Revision Suggestion

Attn: DSM-IV-TR People

When you are considering new disorders for the 2012 DSM-V, please consider adding Hyper-Attentive Disorder.  It is sort of the opposite of ADD.  Let me toss you a case study to consider involving my middle child.

Big C was born paying attention to things.  He was the quietest baby I had ever seen and at first we were very concerned.  Once we figured out he was studying us it just got creepier.  Our worry only increased when he didn't talk at all until 2 1/2 but then jumped right in with big conversations.  Nothing he did followed the books.  I mean, seriously, how many 14 month old boys spend an hour organizing their train set and then another two hours playing with it?  We used to drop Miss M off at preschool, come home, dive into the trains for 3 hours, and then go get her from school. 

He still holds a grudge from when he was 3 years old.  He had his trains all organized.  It had taken a few days of work to get them just right.  And Dear Pete (also 3) came along with a foam bat and and swept the table clean in a single blow.  When we see him Big C still grits his teeth.

When he finds a series of books he likes he will read them.  All.  Without taking a breath.

We have an invisible door in the middle of our house.  Ever since he could walk he will open it to go through and then close it behind himself.  He is 9 and still does it.  But at least he finally stopped insisting we all open and close it too.

While the object of his attention can change from month to month (known as Serial-Focus, occasionally Serial-Foci as long as the two matters relate as Mythology and Ancient Greek History) there is no fleeting jumping from one thing to the next.  He exhausts a subject before moving to the next.  Like the aforementioned Greek Mythology: we are on Month 7 now.  The boy corrects the documentaries we have been watching on the History Channel. 

But why is this a disorder, you may ask?  Let me tell you.  The world is not organized in a way to allow for this type of learning.  Especially at school.  In fact, the typical classroom feels a little ADD to kids dealing with HAD.  What is wrong with these teachers that they do not allow him to do Science all day every day for a week?  Can't they just do Math all of next week?

Do not be confused the use of the term "Hyper."  The hyphen should have made it clear that I do not mean the adjective use but rather the prefix implying "above and beyond."