My son is not yet 4, hs teacher swears he's adhd and after taking him to see the Deve Ped she saw him and gave me a CADS paper for myself and the teacher. After filling it out, I don't understand what to do with it and how the totals work, etc.
Anyone else? dx so early? symptoms of your child? Thanks to all for all the help.
I wouldn't say 'never ever' to meds, but certainly the non medication approach would definitely be the way to start. There is behavioral therapy and other forms of therapy. On this board is an alternatives to medication forum - I'd start reading there. Once you have a dx of adhd, you absolutely must let the school know (kindergarten etc.). That way, once he starts kindergarten they will be aware of it and have behavior modification in place.
Actually, you probably want to contact your school districts' special ed office anyway to get the evaluation process started. If his ADD/ADHD (if he has it) is severe enough to interfere with his learning, he may qualify for a special ed preschool. The school district will do an evaluation of where he is in comparison to others his age and be able to do what is necessary for him. If he does qualify for special ed, then he may need certain supports in place (either inclusion classrooms or a smaller special ed class) in order to be successful in school.
After trying everything else, IF not successful (I hope it is), you may decide to give medication a try. In my opinion, if the kid is really struggling in school and with behavior, especially with other kids, then not giving meds a try is really unfair. ADHD is a chemical imbalance in the brain, just like schizophrenia or bipolar. An unmedicated ADHD child can, if his behavior is severe enough, become ostracized by the other kids because he's not fun to be around.
But certainly give the non medication approach a try first - just don't say 'never ever' to medication. My husband and I were very unhappy with the idea too - most parents are, but I'm starting to think it might be the best thing for him.
Good Luck - glad you found this board
What were your childs symptoms? Did you have concerns or notice it at an early age? What are behavior modifications and such? thanks
The usual way to come up with a dx of ADD/ADHD is to look at the severity of symptoms for inattention, hyperactivitiy etc. Both the parents and the teacher fill out the form, and it is then 'scored' a certain number of points for each answer. The higher the points, the higher on the ADHD scale the kid is.
Remember, there is no physical test such as blood test or cat scan that does it - it is based purely on behavioral issues.
My son never really had the hyperactivity issues so much, so all along his problems were considered some sort of vague learning disabilty - mostly processing and sensory issues. It's only now, midway through 5th grade, that I caught it (he was reevaluated at school, which is done every 3 years, and something on the evaluation made me think ADD). But he's always had problems focusing, paying attention, couldn't do anything that really took mental effort, constantly losing things etc etc.
it's great that you're catching this so early. The earlier the better.
Good Luck
Right, everyone says, earlier the better, but really i don't know what to do about it. i'm not going to put him on meds, ever and so what can i do for him? how to help him?
therapies that Help? i have no clue even though i keep reading and reading and still get no answers.
my son was diagnosed at 3 1/2 but they taked ADHD when he was 2 1/2.
here are rhe symptoms he had at that age:
would not sleep
aggressive towards other children
was constantly on the go for 15 hours a day like a butterfly
would not play with a toy for more than 5 mns or sit and watch tv,or eat dinner
speech delay
always had accidents as always running and no sesnse of danger at all
destructive
he is not on meds as it is not done at such a young age here but he has play therapy,behavioral therapy and takes homeopathy,we also go to parenting class.
your child is too young to know for sure he has ADHD,he could be just an active,boisterous boy.
althought i will hold the meds as long as i can ,being ADD myself i know what he is going throught and i would not like him going throught life like this without doing anything about it,but try everything else first if he is lucky he won't need meds
KIds with ADHD, bipolar, and autistic spectrum disorder will all test high for ADHD, whether or not ADHD is the only problem or not. My son scores off the charts for ADHD, but his main issue is really something else. Going back: We were told son had ADHD at 2, but it was a wrong diagnosis. Almost all hyper kids will get an ADHD diagnosis first--it's just a working diagnosis. It tends to change with time. Any kid who doesn't sleep should be watched for early onset bipolar, since sleeplessness is an issue for ADHD only 5% of the time and 60% of the time if the child has early onset bipolar. ADHD kids tend to have trouble falling asleep, but sleep well once there. BP kids don't sleep. Period. ADHD has mimickers (early onset bipolar and autistic spectrum disorder being two). Two and three, even five, is usually too early to know the entire diagnosis or picture, but working on any deficits/problems is always good and early is best. Severe raging is also not in the DSM regarding ADHD. That is more early onset bipolar. Sometimes it can be autistic spectrum because of an inability to properly communicte, or sensory issues. However BP kids tend to get worse with rages/autistic kids better. ADHD kids have meltdowns (short) but not rages. Again, see the DSM for all three disorders and realize that anything you're told early on could be wrong. IMO I wouldn't medicate this young because you really can't know what you're dealing with and ADHD meds make certain disorders worse. We medicated son at 3 for ADHD and were really sorry. Note: a speech delay is a big red flag for autistic spectrum disorder, even if it resolves. Good luck. MomWI38894.3468171296i agree that no sitting still and not able to focus at 3 is not that much unexpected ,teachers seems to label kids too quick maybe all he needs is the teacher to spend more time with him.my son has an extra auxiliary at the nursery and they find it easier to cope with.My doctor refused to refer for an evaluation until age 6. He said too many of the so-called symptoms are very common among young boys. I tend to agree. Depends on the severity I guess.In my experience, preschools will quickly suggest possible ADHD when a student is less responsive to their program expectations. I would be very careful in assuminig that your son is actually ADHD. His developmental age allows him to demonstrate inattention and distractibility as a normal behavioral presentation. Not all children develop at the same rate, and this could explain the difference between he and his classmates.
Our society often tends to be a little too performance driven especially when it comes to academics and learning. A child's ability to meet expectations does not always match the time tables that school programs hold for them. Please be cautious in evaluating and diagnosing too early. Diagnostics at this age are illusive for any professional, although the label for your child will often be more enduring.
A child doesnt have to have the hyperactivity factor in order to be diagnosed as ADHD. There are three subtypes, one being Inattentive ADHD and it is often over looked or misdiagnosed because the child is not bouncing off the walls.
Symptoms must be present in two setting, (school and home) as its not a school problem and its not an academic problem. The only way to acurately determine why your child is exhibiting certain behaviors that may be viewed out of the norm is to have your child tested by a clinician trained in the field of diagnosing and treating childhood disorders. Teachers are not doctors and ADHD can look like many other things, even a medical condition.
What behaviors is your child exhibiting that are thought to be out of the norm? If you feel the behaviors are severe enough to have your child evaluated, I recommend that you have your child tested by a neuro/psychologist as pediatricians do not have the knowledge nor the qualifications to make an accurate diagnosis.
The earlier the intervention, the better the outcome but at your child's age, if you feel as a parent that your child's behaviors truly require testing, I recommend you start with a doctor that is an expert in the field. Good luck and keep us posted.
No speach delay, some sensory issues, just mainly cannot sit still at school, gets distracted easily and prob just cannot focus like other childen in his school program.
Parents' perceptions of their child's early developmental behavior will be easily and quickly influenced by the negative report of a pre-school teacher. Professionals as well as parents are equally challenged when considering the possibility of a definitive diagnostic statement about younger children in early stages of development. As a professional conducting ADHD evaluations for years, I still am humbled by the elasticity and recoverability of the brain's neurological system.
A child's behavior problems at four years of age may dramatically change by the fifth year. Assigning a diagnostic statement at too early an age can often be tremendously unreliable. Putting aside the negative impact of a diagnostic label, children deserve a chance to outgrow behavioral concerns by simply enjoying more developmental growth time. Behaviors can always be managed to some degree with a behavioral intervention, but specific ADHD interventions inclusive of medications are better served being postponed until the child is a little older.
that is what the child psychiatrist said,he said that right now there is a gap between jude and others but it could get better.althought they say he is ADHD and is being seen by professionals regularly and has therapy,the docs will not put it on his medical record as he feels it would label him as a too young ageOur son was dx'd at age 3. It has actually been very helpful for all of us in understanding him better and understanding how to better parent. The red flags for us were all about family history -- of 9 grandchildren, 4 are dx'd. Of 4 boys in my dh's family, 3 have ADHD in addition to my MIL. We saw a pattern and we also saw our son starting to "stand out" in negative ways from his peers. He fell behind in a noticeable way with motor skills, had attention issues (of course), and had an inability to be still. We decided not to medicate but we have pursued some alternatives to medication with great success (i.e., supplements such as Omegas and Magnesium). You might check out the Alternatives to Medication section of this board if you are interested in knowing more.
*edited to say that even if he does NOT have ADHD, if he is displaying symptoms it cannot hurt to read up on it and use some of the parenting techniques helpful (i.e., adhering to a routine, giving clear boundaries, being aware of over stimulation, etc.)
MegMaguire38895.5542708333
Parents know their own children and if the behaviors are so etxreme that they affect quality of life in the general for the child, in and out of school, it's a great cause for concern for parents. A teacher should not be labeling any child but rather report to the parents their concerns. They are not doctors and its very irresponsible to assume the child is ADHD or anything else for that matter. Parents usually know if something isnt right and its a very personal decision in terms of whether to evaluate or not as is to medicate or not. My son was diagnosed with ADHD at age 7 but he was symptomatic of something not being right from day one. The labels he endured prior to diagnosis like stupid, lazy, crazy, etc were far more debiltating to his self esteem than a label of ADHD.
I agree that it is very difficult to accurately diagnose a child at such a young age and your child may be very normal developmentally as there is a wide range of normal at this age but as the parent, if you think there is a problem, then there is. Every child is different and everyones personal circumstances are different so no one except a trained professional can say with any degree of accuracy whether your child has a disorder or not. Children mature at different rates but when there is an extreme maturity lag and life in general is very difficult for the child, it's something to keep a watchful eye on.
MegMaguire wrote:
The red flags for us were all about family history -- of 9 grandchildren, 4 are dx'd. Of 4 boys in my dh's family, 3 have ADHD in addition to my MIL. We saw a pattern and we also saw our son starting to "stand out" in negative ways from his peers
Thanks for conveying the point I was trying to get across in my posts. Every family has different personal circumstances and different family dynamics as well so the decision to evaluate a child is never just a black or white answer. Even if the child as you state doesnt have Adhd, educating oneself about good parenting techniques can be invaluable, especially if the child is having significant diffculties across the board. There are so many things that factor into the decision making process and thats why there is not just one right answer. As parents, awareness and education is a good place to start as the more we learn, the better we can make informed decisons for our children.