When our son was in 3rd grade, the school counselor said he had ADD. As we were leaving that meeting, Mr. M asked how many kids were diagnosed with ADD. She said 49% of boys to which Mr. M replied, then its normal. We had hi tested. Seems he was gifted. Our son made it clear however that he would not be singled out and put in any program so we made him do extra work and kept on his case. He still fought regular school and now at 33 will tell you he probably was/is ADD. I diagnose it as genius with faint Aspergers and somewhat savant.
My 11-year-old. Doesn't require drugs, just "Go natter about the Franco-Prussian War somewhere else, Pat. I'm sure the cats are interested."
My son, whose IQ is definitely a genius, says its a good thing he isn't in school now, they'd drug him. Very bright, very bored boys have a short attention span. Its extra work for the teachers, who do not want deal with them. It also can come across as savant or something like that because they learn so quickly and so differently from the norm.
The saving grace for my son was a teacher (private school) in the third grade, who would tell the school system that he would delay his retirement a year if he could teach 4th grade, then 5th grade and so on through 8th grade. He taught my son all those years, found the extra work, spent the time. He was a REAL teacher.
My sister's oldest was diagnosed as ADHD and medicated until his senior year in high school. I kept telling her that he was NOT ADHD just a normal boy (I would keep him in the summer when he was unmedicated). I also kept telling her I thought his problem was dyslexia. Sure enough, in his senior year, they retested him --- dyslexic.
ADD and ADHD is just too easy - give them a pill and the problem goes away - at least for the teacher. Certainly not for the boy.