if your DC has ADHD

At what age were they diagnosed? How did you know that their behavior was beyond the "normal" range?

Re: if your DC has ADHD

Can't speak for us or from personal experience, but I was just reading an article about ADHD yesterday and it said most parents suspected there was a problem by age 3-4 (also when it is often diagnosed).

Re: if your DC has ADHD

My DS is 4 and displays almost all of the qualities of an ADHAD child. He has his first appointment with a behavioralist (also a PhD) this afternoon. I have been scaring mysef by reading on the internet and I feel like his behaviors are probably beyond "normal" but not nearly as extreme as some of the kids I've been reading about. I'm just hoping that if we catch it early enough we can help him with his behavior without having to use any kind of medications.

Re: if your DC has ADHD

I am so sorry you are dealing with this . You are doing the best possible thing for him though, and I hope the behavior therapy works for him. A mother I knew (she has moved though) took her son to a behavioral therapist at 4, and she said it helped him soooo much!

He is young, this should help a lot.

The article I read is actually a chapter in a book called "Parenting the Strong-Willed Child." There is a chapter on ADHD since the behaviors are similar.

Good luck! I hope he doesn't have ADHD at all, but if he does, you are doing the best thing in the world for him.

Re: if your DC has ADHD

Posted by nferrandi

My DS is 4 and displays almost all of the qualities of an ADHAD child. He has his first appointment with a behavioralist (also a PhD) this afternoon. I have been scaring mysef by reading on the internet and I feel like his behaviors are probably beyond "normal" but not nearly as extreme as some of the kids I've been reading about. I'm just hoping that if we catch it early enough we can help him with his behavior without having to use any kind of medications.

Re: if your DC has ADHD

Nicole, I have ADHD....I've had it since I was a small child, and it was controlled for a long time without Medication. If you have any questions for me feel free to FM or email me.

Re: if your DC has ADHD

My son has ADHD - we knew at 4, but he was officially diagnosed in school at 6 , along with some learning delays- I choose not to medicate, and we have seen SO many changes and SO much improvement over the year - FM me any questions, or even if you just need to vent.

Good luck!

Re: if your DC has ADHD

I thought this was the same post I just answered but I guess not...

3-4 we suspected.
5-6 official diagnosis.
medicated in 2nd grade and it was a whole new world.

One thing our counselor told us that helped us want to move forward sooner rather than later is that our child was coming home believing he was a "bad kid" because he could not control his impulses. The counselor told us that self esteem starts to solidify in elementary school so being proactive is key.

and I completely agree with him based on the results I've seen.

Re: if your DC has ADHD

We were told that they would not diagnosed DS until 5 (right now he is "preschooler with a disability") The psych evaluator told us she believes that ADHD would be his future diagnosis.

He currently gets SP. OT and SEIT.

We plan to go through kindergarten before deciding about medication. I hate to think of it as an option, but as a teacher I see the huge difference in student behavior.

Re: if your DC has ADHD

Dh is a psychologist privately (and a school psychologist) and he said he would be hesitant to diagnosis before age 6 unless it was an extreme case.

If you have any questions FM me

Re: if your DC has ADHD

my DD doesn't have it, but I just researched for a friend of mine few days ago and one of the interesting things I found was this, don't have the link , but I copied it to my notepad for her.
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Signs and symptoms of ADD & ADHD
When many people think of ADHD, they picture an out-of-control kid in constant motion, bouncing off the walls and disrupting everyone around. But this is not the only possible picture. Some children with ADD/ADHD are hyperactive, while others sit quietly (with their attention miles away). Some put too much focus on a task and have trouble shifting it to something else. Others are only mildly inattentive but overly impulsive.

The 3 primary characteristics of ADD / ADHD are inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior.The signs and symptoms a child with ADD / ADHD has depends on which characteristics predominate. Children with ADD / ADHD may be:

Inattentive, but not hyperactive or impulsive.
Hyperactive and impulsive, but able to pay attention.
Inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive (the most common form of ADHD).
Children who only have inattentive symptoms of ADD / ADHD are often overlooked, since they’re not disruptive. However, the symptoms of inattention have consequences: getting in hot water with parents and teachers for not following directions; under performing in school; and clashing with other kids over not playing by the rules.

Inattentive signs and symptoms of ADD / ADHD

Children with ADD / ADHD can pay attention when they’re doing things they enjoy or hearing about topics in which they’re interested. But when the task is repetitive or boring, they quickly tune out.

Not paying close enough attention is another common problem. Children with ADD / ADHD often bounce from task to task without completing any of them, or skip necessary steps in procedures. Organizing their schoolwork and their time is harder for them than it is for most children. Kids with ADD / ADHD also have trouble concentrating if there are things going on around them; they usually need a calm, quiet environment in order to sustain attention.

Doesn’t pay attention to details or makes careless mistakes
Has trouble staying focused; is easily distracted
Appears not to listen when spoken to
Has difficulty remembering things and following instructions
Has trouble staying organized, planning ahead, and finishing projects
Frequently loses or misplaces homework, books, toys, or other items

Hyperactive signs and symptoms of ADD / ADHD
Symptoms of hyperactivity in children:
Constantly fidgets and squirms
Often leaves his or her seat in situations where sitting quietly is expected
Moves around constantly, often running or climbing inappropriately
Talks excessively, has difficulty playing quietly
Is always “on the go,” as if driven by a motor
The most obvious sign of ADD / ADHD is hyperactivity. While many children are naturally quite active, kids with hyperactive symptoms of ADD / ADHD are always moving.

They may try to do several things at once, bouncing around from one activity to the next. Even when forced to sit still – which can be very difficult for them – their foot is tapping, their leg is shaking, or their fingers are drumming.

impulsive behavior signs and symptoms of ADD / ADHD
Symptoms of impulsive behavior in children:
Blurts out answers without waiting to be called on hear the whole question
Has difficulty waiting for his or her turn
Often interrupts others
Intrudes on other people’s conversations or games
Inability to keep powerful emotions in check, resulting in angry outbursts or temper tantrums
The impulsive behavior of children with ADD / ADHD can cause problems with self-control. Because they censor themselves less than other kids do, they’ll interrupt conversations, invade other people’s space, ask irrelevant questions in class, make tactless observations, and ask overly personal questions.

Children with impulsive signs and symptoms of ADD / ADHD also tend to be moody and to overreact emotionally. As a result, others may start to view the child as disrespectful, weird, or needy.

Re: if your DC has ADHD

The impulsive symptoms are a big one for DS. Much more so then the hyperactivity.

Re: if your DC has ADHD

4-preschool teacher pretty much knew
5-kindergarten teacher and school psychologist pretty much knew
6-1st grade teacher pretty much knew, took her to the neurologist and she was diagnosed and put on meds
She is 12 1/2 right now and can still get very hyper when she is off the meds.