Questions About ADHD

Doctors don't like to diagnose kids that young- usually at 6 or 7. but my son was diagnosed @ 5. Signs of ADHD include hard time concentrating, high energy level, tantrums. My son also doesn't eat very much. Sometimes they are so focused on something (like playing legos for my son) that it seems like they are ignoring or not listening. It was hard for me to believe my son was AHD until he started school. Just watch and keep asking questions when you need to. Best of luck- Rachael

My son was diagnosed with severe ADHD at 2 1/2. He couldn't sit still if his life depended on it, was always on the go, little sleep and he was ready to go. Very destructive of toys, biting himself and others, head banging. BUT my son also has a ton of other problems especially with aggressive behaviors.

M.
____@____.com

ADHD and sensory processing disorder (SPD) have a lot of overlapping symptoms and only a professional can make an accurate diagnosis. And those two things often overlap as well. It may be too early for an ADHD diagnosis but it is not too early for SPD diagnosis and occupational therapy. It made a huge difference in our lives when we sought diagnosis and therapy for our son. We learned about what triggers he has, how to minimize those triggers, how to help him calm down when he becomes overwhelmed. We found that most behaviors that were seemingly out of control were actually his reaction to either too much sensory input or too little. Punishments like time-outs and spanking do not work well with SPD kids because it just adds to the underlying issues. Instead learning techniques that either address the need for a calming moment or the need for extra types of motion will work better. Helping the child become aware of recognizing what he/she needs as they get older makes the difference in the long run. I know this sounds vague but without knowing the specifics of your son, it is hard to be more specific as SPD takes lots of forms. You should read "The Out-of-Sync Child" before you go much further. Then if it seems like it fits, then seek an assessment from an occupational therapist.

In terms of diet, if he does have SPD, the high fat diet for cystic fibrosis (good fats like butter, milk fats, avocado, olive oil) will help. We notice a huge difference when our son has red dye #40 and it takes days for it to get out of his system if he has it in any significant quantity. You are probably also limiting refined sugar due to the CF but watch out for high fructose corn syrup (which is hard to do if you eat processed foods). We also notice a marked difference in our son when he takes a fish oil or flax seed oil supplement. If more questions come up feel free to PM me.

I don't know a lot about ADHD but I have heard that one of the things to watch for is a child not being able to focus on anything for longer than a few minutes, even when it is something he really likes. At his age he should be able to spend at least 10-15 minutes on an activity he likes without getting distracted by something else every time. Hence we never worried about ADHD with our son because he would spend huge amounts of time playing one particular game.

Good luck in your search for answers. If you enjoy books another wonderful read is "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder" by Richard Louv

Due to having Cystic Fibrosis, he may have sensory problems. They often mimic or go hand in hand with ADHD. Here is a link to a checklist: http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/sensory-proces...

This way you can take a look see for yourself. Good luck to you hun!

I think your child still too young but what we learned for when our child with ADDHD (non-hyperactive) was use of passive restraint which does take practice to do it properly. But anyway what we had to do: We would grab the child's wrists from behind them with their arms crossed in front of their body. This did help to let them know we meant business. Otherwise they would fool around. Even then they would try to get you down to the floor and release themselves!

Watch the Super Nanny shows to learn how and when timeouts do work and do not. The shows nanny claims children are never too young to learn their Boundaries and are asking for them what they are by acting out.

ADHD means typically inattentiion, forgetfullness, being distracted, and or running around incessantly needing physical or motion activity. They may do the opposite of what you want or say which is a form of being Oppositional, easily bored, learns what interests them not what does not.

Oh and schools are not always the "answer" to addhd. We figured our child had it. The 2nd grade teacher with loads of experience claimed the child was not a problem. Our child early on was in a professional Daycare that had another location also but for deprived kids so had lots of experience. They could just point out our child was having some need for repetion of what was being learned and not much else. they often have trouble learning social skills and need extra support on that. As ADDHD can miss subtle clues.

We realized knowing our child was clever and good at math but having trouble with reading something was amiss. So we pressed the point till a Dr. agreed that our child did have ADDHD (but not dyslexia) and the meds are helping much now! Does homework now within some limited time period not all night for example or never.

I could see in pre-kindergarten up to second grade as the time to diagnosis more subtle things like ADDHD. Autism which is more severe needs to be diagnosed as soon as it can as it effect so many areas of a child's life including earlier more basic needs than schooling.
Only because of a medical diagnosis did our child qualify for an IEP, otherwise would not have! We were told it would be good for their entire time at the elementary level by the nice principal. And yes I agree CHADD.org is a great site to learn more!

While those might all be symptoms of ADHD in an older child, they could also be a sign of an immature three year old boy. ADHD is difficult to diagnose in preschool age children.

Instead of jumping on an early diagnosis of ADHD for your son, you might consider that you have unrealistic expectations for what he should be doing at this age. Many three year olds still have short attention spans, are hyperactive and like to play, and wouldn't be expected to sit still for long periods of time.

If ADHD runs in the family, if he is also overly aggressive and it is leading to problems with his relationships with other children, or if his behavior is extreme and very different from all of the other preschoolers at his age, then you might seek further evaluation by a child psychologist or your pediatrician.

Considering a diagnosis of ADHD in a preschool age child poses some big dilemmas. While you don't usually want to start these young children on ADHD medications, you also don't want them to go several years with untreated symptoms that may lead to problems learning, making friends, and cause low self-esteem.

It is important to keep in mind that preschoolers can have ADHD, but as Dr. James A. Blackman said in his article on "ADHD In Preschoolers - Does It Exist And Should We Treat It?," 'high activity level, impulsivity, and short attention span-to a degree-are age-appropriate characteristics of normal preschool-aged children.'

As a way to assist you in coping with his behavior, you may want to read the book "Raising Your Spirited Child: A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, Energetic," by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka.

Recently, temperament traits have come to the forefront of child development theory. In "Raising Your Spirited Child," Mary Sheedy Kurcinka's first contribution is to redefine the "difficult child" as the "spirited" child, a child that is, as she says, MORE. Many people are leery about books that are too quick to "type" kids, but Kurcinka, a parent of a spirited child herself and a parent educator for 20 years, doesn't fall into that trap. Instead, she provides tools to understanding your own temperament as well as your child's. When you understand your temperamental matches--and your mismatches--you can better understand, work, live, socialize, and enjoy spirit in your child. By reframing challenging temperamental qualities in a positive way, and by giving readers specific tools to work with these qualities, Kurcinka has provided a book that will help all parents, especially the parents of spirited children, understand and better parent their children.

Good luck!

my son had adhd and for the most part we don't worry about what he eats. We do keep most junk food out of the house but htat is more because i would eat it than for the kids.

The main additive that can cause problems is supposed to be red dye, like in candy and koolaid, but really I am not sure I can tell a differece if he gets those things or not, even though they are few and far between.

As for the diagnosis issue, they will not evalutate a child until they have had major issues in two major life activities, such as home and school or daycare.

for the best information I would recommend going to the Chadd.org site they are dedicated 100% to information and resourcs on ADHD

I do not know anything about the CF diagnosis. My son who is now 13 was extremely "naughty" at 2-3, and I thought he was just naughty. As it turns out, he was ADHD and ODD (we did not get that diagnosis until he was 6), however, he did not understand verbal language. I had him checked out by AEA, and they immediately started speech therapy with him, and taught me how to effectively "discipline" him, and how prepare him for how to behave. It was night and day difference....and no medication! He is now 13 never was medicated, and we use positive reinforcement, dietary interventions, and limit screen times. He is not perfect, but is in the "normal" range for kids his age without an ADHD or ODD diagnosis. *If* your son is having trouble with verbal communication, it would be a bad thing to think that he is a bad kid for not responding appropriately to verbal commands. I read through some of the other responses and some of them seem very wise, my best to you and your family, it sounds like you have a very full plate!

Hi, J.. Have you tried making sure he's getting enough omega-3? I give my 6 and 4 year olds a daily flaxseed oil supplement because I know they are not getting enough and a lot of problems can be linked to an omega-3 deficiency in the brain.

Good Luck!
N.

J.,
Try not to jump to ADHD. Three year olds are notorious. Actually I've heard "Anyone who thought the 2's were terrible never had one live to be three!". Our son was REALLY AWFUL when he was three. It could be just that. Check out the other post in this very same email from the other mom of another 3 year old boy for reassuance! Good luck and lots of patience.

J.,

Three is too young to diagnose ADHD. For one thing, not many children, especially boys, have any attention span at the age of 3. Plus, considering your son's condition, adding medication would only complicate things. He's a small boy, be persistent, consistent, and love him every moment you have him.

Lisa, mom of 4 boys

Honestly, I do not know a lot about this -- although my son is 2.5 years old and is getting worse daily. In the last two weeks we seemed to have switched from him doing things that are "bad" because he doesn't know better (time-outs worked for this) to doing things "bad" on purpose to see what happens. My son has always been a little ahead of the curve, so I'm guessing we have entered into the terrible 3's stage.

Anyway, I just wanted to throw out another idea because someone I know found this out. She was having SIGNIFICANT problems with her daughter who was 3-ish and in the end her daughter was diagnoised with a mild case of Ausburgers (spelling?) -- or a significantly less severe form of autism. Again, I know little about this -- but I wanted to throw it out there for discussion/thought.

Hi J.! Have you heard about a product called Rescue Remedy? It's a flower essense made by the Bach company. It's a stress reliever that really works great to calm kids down. There is an adult formula and a kids formula and it's not a drug, it's perfectly safe.
Also, fish oils work great for behaviours. I'm sorry that I don't have any info on ADHD but these things that I have mentioned do wonders for kids that are having trouble listening and are having behaviour probs.
Just to encourage you about CF! My husband has 3 uncles with CF and they are all in their 40's and 50's and healthy. One even rode in the Tour de France a couple of years ago. So, the sky is the limit for your little guy! :)

in all honesty, no matter what doctors say, fat is not good for anyone unless it comes from plant sources. try a vegan-ish diet. (although who am i to say, but if fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes are allowed, then its good)

anyway, as far as adhd, i wouldnt be too concerned about a 3 year old not listening. thats typical for a 3 year old. especially if you are yelling. try whispering. its amazing how some kids can completely shut out yelling but if you whisper, they will be listening excitedly or interestedly. :P its really just typical child behavior to not listen. my son just this morning took a dog treat and gave it to the dog after i told him not to, and the whole way across the floor i was telling him no. LOL. its just kids. you do have to teach them to mind especially when its important, but its really not adhd if they simply dont listen. usually adhd comes from attention span issues, an INability to finish anything, pay attention, or calm down when its time to....

Three tears old is too young to accurately diagnose ADHD or ADD. A child needs to be at least four before a psychologist can get an accurate "feel" for the symptoms. However, you need to remember that your son is 3, and they really should have been called the "terrible three's" instead of two. My son is going to be three at the end of the month and we have often thought of ADHD (I have a psychology degree and his father and I both have ADHD), but it's still too young to tell. Give it a year and if nothing has improved see a psychologist who specializes in children. For now, hold on to your butt because it's going to be a wild ride :)

You may find this link helpful:

http://add.about.com/cs/adhdinpreschool/a/earlyindicators...

I have read more than once that many doctors are hesitant to give an ADHD diagnosis before age 5. Many toddlers and preschoolers exhibit ADHD symptoms, but level off as they age.