he only does one and then forgets to do the rest.

And oblivious to the world around him (probably the worst part of this)

I've tested him and he is easily tricked because of the ADD. And he never seems to learn either.

Now he's not a dumb child he's very intelligent but I feel he's being held back from reaching is full potential by being left unmediated. Also because of all the political push to stop using stimulants to treat ADD I fear that by the time he reaches adult hood it may be too late to get treatment for it.

I'm very sad because as some one who's struggled with ADD from a very early age I know that there are lots of people who are not receiving proper treatment for it thanks to all the politics surrounding the medications.

I've already made my decision I'm going to put pressure on the school to re evaluate him and have him put on medications.

But I was just curious what every one's opinions are on this matter.

Also does any one feel that they have a short attention span and may be undiagnosed for ADD because of lack of hyper activity? Or do you think that the bi polar is causing the same symptoms as ADD?

I am on both psych meds for bipolar and meds for ADD which I know that some people feel us beepers with stimulants are a deadly combo. But I can't function with out the ADD medications. The bi polar meds just don't treat the ADD symptoms.

Also I know that being un-medicated for ADD leaves me wide open for predators which this city is full of them. I've been taken advantage of, when if I had been medicated that never would have happened the way it did!

any one have concerns of experiences with this?