Help with my daughter, 3 years old | ADHD Information
When did you actually see a problem with your son? With my daughter, i swear it was when i felt her kick. I knew it was a girl! haha But serisouly, i knew we had issues when she was about 10 mos and walking, when she would act up for no reason, etc. then at like 18 mos, i def knew she was going to be a handful. she was "different" in a way, than any of our friends children, she was just more of everything. with SID, does your son have the learning/speech disibility it talks about in the articles i read? My daughetr doesn't have everything assoiciated with SID... She's not afraid of the "flyng" fear they mention. she loves to swing and climb and she loves to be in the air actually. So can she still have it by chance or perhaps its something similar to SID?
We've been with this doctor since she was born and we love him. We reccommend him to everyone but now i'm thinking we need someone who will actually hear us. my husband isn't too worried, he's the "she's fine" type of dad. and he's the "my kid is fine, there's nothing wrong with my daughter", type of father.. See's the problem but won't acknowledge it. I just want her evaluated, he doesn't. He hates stereotype and labels. heck! we all do but wouldn't you want to know what your child has? She was so sick when she was first born, asthma and she ended up getting RSV, in and out of hospitals. Finally, one day, she cleared up and now has an inhaler but we hardly have to use it. So add the hyperness and the agressive behaviors, the sensitivty level and asthma to the mix... i am one worried mom! haha
Do you think foods trigger ADD to come out more? I read some things about red dyes and certain food playing a part with ADHD and ADD, Autism, etc.. I am changing her food diet, taking away the fake stuff and givign her more organic and natural foods and drinks... I also ordered some homeopathic style kids vitamins in hopes it'll work somehow. I'm trying everything. I also put a call into a child therapist. just awaiting a call back.
If I look back now knowing what I know, I noticed something almost from birth because he didn't feel pain like normal kids. He didn't cry much at all...even when he got his shots! But it was really hard for my husband and I because he's our only child so we had no idea what was "normal"
I remember my son being off the charts hyper before he could even walk! He would crawl around the house at lightening speed! The sensory stuff got REALLY bad at about 2 yrs old. He started to have the worst meltdowns for absolutely no reason-or at least it seemed like there was not reason! 
He would just go into an irrational panic that made no sense for "no" reason! 
I remember one time when he was 2 he had a complete meltdown because the stop light changed from red to green. It must have triggered something because he screamed and cried in the backseat like someone was torturing him! Nothing we did seemed to help and it was just plain scary! He just kept screaming "I wanted the light to be red!!!!" He was completely panicked for about 15 min and then just like flipping a light switch he was fine.
My son also has problems with his vestibular system (inner ear, balance) so he walked very late and didn't do it very well until OT. He wouldn't get dizzy the way a normal kid did. As part of his OT he would twirl on a tire swing or spin on a chair until he got dizzy. Sometimes he would twirl for 30 min and never get dizzy. But the more he did it the less time it took. Now he's pretty much normal and gets dizzy like other kids.
My son doesn't have a learning disability (that we know of yet ) or speech delay but I know many kids with SID do. Most kids like ours don't just have ADHD or SID. These disorders come in groups so it's not unusual to have SID with speech delay etc. It's also very rare that a child would have problems with ALL of his/her senses. Like my son has never had a problem with taste or eating. Many other kids do. So just because your daughter may not have some of the possible symptoms doesn't mean she doesn't have SID. I could be way off base and I'm not a doctor but your daughter sure sounds like a classic case of SID to me! 
There are a lot of different theories on food and these disorders. I personally think that the dyes, foods, etc can cause symptoms that look like or mimic ADHD, Autism, SID and some foods may aggravate the disorders in some kids. Unfortunately I haven't known of many people who have had true success with just trying the food adjustments alone. It seems to help some but it usually isn't the total solution. None of that ever really helped my son. The ONLY thing that ever helped his ADHD is medication...and we tried A LOT! But hey, you'll never know unless you try so try as many things as you can. It's kind of like a process of elimination.
After reading all the post of this site over the few months I realize mydaughter also has/had sids. I wish I had known years ago, and maybe the
daily morning extreme tantrums over getting dressed would have been
better. I have not pushed OT now since at the age of 8 she is much better
(seemed to outgrow clothes sensitivity or the fish oil pills have somehow
helped with that issue). However, both the child psch who evaluated her
last yr wrote off OT for her as a treatment that doesn't work, so in my
experience professionals may not be open minded about OT. I do not no
how othes kids got evaluated and treated for sids, but you may have to
push to get OT for your child. Again, I wish I knew what I do now and
would have found a way to get her help, as things were very stressful for
her and our family when sids was rearing its ugly head.I'm not sure about occupational therapy being linked to physical therapy but I guess it makes sense. My son's OT doesn't do physical therapy and she only does kids so I'm not sure how others do it. When you're calling around make sure the OT works with kids and is experienced in Sensory Integration Disorder. If not then you may not find much help from them. Your call to the doc is probably the best idea. Hopefully he will know of someone he can refer you to. Hang in there! You are definitely on the right track! It can be such a hard road but if you stick with it things will get sooooo much better...trust me!
And it's so very worth it for our little ones. My son's life has COMPLETELY turned around and he's is a very happy little boy! (and it doesn't hurt that his parents are happier too! )Thank you Logan's Mom! I never heard of S I D... I have too look it up! but my goodness, that sounds like my daughter. the whole bed thing drives me nuts, haha.. the blankets, her animals, she has to be the one to turn the lights off, she tucks herself in, etc...
She's sensitive, too.. we have to tell her a few days in advance when things are going to happen, visitors, going somewhere, etc... she can't have her "life" out of order!
To Corrina,
Is there such a thing as having both, lol? i compare her to other kids. she is gifted in my eyes and yet there's that other side of her. She can go from being calm and cool to hyper and aggressive in a split second. She's mean to her friends. she pushes them down, she screams, she can't focus, she's running around, climbing things. Its' like she doesn't know she's hurting them, or that she's disruptive. She's a big girl, not fat but solid. weighs 45 lbs and she is too independent at time. So she thinks she's strong and she thinks everyone else is strong too.
then on the other hand, she makes a mess but that's okay because she's the one who caused it... if we were to rearrange her room, make some changes, surprise her with anything, she'd flip out. Not in a spoiled way, in a "real" way she will cry and ask why we did this, why we moved her bed to other side, why mommy is using a different plate for the chicken, etc.. it sounds silly and funny but its becoming an issue with her. She can make her own changes, she's in control of it... but if we do it, she can't handle it.
Your daughter sounds sooooooooo much like my son is uncanny! I would definetely run out and see an Occupational Therapist for the SID evaluation. Generally kids with these types of problems have more than one disorder at a time. It's pretty typical. With mine it's SID and ADHHHHHHHHD. An Occupational Therapist can diagnose and treat the SID if that's what she has.
The most understandable way SID was described to me was
"Sensory input comes into your brain all the time (sight, touch, smell, etc). In "normal" people there is a modulation center to the brain that senses the input and categorizes it and reacts accordingly. For instance, my voice, to my son, may register at any given moment as "safe" or "unsafe". If it registers as "unsafe" he goes into fight-or-flight and he CAN'T calm down. Another example is touch...my son doesn't feel touch the way he should. It takes A LOT more pressure for him to actually feel it. This is why he's so rough with other kids. He craves that deep/hard touch because his brain doesn't see it properly and doesn't realize how rough he is to others. Occupational Therapy has literally re-trained my son's brain! He still has sensory issues and always will but nothing like he did before!
Now, think about these Sensory problems and combine it with ADHD symptoms...hyperactivity, impusiveness...this equals and exhausting mess! My son used to just "crash" into other people and things just because it felt good and he didn't have the impulse control to stop himself...even at 3 when he crashed into my 92 yr old grandmother and knocked her to the ground.
If any of this sounds familair, run as fast as you can and get her evaluated. The earlier you start the better she'll be later in life! Good luck and keep us posted!
Lgan's mom,
everything you wrote is so much like my daughter! She doesn't realize how rough she is with others and its bothersome to me. I am so glad i found this website! I'm in CT, so i'll be searching for an Occupational Therapist this week!! I think she has both but hopefully with proper treatment, they will evaluate her and help her on the right path.
All occupational therapists in my area are linked with physical therapy? is that right? I made a call to the doctor in hopes he can help me out a little more. I want my daughter tested on everything so we can have a proper treatment and diagnosis, without the use of meds.
Living in CT, there's not much help out there, so i learned today. Even my insurance is limited. And i want a peditric occupational therapist....
back to square one until the doc calls.
First, you are absolutely NOT a pain! This is what we're all here for so ask as many questions as you want! I didn't find this board until my son had already started medication and I always wished I new about it from the beginning. I was so clueless back then!
Second, many doctors don't like to diagnose kids this young but it is not accurate to say she is "too young to diagnose"-especially without even an evaluation! Go to a different doc! Most of the time the docs that aren't very experienced with ADHD are the ones that stick to the "They have to be 6 before we can diagnose them" crap. I couldn't imagine the damage that would have been done to my son's life if our doc waited until he was 6! Go to another doc and don't take no for an answer! If that doesn't work...go to a different doc. There is help out there. You just have to find it!
A child psychologist is the one that actually diagnosed my son first so it may be a good idea for you to try that route. I never really trust the pediatricians with the treatment of ADHD anyway. They just aren't specialize enough. When you're choosing a doctor ask them if they are experienced with ADHD and how much of their practice is children with ADHD. If you eventually choose to try medication I recommend going straight to a specialist in that area also-psychiatrist, psychopharmacologist, etc.
You daughter is not too young to be evaluated and diagnosed for SID either! The younger you get OT the better off they are! My son was diagnosed with SID at 2 yrs old and started OT right away. He was diagnosed with ADHD at 3yrs and started meds just shy of his 4th birthday. So it CAN be done! You just may have to work hard to find a doc. But believe me, once you do, you will be soooo thankful. It CAN get better! I promise if you stick with it, it DOES get better!
Logans mom, i called the doctor and he says she is too young to properly diagnose. I told him all of her sympotoms and he hears me, but isn't showing any concern. he says my husband and i have to be more assertive, more discipline needs to take place. I'm not sure i agree because we are pretty good about proper discipline and time outs, etc... i think its my daughter's turn to get the help she needs. I'm so lost now. Is she too young to diagnose? is she ADD or SID, autistic in some way, or something else? She is so smart and learns so quickly. She can read most small words, write, draw detailed things, etc... but there's that "something" in the way and something triggers her to behave like a monster. And all things point to ADD or even SID...
he did give me names of child therapists in hopes that we can root what she is going through and to give us pointers. so maybe this child therapist can diagnose her? I need to move to a different state! haha
Sorry to be a pain, but i do truly appreciate all your feedback. I never experienced this with my older son (14) and now with my daughter, i'm at a loss. No one i know is going through this and this website is a miracle for me!
my daughter flips out in the car similar to the way your son did! but in my case, i was driving 40mph and she was screaming that i was going too fast! i couldn't calm her down. and i couldn't slow down. she's just getting into the red light, green light thing and understanding the differences. she flips out though when we stop and she can't see the stop sign or the street light because the cars are in front of us. Silly in a way, but she realy gets upset.
My daughter will spin so fast in the chair we have and never gets dizzy!! she loves it though.
Called a child psch, meeting with her april 28.... i explained everything but for some reason i forgot to mention her OCD issues and how she doesn't stop biting her nails. . I'll wait till the meeting. she told me less TV (duh) and more activity! what do they want from me?! we are always doing something.. not sure what else to do!
My son was diagnosed with ADHD at 3 yrs old. Most docs don't like to diagnose so young but my son was soooooooo severe that something had to be done fast! I agree that the proper diagnosis is key. Definitely trust your gut and if your doc doesn't listen to you then change docs! You know if something is not right...especially if you have another child to compare her to. Oh and by the way, that's perfect evidence that it's NOT your parenting!
My son also has Sensory Integration Disorder (diagnosed at 2 yrs) and I thought he might be OCD at first. But it was just the sensory stuff getting in the way. The way his Occupational Therapist described it is "Your son's brain doesn't always react to sensory input the way it should and this makes him panic. The best way he can try to prevent this is to put everything in "order" so there are no "surprises". Even in his crib he had to have his stuffed animals just so...and even now on his bed everything has to be just in the right place before he goes to bed. Sound familiar at all???
who cleaned her room!
There are a lot of things that "look like" ADHD. Ask the day care about
general testing - in my state it's free if they are less than 5. If something
turns up they will test that further. At that age you don't want to start
limiting the diagnosis. Check out everything to make sure she doesn't have
multiple issues - or to find out she's just being herself!
Good luck!
I have a 3 year old. She's wonderful, she feels every emotion. When you're sad, she's sad. when you're happy, she's happy. She loves everything around her, absorbs everything. She is so quick to learn. Potty trained at 1 1/2, writes, can read a little. But she's so hyper, spirited is my word for her, she is agressive. Her daycare is ready to suspend her for a week. All attention needs to be on her. She screams, she acts out, she will push you, all when not getting her way. I need help. She's more hyper than any kid i know that age. She has all "classic" signs of ADD/ADHD.. i don't have it, i swear my husband does but he's nver been tested. Another thing about her is I swear she has OCD. Her blankets go a certain way, her pillows too. She only eats food if its not touching another, her milk goes on the right side in the green cup. She cleans her room a certain way. She's only 3! and we are not like this, so i have no clue where the behavior comes from. Please comment. Am I crazy? lacking discipline? I don't know what to do!
I also have a 14 year old and he's quite the opposite of her. I told the doc i thought she was ADD or hyperactive of some sort. he doesn't seem to believe me but if you spent one day in my shoes, you'd agree that there is something there, something has to be changed in her.
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