i think my son has adhd but is he too young?

Rebecca - posted on 02/03/2009

My oldest daughter was dx'd at 3.5 with it. if you really think he has it ask the pedi for a refferal to a specialist. my oldest is now 7.

Mary - posted on 02/02/2009

wow!! this is the first post i have read involving kids my daughters age having adhd.. i'm going to be seeing a psychiatrist for martha soon and they'll do a second opinion.

but for all the moms i know this isn't my convo, but thank you.

dealing with my daughter.. she's 3 now and i have a 2 and 1 yr old as well is nerve wracking!!

Yvonne - posted on 02/02/2009

Quoting Patty:

Hi Kat, you are a mom and if your gut tells you he has ADHD then he probably does. It will be hard for doctors and pyschiatrists to diagnose him at this age, but don't rule out other things as well. You might want to have his vision checked. I have heard this goes hand in hand with ADHD. Although, my soon to be five year olds vision was fine. I would start with the school system. Here in Texas we have a program available to children under three called ECI (Early Childhood Intervention). Basically, it is a battery of tests that can lead to help! This test will help determine speech issues, which could result in speech therapy. Speech therapy will in turn help you communicate with him as well. One last thing, our son's psychiatrist recommended 123 Magic to help with dicipline, it is awesome! Our house is so much more calmer. And the other book was Love and Logic. I wish the best of luck to you, it is a struggle.

personally I have ADHD< and so does my dauhter, I have worked with a lot of ADHD children and also know many in schools in the area and in my neighbourhood, I know none of them have vision problems....

Yvonne - posted on 02/02/2009

An official diagnose is not to be trusted untill after age 6 !

Before age 6 a child can not be diagnosed.

that having said,

I have way too little information about your son, and the situation, to say anything meaningfull.

For all I know it could be just a parenting issue (NOT saying it is, just saying I can not know since I do not know you or your situation at all).

It is good that youre going to talk with your doctor, maybe he can give you some advises you can use, maybe he can offer some kind of help.

Goodluck with it, I hope you'll find a solution for it so you can enjoy motherhood better withtout being like a police officer you know,

take care

Angee - posted on 02/02/2009

I went through the same thing with my daughter.  I knew she had it in the first months of her life.  I started researching it and talking about it with her Dr.  I was told that she was too young to diagnose until school age.  She is 11 now, and just two years ago I found a good child psychiatrist  who confirmed what I already knew and put her on the path of a good medication that helps.  My advice....Trust your instincts, research, don't give up, and pray a lot.

Patty - posted on 02/01/2009

Hi Kat, you are a mom and if your gut tells you he has ADHD then he probably does. It will be hard for doctors and pyschiatrists to diagnose him at this age, but don't rule out other things as well. You might want to have his vision checked. I have heard this goes hand in hand with ADHD. Although, my soon to be five year olds vision was fine. I would start with the school system. Here in Texas we have a program available to children under three called ECI (Early Childhood Intervention). Basically, it is a battery of tests that can lead to help! This test will help determine speech issues, which could result in speech therapy. Speech therapy will in turn help you communicate with him as well. One last thing, our son's psychiatrist recommended 123 Magic to help with dicipline, it is awesome! Our house is so much more calmer. And the other book was Love and Logic. I wish the best of luck to you, it is a struggle.

Amanda - posted on 02/01/2009

My son who is now 5 and just started Kindergarten. I noticed that he was very hyper and could not focus about the time he started walking adn getting into things that was about 9months old. But I had no one to compare him to so we just thought that it was normal. At about 2 is when it started getting worse, pretty much matching what you said and then some. They did tests and found that yes he is ADHD and we started meds. Went through alot of different kinds and found one that works awesome for him he is still our same little boy that we loved so much just now he can controll himself. He is doing awesome in school. We also got him tested through the school system to see if there was any other help out there to get him caught up in things that he wasn't learning. I qualified for E.C.F.E That was so amazing for him and how fast he learned he did E.C.F.E. 2 times a week and then E.C.S.E. 1 time during that week. I so recomened anything like that to anyone who has little ones. My husband and I also took it upon our selfs to join some support groups of parents with ADHD and you get a lot of helpful info and also you get support from other parents going through the same thing. I researched and still do everything. We stay very active in his school and they are so good with him. I hope that all goes well with your little one.

Kat - posted on 02/01/2009

thank you all soooo much for your comments and support i have been in tears everyday this week as my sons behaviour has taken a turn for the worse he is attacking everything in the house climbing on the tv throwing everything,flooding the bathroom. temper tankrums are lasting 3 hours at a time! thanks all of you i realy appreciate having your support!

Heather - posted on 01/28/2009

It may be but it can also be bi polar.  You need to take him to a child Phycologist that specializes in ADD & ADHD kids.  I had to after I gave in.  Mine was 5 when I gave in.  It wasnt easy.  I did all the behavoir modifications and caffine before meds.  It worked til His teens.  I took him off due to addolesance.  Addiction.  Each child is different.  You are going to have to keep trying and be flexable.  Find help with giving you abreak so you will be functionalble.

Good luck

Heather

Mira - posted on 01/28/2009

it is possible though dr's don't typically diagnose so young. No harm in talking about it. But, to be diagnosed, ask your pediatrician for a referral to a behavioral psychologist (or the like). Ped won't diagnose on their own.

I definately knew at 2 my son was ADHD but no one agreed - the said he was just energetic, typical boy. You know, you see the other children his age, what is typical. Persevere

Hayley - posted on 01/28/2009

I knew my son was different at 18months but my hv just said it was him growing into the terrible twos stages. When he was sent to speech therepy at 21/2, (because he could hardly hardly talk, all he would do was scream) I really noticed just how different he was from other children his age! They were all sitting at the table & he was running around the room. They had to get extra help in just for him because they couldnt control him & he wouldnt respond to them.

I would say that as a mother, you know your child & if you think somethings not right then go with your instinct!  I agree with Nicole that things do improve as they grow older! my son is 8 now & no longer runs around screaming endlessly, thank goodness! While he still cant concentrate for more than 5mins, his not as hyper as he was, he has his momments but not so constant!  And yes it is hard when friends & family first find out etc.., my inlaws still now dont accept my son has adhd & autism ( you know the saying 'not around in my day!!') but its not about them so no need to worry! people have to accept it or not!

Good luck hope everything goes well!

Melanie - posted on 01/28/2009

My son is 4 1/2 and is going through testing. We wondered for a long, long time about ADHD, but we also knew from a very early age that he's very bright and suspected giftedness. We're finally in the testing process, have confirmation that he's got a very high IQ, and are awaiting our appointment in 2 weeks with a specialist, hoping for some help with getting medication and behavioral therapy for ADHD/ODD.

I am sorry you're going through this. It's hard having an extremely active toddler who doesn't do anything you say, and everyone assumes you're just not a very good parent. Oh what a joy it would be to have a compliant child, huh!

Carmen - posted on 01/27/2009

Quoting Kat:

i think my son has adhd but is he too young?

my son is 2 years old and has all the symptoms of adhd, his dad also has it! he has never slept through the night not even once! his behaviour has got worse, he has no fear of anything and it often scares me, i dont get a break for 1 minute as i have to follow him about all day making sure what he is up 2! he cant sit still and watch tv for 2 minutes and it is realy getting to me i can tell him 5 times not to go near the oven he switches off and completely ignores me i have to move him, so i am constantly on my toes! he has a doctors appointment tomorow i was wondering if anybody else thinks its adhd? please help as friends have just told me to persivere i have done for 2 years with about 4 hours sleep a night.any advice?

 my son was 3 when i had the feeling that he was adhd. Everyone kept telling me no he is just a happy go lucky kid. and just very hyper. But i knew better. When i took him to the dr, they told me that i cant do anything till he was 4. That is when i saw a speciallest and they told me that he needed to be tested, they did the test and sure enough he  was ADHD. It is not easy to deal with a child like that, you have to watch them all the time, cause they keep moving all the time. but with love and support of your family. it will get better in time, but it will also get harder before it gets better. i hope this helps you out. sorry if it does not

carmen

Joanna - posted on 01/27/2009

ok, sorry ive only just read your last post, my other son was 3 in november, and can say a total of 20 words (not in a sentence), he  is awaiting assessment for ASD (ausistic spectrum disorder) Just watch out, ADHD and Asperger's (ASD) share so many traits.

Joanna - posted on 01/27/2009

i think my son was nearly 3, when i asked his HV to refer him to behaviour support, he is 9 now and was diagnosed 2 years ago, its a long diagnosis process, it sounds like he has a short attention span, which isnt necessarily ADHD, but as always its better to see the dr than to feel at your wits end, without any light at the end of the tunnel. I think with these kids who have extra needs, us mums are made to feel like a bad parent, just knowing you are not alone helps, and you are doing all you can at the moment, so take heart in the fact you are doing that for your little one, so are infact being a good mum.

Kat - posted on 01/27/2009

just got back from the docs i have to do a diary for 2 months and then he is geting hormones to help him sleep they said he cannot be diagnosed with adhd until he is at least 7, in fact they were more concerned that he cannot talk in sentences yet! hes only just 2! im confused!

Billie - posted on 01/26/2009

My son, who is now 11, was diagnosed with ADHD before he was 3 years old. I had to demand that he be sent for an evaluation because my doctor thought i was off my head. It was a long hard road. It takes a little longer when they are so young, but they did diagnose his after over 6 months of evaluating him. But he was not put on any medication until he started school. The worse part is not knowing for sure and not having anyone believe you. Hang in there!!

Nicole - posted on 01/26/2009

Our son, who is now 9, was diagnosed at 3 years old. It does get better, as they grow up and mature. We did not notice it, at first, as much as the daycare seemed to. We got a lot of calls, about him not following directions, or throwing chairs in the room. At first, we were not believing these far fetched stories...but, when the next daycare, was calling, saying the same things, we knew it was true. His behavior was abnormally defiant. He slept throught he nights, though. But, he had bad rapore with daycare officials, and, other people. At 3, he underwent testing through his doctor, and, started some meds. It took a while for us to find the right meds for him. I would say, by his second year in school, we no longer heard anything on a negative note. However, we stay on the meds, and stay proactive with school officials. You may want to ask the doctor, when they think it is appropriate to do some testing, to make sure it is what you believe it is. Good luck.

Maegan - posted on 01/26/2009

no girl you are not on your own! i know how you feel and it will get better i used to pray for the day it would get better just talk to your doctor and tell him everything and tell him his dad has it! that may help you just tell the dr that something has to be done they wanted to do behavioral therapy with my daughter first so we did that but there was still more to it so they tested her at 5 thats how long i fought it! i hope you dont have to wait that long!!!

Heather - posted on 01/26/2009

My son is now 7 almost 8 and suffers from ADHD. I knew he had ADHD and at age 5 I took him to the Dr. They said he was to young but luckly the Dr. had 2 other patients the same age on meds and it worked. It took several different meds to do the trick and we are still dealing with it. It's an experimental and patient process. I have also cut out all red, blue and yellow dye's as this seems to contribute to ADHD as well. We still deal with the behavior, anxiety, and anger issues but with God's help we are getting through it.

Kat - posted on 01/26/2009

thakns for your sympathy its so hard to explain,family and friends just put it all down to teething! i felt like i was imagining it all, i still do sometimes! i have changed his diet and he is not alowed sweets or crisps,only fruit for snacks! thanks again for your support its great to know im not on my own

Maegan - posted on 01/26/2009

i know exactly what you are goin through!!! my daughter who is 6 now has adhd and i knew when she was 2 that she had it and when i took her to the dr all they would say is it's too young to have her tested it's probably just terrible 2's and that was a bunch of crap!!! it does sound like adhd to me and if the dr wont do anything there are some natural ways that you can try they say certain food and drinks trigger it!! like red dyes in things if you decide to go that way the dr told me to start feeding her all natural foods and organic foods because they have no additives in them! keep posted! good luck!

Maegan - posted on 01/26/2009

i know exactly what you are goin through!!! my daughter who is 6 now has adhd and i knew when she was 2 that she had it and when i took her to the dr all they would say is it's too young to have her tested it's probably just terrible 2's and that was a bunch of crap!!! it does sound like adhd to me and if the dr wont do anything there are some natural ways that you can try they say certain food and drinks trigger it!! like red dyes in things if you decide to go that way the dr told me to start feeding her all natural foods and organic foods because they have no additives in them! keep posted! good luck!