Is 3.5 too young...

mattlovesme2006

to tell if your child has ADHD? I'm becoming more and more concerned that my oldest son may have it. He has so much energy and sometimes it seems that he "cannot" listen. Not "won't" but simply "cannot". Any thoughts?

detroitblondie

I'm def not an expert, but I ::think:: they don't diagnose that until a child is school age (like, 5 or 6) because it becomes more apparent if they act differently than their peers.  Maybe schedule an appointment with their pediatrician to get some input.

Mc_Newlywed

I have a family member who's been going through this for awhile.  We've always kind of expecting the ADHD diagnosis but the pediatrician, school counselors, etc would never label him. In fact, they went out of their way to not label him.  (and this was in two different states).  Only now that he's in Kindergarten (but he's a fall bday so he's actually 6.5) did the diagnosis come out.   

If you suspect, maybe you want to get some books on the subject to help you learn how to guide him and help him become a better listener.  

mattlovesme2006

Mc_Newlywed:

I have a family member who's been going through this for awhile.  We've always kind of expecting the ADHD diagnosis but the pediatrician, school counselors, etc would never label him. In fact, they went out of their way to not label him.  (and this was in two different states).  Only now that he's in Kindergarten (but he's a fall bday so he's actually 6.5) did the diagnosis come out.   

If you suspect, maybe you want to get some books on the subject to help you learn how to guide him and help him become a better listener.  

 

I think I will get some books. That's a good idea.  When he had his 3 year physical, I asked the Dr. and she wouldn't really "answer" me, either.  Would you mind describing some of the things that made you all suspect the ADHD?

ali-1411

I think 3 is way too young.  We started suspecting ADHD when DS was 5 yrs old and we didn't come to a conclusion until he was 9. 

 

ToBeMrsT

mattlovesme2006:

to tell if your child has ADHD? I'm becoming more and more concerned that my oldest son may have it. He has so much energy and sometimes it seems that he "cannot" listen. Not "won't" but simply "cannot". Any thoughts?

I worry about this with my ds (he's almost 3.5).  It's like he cannot listen sometimes too.  

alli2672

There is a lot of controversy on this subject even among professionals.  My personal belief is that young children are learning to form relationships, learning different ways to cope with stress, and learning how they are viewed by others.  Personality traits that people carry with them through their entire lives are formed at three, four, and five years old, and it is very important to put kids in a brain state where they can learn, love, and cope effectively.  If your son is having difficulty focusing on conversations, and he is getting into trouble all of the time, it could have an impact on his adult relationships and his perception of how others view him.  To be perfectly honest, I think a lot of the stuff kids learn at home is more important than what they learn in school. 

That being said, ADD medications are not to be taken lightly and can have some serious side effects.  I would try to get a referral to a child psychiatrist or behavioral pediatrician if you can, especially since he is so young.  Most general pediatricians have very little training on this subject, and your son is not a typical presentation.

If you want to do more reading, "Driven to Distraction" is a pretty popular book on the subject. 

HarrietNJMommy

Yes. They don't really diagnose ADHD until close to age 6.

Are you sure that your DS doesn't have sensory issues. People mistake that for ADHD a lot. 

mabma80

Our oldest is 4, will be 5 in Sept.  DH thinks he has ADHD too. He has a lot of energy and has recently gotten an attitude to boot!  I think it's just a phase and he'll grow out of it. My nephew went through the same thing, in fact I think all of us did in my family.  Nephew is now 7 and has mellowed out, except for talking when he's not supposed to during class at school. 

I don't think they start testing for it 'til school age.  Which for DS1 will be this year, so I'll bring up DH's concerns.  I think they are just being kids, and are going through phases.  I'm not sweating it.   

Boizmom

My 6 yo was diagnosed when he was 4 years old.  ADHD tends to run in families.  My husband, his brother, our niece and our nephew all have ADHD.  My niece was also 4 when she was diagnosed. 

I can certainly tell the difference between your average hyper 4 year old and one with ADHD.  My 4 year old is just your average child.  He has an average attention span.  He's just "normal".  My oldest when he was 4 would run in circles, tap his feet/leg, just could not sit still.  It was as if he was the Energizer bunny, he would not stop.  He also has trouble falling asleep and staying asleep which is a typical symptom of ADHD.  He tested off the charts.  

We tried holistic methods, therapy and the Feingold diet, nothing helped.  We finally decided to medicate.  Best decision ever.  

littlemermaid

Try looking into occupational therapy for children.  A lot of times it's related to sensory issues at this age and if not taken care of at a young age most kids are misdiagnosed as ADHD at an older age when it wasn't that at all.

Spenjamins

Talk to someone about his issues and work on a consistent and targeted parenting plan. It could be that it isn't ADHD at all - just behavioral issues that you can try to work on as a team.

I see a lot of parents who swear their kid has ADHD but really, they need to change their parenting style and communication.