J.S.
I have ADHD, all four of my kids have ADHD, my third also has spectrum.
The biggest difference between my older son and my younger son (the one with spectrum) was my older son can control his temper, my younger son could not. Well this is when they were little. At this point it is that my older son does get some social cues, younger one can only memorize them and adapt. In other words social cues, social constructs, they are just not intuitively learned by a kid with spectrum.
I understand my younger son, we speak the same language, you normal folk, I haven't a clue why you communicate as you do but I can adapt and understand, he cannot.
My younger two are on meds, my older two were on meds when they were younger. Meds help their minds work close to normal which allows them to focus on behavioral issues. The best course is meds and behavior therapy. One without the other tends not to work well
Oh my, I have to walk out the door but just want to say Gamma hasn't a clue what ADHD is or does.
Sorry, back, ADHD effects executive function. Without medication, which increases the levels of neurotransmitters in our brains, we lack the ability to control the flow of information. So we have trouble blocking things out and keeping things in. More so retrieval of information stored in our brain is wonky at best. What it looks like in practice is the inability to block out the trees and pay attention to the teacher, blurting out answers before you are called on, not remembering appointments, lists, stuff, and suddenly remembering it, again blurting it out, while someone else is talking.
I think that a lot of people confuse discipline issues with ADHD. I know many kids, my own included, that were always model children, no discipline issues at all. I have also seen out of control kids where the parents cram pills in their mouth every time they act up. That is not the ADHD that is parents that don't want to discipline their kids and blame the ADHD for this issues.
I particularly despise these parents because their kids are the face of ADHD not mine and because of this all the kids get a bad reputation. :(