Interview Transcript

Good morning, Mrs. Reeves. Thank you for coming in today. I know we spoke on the phone, but I want to go over the referral concerns in person. Can you tell me about what prompted you to seek this evaluation?

Well, it's been building for a while. His teacher called us in for a conference in October and said Marcus is one of the brightest kids in class, but she spends half her time redirecting him. He's up out of his seat, talking to other kids, losing his homework even when he actually did it.

When did you first notice these kinds of difficulties?

Honestly, looking back, probably kindergarten. But we thought he was just being a boy, you know? His kindergarten teacher said he was energetic but manageable. First grade was okay. Second grade is when things really started. The work got harder and he just... couldn't keep up with the organization part.

Tell me about a typical homework session at home.

It's a battle. Every single night. He sits down and within two minutes he's up getting water, or petting the dog, or asking me a random question about dinosaurs. A 20-minute assignment takes an hour and a half. And I have to sit right next to him the whole time or nothing gets done.

What about activities he enjoys — video games, sports, building things? How is his focus during those?

Oh, he can play Minecraft for three hours straight without moving. His dad says "see, he can focus when he wants to." But I've been reading about ADHD and I think that's actually the hyperfocus thing, right?

You're exactly right. The ability to hyperfocus on preferred activities is actually very common with ADHD and doesn't rule it out. How about sleep? You mentioned melatonin.

He's always had trouble falling asleep. His mind just races at bedtime. He'll call us back four or five times — needs water, heard a noise, has a question. The melatonin helps him fall asleep in about 30 minutes instead of an hour, but he still wakes up a lot.

And how is his mood generally? Does he seem anxious or sad?

He's started saying things like "I'm the dumb kid" and "everyone thinks I'm bad." That breaks my heart because he is so smart. He just can't show it consistently. I can see it wearing on his self-esteem.

That's a really important observation and something we'll address in our recommendations. Has there been any family history of ADHD, learning disabilities, or mental health concerns?

My husband was never diagnosed but I'm pretty sure he has it. He's brilliant — runs his own business — but he loses his keys every day, forgets appointments, starts ten projects and finishes two. His brother was diagnosed as a kid in the 90s.