Can a four year old be diagonosed with ADHD? The school is saying that is what my daughter has.

Sami - posted on 02/22/2013

Omg, are teachers lazy these days or what. I'm just being blunt. I encounter many parents whom inform me that their child teacher suggested them to take their child to get check up on ADHD. Why, Idk. So many parents been told from their child teacher. Medication and the patch make it easy for teachers to teach. Lots of children get hyper everyday in one point of the day. Okay. Take them outside, play games.. At age four is so young to even tell. Remember teachers have a teaching degree not a dr. Degree. And your child don't need med or the patch it will screw up the child's brain tools. Find an activity like sports will be great.

Chris - posted on 02/20/2013

come on you guys...everybody is here to help each other. agree to disagree okay

Cecilia - posted on 02/19/2013

Maybe i should but i don't see how ADHD constitutes a disorder which you need financial assistance with.

I'm simply telling you yes i make more than double what you do a month. Why do they give me money and not you??? i think you can see why.

I did look it up and you CAN get ssi for adhd ( actually surprised by this) usually they need to be over 3. Have doctor's documentation on numerous topics including social functioning, cognitive functioning.. ect. each showing sever difficulty. Even if you meet these you can not make more than 1,040. So no you won't get it until you fall in that income range.

As far as I go, why do i get it and i make more.. because my son is actually disabled he will get it the rest of his life even when he does get a job.

Feel free to enlighten me on where his ADHD is costing you extra money. I'm interested in hearing this. If you can't, well then, you want extra spending money and that is an abuse of the system.

Cecilia - posted on 02/19/2013

Kath,
Why do you need SSI for ADHD?? I'm not sure where you would need extra money to go to. there is no specialized equipment, special schools, special day care expenses... so why apply for SSI?

I get $300 a month for my legally blind son. Mind you this doesn't even close to cover most of his expenses. His CCTV cost me $7,000. His orientation and mobility specialist cost me $400 a week. His PT,OT, Vision specialist cost $550 a month each. recSpecs cost me $300 a year. His glasses, have bifocals and transitions lenses which is not covered under any insurance, so that ran me $600. He goes to a blind camp every year which runs me $1200. Not to mention he goes over the testing allowed by insurance so i pay the left overs. Including him needing to see his opthomologist 2 times a year instead of the allowed 1 time.

Yes I do make more money than you but you can see why they would give me money over you, because my son needs extra money, I don't feel that yours does. Don't abuse the system!

Lee Ann - posted on 02/19/2013

I was a teacher for 10 yrs before kids and the district I worked for (from Texas) we weren't allowed to say anything about certain behavior or learning disabilities, ex. tell a parent their child is ADD or specific learning disability. We would observe a child and if we thought there was a problem refer them with parent permission to be tested by special education department. Sometimes it was a long process but it did weed out teachers who wanted to label a child and "brush" off a kid. Also it protected the district so they did not have to "pay" for kids who really didn't need services. Once a child has been diagnosed (school) and have a specific plan the distric must provide those services within the distric or by a private services. Do what you feel is right for your child, listen to that mommy voice.

Chris - posted on 02/15/2013

This is very helpful documentary. Watch it and then talk to the doctor about it.
Really good film

Lisa - posted on 02/04/2013

Request a psychoeducational evaluation and speech/language testing. ADHD is over diagnosed, and I understand your concern. There is a more of a chance that she has speech/language and motor delays than a fully developed case of ADHD at 4. I just find that hard to believe. She may be a little immature (relatively speaking) for her class, and you may want to wait another year before trying it again. There are such drastic changes that happen over the course of these years. She may be ready next year? I hope that you find your solution, and I would be really hesitant to medicate a child

Shirley - posted on 01/29/2013

My son didn't act the same way at school as he did at home. I'd say no.
And, I"d go talk to your familys Childs Dr. before you do anything rash.
ps my son is not on any meds and never has been,

Paola - posted on 01/26/2013

I would take her to second even thrid opinion, because I heard from a couple of doctors already that it is too soon to diagnose a child between 3-7 with any of this. The behavior is part of their age, my son was also very distracted at pre-school but even the teachers told us that eve though he didnt play complete attention he performed better than other kids that did; so we start talking to him that he should listen to his teacher and try to do better, but also told him that he was doing excellent. When he really found something that interest him he is very good at it. Why dont you try to put him in sports or find soemthing that he really enjoys doing, that will help a lot. But my advice is, stand firm , no meds, it is too young.

Fran - posted on 01/25/2013

I have read alot about a child's diet and it's link to these types of diagnoses. For eg. if a child if given certain types of food colorings, additives or preservatives and sugars it may cause deficiencies in vitamins/minerals that their body needs and is now lacking. You may want to look into this and give your child foods and supplements that support nerve and brain health and eliminate all processed junk foods. Omega 3's, 6's, 9's can be given as supplements or in food form seeds, fish etc. I hope this helps!

Connie - posted on 01/17/2013

My son was diagnosed at 4, at the time he was in preschool. I agree that she may be a little young for medication. My son is 6 years old now and has been taking medication on school days since he was 5. That is a long road and finding the right medication at the right dosage will take time. Structure, schedules, and consistency works wonders. Good luck!!

CMU

Paola - posted on 01/15/2013

I hope no doctor would medicate a 4 year old.
I found this things helpful:
No T.V an hour before bedtime
No artificial colors (as much as possible)
Vitamin B complx for children. Tell that techer to be patient maybe she is just too smart and gets bored.

Victoria - posted on 01/11/2013

That is the schools answer with every "problem" child. Don't put her on meds. My son is four and does half days cause the teachers can't deal with him. He gets bored and easily frustrated. He just doesn't know how to express himself there. And all the kids will act out in different ways to try to get the attention of teachers.

Kerry - posted on 01/11/2013

I do think it is possible to diagnose a 4 year old child with ADD or ADHD, which is what I am going through right now. I have custody of my grandson and I have had him since he was 1 year old. When he was two, I involved early childhood intervention because my grandson was not talking very well, he did not play with toys, nor did he interact with any children. EIC sent out a counselor, behavioralist, nutritionalist, and a few other specialists and they worked with him for one year. At age 3, he began to go to early childhood school. They started working with him on his behavior and his speech, and his delays. His pediatrician referred him to a neurologist to find out if he was autistic or autistic spectrum. We had testing done, we have had counseling done, we have gone to speech therapy, occupational therapy, and then we tried medication. The results with and without the medication is like night and day!! He is able to concentrate and loves to learn and books and sing. I also have a sister who is a special education teacher for almost 25 years, who has helped me through this. I want the best for my grandson and i dont think it is just a medication for this condition. I think it takes a lot of medical work to help my grandson be the best that he can be and live a long and happy life.

Carla - posted on 01/07/2013

Absolutely do not put her on meds. We still do not know the full effects of medication on children in the long run. I have had a daycare for over 11 yrs now and almost all children are hyper in some form or another. In a school setting now days they take the kid out of our children and excpect them to sit like little robots. This is not physically possible.
Have you been a silent observer at the school to see what is going on? I would start there.

Misty Dawn - posted on 12/31/2012

My son is 3 and will be 4 in april. they said they cant start meds till he is 4 and hunny i cant wait. cause he is hell on wheels . some act different then others. . but if she dont show any signs of adhd then i dont see why they would want her to see a specialist.>?

Cecilia - posted on 12/27/2012

First, talk to your doctor. Take her to a therapist if need be. A teacher has no medical degree and should not even bother trying to diagnose your child for you. It pisses me off when teachers keep doing this. Most find it easier for a parent to medicate a kid rather than accept a student who might be a little harder to deal with.

If the behavior is not carrying over to all parts of her life i highly doubt it is ADHD. She wouldn't just gain control of it just because she is at home. It's really hard for a kid to get used to the structure of school and sitting in one spot for so long.

If you're really concerned talk to her doctor or even a therapist and they will have you fill out some paperwork with things you notice about her. They might spend 15 minutes talking to her. ( with you in the room)Most with that info can give you a path to go from there.

Even if they do say it is ADHD ask them for behavior modification for her instead of meds. EVERYONE offers it. Most don't know to ask for it though.

Italia221-ADHD - posted on 12/26/2012

Hey, I am new to this site... But I am in need of help/conversations about my son and his crazy behaviors...

To answer your Question,my son was diagnoised with ADHD and ODD at 3 years old...
He was kicked out of 2 daycares and I had to quit work to deal with him and all of the therapy sessions I have to go to because he is on 3 different medications to keep him calm...

Nonameneeded - posted on 12/21/2012

DONT do it those meds will cause more harm then good mentally and phyically all meds for kids that young that are told they have add adhd are super bad. trust me i used to be on riddlen it was horrible i hardly ate always slept and found out i didnt need it dont waiste your time and efforts look at the environment your kid is in theres other children around theres alot going on with the holidays coming up and everything yes your child will be a lil wild dont let them do it wait ti'll middle school then see if she needs it the side effects isnt worth your childs life *sorry i'm sick and just got off work so ............... periods for all i missed and i'm proud of my typos lol*

Clued Up - posted on 12/20/2012

Hi Tara,

One of the most important things to do is check your daughter's diet very carefully. Many food additives have been known to worsen ADHD and even cause it. Make sure your daughter is getting enough calcium (500 mg) and magnesium (1000 mg) - daily. Obviously giving them vitamins will be very hard, so try incorporating more wholesome foods with calcium and magnesium. Hair tests on ADD/ADHD patients showed they were very low in calcium and magnesium - making them crave chocolate and sugar. Raw cacao has more magnesium than any other food around. It takes a couple of weeks to see a change. Also, give your daughter vitamin B6 foods and essential fatty acids.

Food Additives and Foods to Stay Away From:
1. All food dye containing foods, e.g. blue 1, blue 2, orange B, red 3, red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6, etc.
2. Sodium Benzoate, a preservative
3. Gluten
4. White flour
5. Processed sugar
6. Junk Food
7. Dairy - some report feeling much better when they dropped dairy. You can use rice milk, almond milk, or hemp milk instead. You get more calcium from dark leafy greens than milk anyway.

ADHD and ADD people tend to eat the foods that they are the most sensitive to. For example, if a child loves milk, it's because they are in desperate need of calcium, but because they're sensitive to it, they are not fully absorbing it. Blood tests and hair tests will reveal deficiencies.

Check out Dr Mercola. He's very clued up and has a very high success rate in treating all types of illnesses without pharmaceutical drugs, which should really be the last resort.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articl...

Melissa - posted on 12/19/2012

My son was diagnosed at 2. He was very hyper and had behavior issues. They wanted to medicate him at 2. I was not about to do that. Many doctors will say that if they are to young their brains are not developed enough to have help with the medication. Teachers gave me a really hard time and I was not about to give in. At 6 we could not wait any longer because my son was so delayed and he really needed the medication. She is you'r child and you are in charge of her well being and health care. If the time comes and it is needed you will know.

Michelle - posted on 12/18/2012

They just want her on meds because it makes their job easier! ADHD is a hype label for an energetic little kid, don't let them bully you into drugging up your baby. Those drugs have long term effects that can't be undone. I'd bet my I. teeth your daughter is BORED, kids get fussy and distract others when the teacher is unable to hold their attention. Not to come down on teachers, it's a hard job to try and retain the focus of 5 people for an hour, and they have upwards of 20 kidsfor an entire day...all day, everyday. I couldn't do it, but that is the job they picked! It is the teachers job to engage each child in the classroom activity/discussion, not the parents job to numb their children to creativity or keep them zombified with drugs so they "behave". With my kids, I suggested to the teachers that they put my son in the next level grade for an hour or two each day to engage his interest, or enlighten him to how much he wanted back in his clssroom...whichever works, but heck no I am not drugging my kid up so you don't have to deal with him... No way!

Angela - posted on 12/17/2012

Our son was diagnosed with SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) at 3, and ADHD on top of it at 4. He is high intelligence but is a heavy sensory seeker. He also has ADHD - displays tendencies to have short attention, very hyper, and the behavioral issues with ADHD (Frustration, defiance, anxiety). An Occ. Therapist who specializes in sensory issues diagnosed our son. A child Psychologist did a later evaluation and agreed with the SPD but also indicated he has ADHD.
I would suggest going to a child psychologist or neuro psychologist - they can diagnose both of those and other things - they can tell you whats going on and give you tools on how to deal with it. I would do it now, before she is much older, so you can prepare her for the school years ahead, and if she does have any issues, and an IEP (individual education plan) is needed -you will be prepared in advance.

Tracy - posted on 12/15/2012

They can be diagnosed that young. You are doing your child a great disservice by not following through with their recommendation. I believe your assumption is that they want to put her on medication, yet you posted that "they are recommending her to a behavior specialist." Their are all sorts of different ways to handle treatment through medication, diet, and behavior modification and there are also different types and degrees of diagnosis. You state that he does not exhibit symptoms at home but have you personally researched it or is the basis of your information simply from the misconception of the general publics perceptions that a kid is just all wired

I have a friend who has ADHD and was not diagnosed until she was in her 30's. She made it through school and went to college and quit, pulling C's and D's throughout. It was by accident she found out. Unless she is taking her mediation she can not even clean her house. She never knows where to start. She may start doing dishes, running water, pre rinsing, etc. when she realizes she needs a dish rag and is all out so then she goes to get one out of the bathroom sees laundry so since she is out of dish cloths she goes and starts laundry, and finds a load she left in the dryer so she starts folding that then finds a dish rag so goes back to dishes, the water is cold has to start over...this cycle goes on and on and on and she NEVER gets anything accoplished because she can not stay focused on anything long enough to complete it, unless of course it is something she LOVES, then you can not tear her a way and get her to focus on anything else. She has a severe problem with paperwork and or mail that needs followed up on which has affected her life tremendously (taxes, filing papers and losing benefits, bonuses or extra compensation that she was due).

Sarah - posted on 12/08/2012

yes a 4 year old can be diagnoed with ADHD. And just because your daughter is not running around the house like a crazy women doesn't mean she doesn't have it. It's one of the most common misconceptions of ADHD. Yes, often times a child with ADHD is like the energizer bunny but not all are. Does your daughter either stay focused on one thing and can't see to bring her attention to anything else while she is doing that one thing? Daycare won't tell you if they think she has ADHD either because they could get in big trouble. Although a school IS allowed to say that your daughter is showing signs of ADHD and IS allowed to recommend her to be seen by a behavioral specialist. You are allowed to decline the offer and let your child be on her merry way however these are professionals as I am and we make our living on getting children the help they need when their parents are in denial , which is very normal for parents and if you aren't in denial then you are a super mom. It happens nobody want's to hear that their child has problems. However, I doubt the school actually said to put her on medication to you, you were angry and could only hear what you thought you were hearing. They most likey said that their are medications out there to help with the affects of ADHD as one solution however there are plenty of solutions out there such as different types of therapy and even changing your daughters diet. Plus overtime your daughter will learn to deal with ADHD if that's what she is diagnosed with. The school also has a checklist and many other things they have to check out before they are allowed to called the parent for a conference too. The school is not always the bad guy.

Patricia - posted on 11/05/2012

THE SCHOOL OR ITS TEACHERS ARE NOT QUALLIFIED TO HAND OUT A PERSCRIPTION FOR WHAT THEY FEEL IS WRONG WITH YOUR CHILD...THE SCHOOL HAS DIAGONOSED YOUR CHILD FOR YOU AND THATS NOT THEIR PLACE....THE SCHOOL WANTS HER PUT ON MEDS.....WOW...I WOULDNT CARE FOR ANY OF THIS AT ALL....NOW IF A TEACHER CAME UP TO ME AND LET ME KNOW A FEW THINGS THAT THEY HAVE NOTICED ABOUT MY CHILD,AND LET ME DO THE PARENTING AND COMMING TO CONCLUSIONS FROM THERE IS ALL THAT IS NEEDED....GIVE US A CHANCE TO SEE WHATS GOING ON BEFORE THEY CONCLUED WHAT IT IS.....TEACHERS ARE MANDATED REPORTERS AND SUCH BUT ARENT DOCTERS....

Karen - posted on 10/28/2012

I see that this is a very old post, but wanted to comment anyway - just in case someone in a similar circumstance is searching for answers. As a former special education teacher and HUGE advocate for "my" kids, I have to tell you that this is one of my pet peeves.



Teachers, no matter how experienced can NOT diagnose a child with ADHD. In fact, they shouldn't even be saying, "I think your kid has ADHD." They are completely unqualified to make such a proclamation. If a child in your class dropped to the floor, shook violently, and was unresponsive for a time, the teacher wouldn't say, "Your child has epilepsy." Why? Because that is a medical diagnosis. So is ADHD. What a teacher can and should do is describe what they see and make recommendations, not diagnose. It just makes me crazy.



I remember sitting at conferences with parents where the teacher said such a thing, and I would have to interrupt (which pissed them off) and remind the teacher and parent that we cannot make a diagnosis like that.



In my 14-years of experience with kids with ADHD, I never saw one who had it in one setting such as school, but not have it at home. It just doesn't work that way. The only time it might is if in one setting, there is a stringent behavior modification plan in place and in the other there is not. But in general, ADHD can't be turned off and on.



Hope this helps. Sorry for the rant. I'll step down off my soap box now. LOL My best, Karen

Rachael - posted on 10/27/2012

First of all, I would be only taking a diagnosis of that type from a Psychologist- NOT a psychiatrist (drug pusher) or a faculty member from school. It's a cop-out. Every child has their own schedule when it comes to learning. School's still don't see thins even after 100 years. The last thing I would do is put her on Meds. Meds will just screw her body up biologically and her self-esteem thinking that she is not normal without them. Just give her time and let her know that its ok to not be fully interested but to at least try to understand the concepts.

Fiona - posted on 10/20/2012

Before they do I would also suggest looking at her diet, some additives can really set kids off which may be why they r only seeing it at school! I also agree with others that she should be behaving like it at home, maybe u could ask the school if u could observe this behaviour so u can compare what she is doing at home. I think u really need to sit and talk to ur daughter about her behaviour at school and find out if there is anything bothering her, we went threw a stage where one of our boys did not want to go to school, we were having to dress him n drag him to the bus stop, when I finally had enoufht n made him sit n talk to me about why he didn't want to go to school, found out the school bit was ok but it was the travelling on the bus that was the issue. Don't just take the schools word for it make sure that u do everything u can before u look at medication.

Curi - posted on 10/19/2012

I work with a lady who keeps her son on it only during school time she takes his off during the summer then puts him back on August to May. It may be able to be diagnosed but i dont think they ahould be on meds until they are being disruptive. Most of the time it is schools trying to use it to calm children or kids are just energetic and it is not diagnosed currectly. Be careful on what you choose and i would get multiple opinions! My hubby was put on ridalin(sp?) and his mom said he acted like a zombie So she cut it off cause he didnt have adhd. And he isnt on meds not an he is just fine.

Nonie - posted on 10/19/2012

A child can be diagnosed for Adhd at 4. My son's psychologist said they prefer to wait until they are 5 or 6. I've found that sometimes schools will use adhd meds as an easy way out because they don't want to deal with any issues. There are a couple ways to look at it. My take is that if it is affecting his education ie... he can't sit down to learn anything...then yes meds are for a good cause. If it's because your child has a little more energy it's not necessary if they can sit in their seats and still get their education. The reason that sometimes kids are different is that at home we adapt things for them. We don't expect them to sit for 5 hours without running around and playing. We've learned to be there according to what their personality needs. At daycare, if the daycare is small enough, they get to go out and play and interact without being required to focus and stay calm in one chair. At school there are so many kids in one class now that it's ridiculous. They have gym on a rotating schedule one week off and one on in the regular education portion of my son's school. They rotate with computer class. Recess is a whopping 15 to 20 minutes for all days worth of children playing and running. Check into if your school has a para program for someone to sit with her during her most difficult times in a day. If the school does have the program for special help try that first before meds. Get her an IEP. If she has enough instances and you can get her diagnosed with adhd they can do a behavioral iep that will provide para support. If they don't have that look for a school that does. If in the end the extra support does not help, then start meds. In the end the para support wasn't enough for my son but I know I tried my darndest and got everything I could of the schools before I put my child on meds. The school doesn't have the ability to adapt in a regular classroom for an individual child's needs and that, along with the lack of ability to run off energy, is why they are recommending meds. That's my thoughts anyway. Sometimes meds are schools easy way out and sometimes they really do not it but exhaust all efforts of para help before you have to medicate your child and don't let them make you if you really don't want to because there are programs but it costs the school district money they don't always want to spend. Good luck :-)

Threenorns - posted on 10/16/2012

yes, she can be ADHD and NO, they cannot require her to be put on meds. if they're telling you to put her on meds, point out that they are not doctors and they are not qualified to prescribe medication. that's a criminal offence, by the way, called practicing medicine without a license.



i'm sorry - i just blew a gasket - they won't give kids their frikkin asthma meds or an aspirin but they dole out ritalin like freakin candy!



by all means, have her assessed but my money is on your daughter being a bright little monkey who's stuck in the turtle pen.

Laren - posted on 10/11/2012

I agree with so many of the comments so far! I believe it is actually illegal for teachers to diagnose or even suggest kids be medicated, at least in my state. Secondly, food choices are huge in helping ADHD symptoms. I just read that 64% of ADHD cases are caused by food! With my kids, I have always avoided processed foods (white flour, white rice, anything in a box), sugar (including juice), food coloring, additives, and pesticides. A high protein diet and fish oil supplements help a great deal as well. I am a holistic health coach specializing in supporting parents with ADHD kids. My son is now 13 and we have tried every approach to keep him off meds as long as we could. I think medication should be a last resort. Having said that, I know from experience that they can certainly help the symptoms. But in my opinion, especially with a child as young as yours, you might start with food and other holistic modalities and see if she is one of the 64% who benefit from these changes. Good luck and feel free to contact me if you need support. laren@eatingwell-livingwell.com

Amy - posted on 10/04/2012

Great job Joni!

The VP of my son's school just called me this morning, and told me my ds was in the principle's office already today for taking one of his classmate's candy corns they brought for snack. Wow. Let's call the authorities. Sounds like we need to hire a lawyer. Definitely criminal behavior!!



Then they said he has to eat his lunch on the principle's office and write the little girl an apology note. I mean, REALLY?!?! Are you F'ing kidding me?!?! He took one candy corn from a little girl's snack bag. She even GAVE him one after he asked for it, and he wanted another one so he took it. Just freaking tell him it was wrong, don't send him to the principle's office for it. That is rediculous. He is 7 yrs old. They act like he stole someone's iPod and sold it. What is this world coming to??



I hate my son's school.



Amy

Joni - posted on 10/04/2012

I also have a 4yr old boy that is busy....Pediatrian suggested a conners form for us(teacher and me) to fill out..I have only heard the things he is not doing,so much negative...We are not going to medicate,ask for a 504 plan or iep for him...and we will check back on his progress after he has had one of these programs. Also told adhd is a learning disability that falls under the Disabilty Act so it is law school has to do everything posssible before meds are introduced. Now the school will probably tell you they do not have the funding Well find it He deserves an education for him...But do not under any circumstances let school remove him from his class I am in the process and will post again on our success to give my child the education he deserves....Good Luck to all and God Bless in all your efforts to help your children...Joni'

Lana - posted on 05/22/2012

Definetely not! Not earlier than 6. Still, I suggest, to get second opinion.

Veronica - posted on 05/20/2012

I am not sure why a teacher would even try to speculate as to what your child may have as far as a disorder or diagnosis goes. You may want to check the laws surrounding that in your state. I know in TN schools cannot speculate or assume or even tell a parent that they think a child needs meds or has a disorder. As far as I am concerned, that teacher should have just shared with you your child's classroom behaviors and given you some options. However, NEVER allow an educator to assume your child needs to be put on med's. My son has Asperger's and his school and I have gone round three, four and five regarding my son and his behaviors. I requested my son only go to school a half day and informed the school that my son is not taking meds just so they can have a better day and not deal with him. It may be the school that is causing your child's behavior issues. If I were you, I would put together all the facts and talk with the director of the school board and see if they can even do that. Talk with your pediatrician and do your homework. Its too often, now days, that teachers and schools just want children medicated so that they do not have to deal with them. Its sad, and your child is only four and like I have said, it is against the law for teachers to even make that call! Check into it before you allow anyone see your daughter, remember, you are the mother and have the right to refuse or request what you think is best for your child! Good luck.

Amy - posted on 05/19/2012

My son started on meds at 6 yrs old in the later part of Kindergarten. He did well on them for a year. But, after about 13 months, and 3 increases, I got tired of all the side effects from the medication, and it really didn't help him much anymore.



He still takes Intuniv 2mg, but no stimulant. I think stimulants are dangerous, and they made him lose so much weight. They can also have lethal cardiac side effects too. I just didn't want to do that to my baby anymore.



He is SMART. He had his IQ tested 3 months ago, when I took him to a Pediatric Neuropsychologist for an "official" diagnosis, and she said he was genius level IQ at 120 off all meds. He paced around her desk during the entire test.



We are starting behavioral "play" therapy next week, and I really hope it helps him. I have a friend that put her smart ADHD son in play therapy and she said it has done WONDERS for him. She said the difference is amazing. My ds is so smart, I think he will "get it" when he starts seeing his therapist. He is 7 and a half and he already understands a lot of things that kids a lot older than him understand. His main problem is just impulsiveness. If he can learn to stop and think about things before he does them, he will be just fine.



Amy

Tammy - posted on 05/19/2012

Schools are all too eager to medicate children because the teachers don't want to deal with them. Children at age four are naturally inattentive and disruptive, it does not mean that they have ADHD. The schools hire teachers that have no idea how to care for children and so they want to control them by putting them in a medicated haze that leaves them docile and easily managed so that the teacher doesn't have to do any real caring for the children.

My suggestion is to talk to her pediatrician and maybe visit a pediatric psychologist if her doctor says it's warranted. She may grow out of these 'symptoms' and they are most likely just normal development for her age. Don't let the school medicate her. I wouldn't even consider medication until 1st or 2nd grade and only after seeing a neurologist, psychologist and her pediatrician.

Amy - posted on 05/16/2012

I agree America3437! Mainly, kids are put on drugs to make life easier for TEACHERS!

All I ever hear from my son's school is negativity and how we need to put him back on his meds! I am sooooo sick of it!

Amy

America3437 - posted on 05/16/2012

In my state is is aginist the law for the school to suggest that. I think there are far to many kids being diagnosed with ADHD when actually they are just being kids. Too many of our children are being placed on mind alltering drugs when actually all they need are parents. I really think it is done to make life eaiser for parents and teachers.

Carey - posted on 05/09/2012

My son was diagnosed at 3 1/2 yrs old. The neurologist wanted to medicate him, I would not and was introduced to the Feingold diet at the same time. It helps with the ADHD and it changed our lives. You need to stay strictly on the diet and my son is in 4th grade is doing phenomenal and we have never medicated. He learned how to cope with it, not bandaid it with a medicine. I believe in the natural route first before going to medication. We have had great success. Go to www.feingold.org . You will be able to read all about it. Please feel free to ask any questions. Medication is the easy way out and you never know the side effects. I hope it helps.

Wendy - posted on 05/09/2012

my son was dignosed at 3 with adhd autisum and odd he has been on ritalin focalin adderall strattera and concerta with the ritalin and the focalin and the adderall he quit eating all together with the strattera it was like he was on no medications at all no he is on concerta and is having hallucinatations and just about all the adhd medications says it causes hallucinatations is there any advice out there because my hands are tied i dont know what else to do he wont go outside to play says there is bugs flying around when he goes to bed he doesnt sleep he is constantly looking for bugs hes up till 3am and cant go to school because he is so tired the dr wont give him anything to help him sleep i have tryed every thing the dr has told me to do and it has yet to work., he wont leave my side if i leave a room he is constantly calling my name and chaseing after me he wont dress himself he always says he cant when he has been doing it since he was 3 and he is now 9 please i need some advice i dont knwo what elese to do im about to go incane myself

Amy - posted on 05/03/2012

In one word...NO!



Do NOT let your child's school push you to medicate your 4 yr old! Find her another school. My 7yr old has ADHD/ADD. He was diagnosed right after he turned 6. I knew earlier that he was probably ADHD, but I chose to wait to medicate him. I would NEVER medicate a 4 yr old.



Amy

Lynsey - posted on 04/30/2012

I just wanted to share this web page with you, so hope this website allows me to post the link. My son is not on meds and does not attend a special school. He does struggle sometimes with concentration, and is extremely pig headed, but is now at a level where I have no trouble handling him. We use certain techniques to deal with homework and his teacher realises now that if he is put under too much stress, his behaviour gets worse so tends to allow him to go at his own pace, albeit sometimes with a little extra encouragements but thankfully, my son is a very quick learner. http://www.foodforthebrain.org/content.a...
My son is now on a cows milk free diet and having just taken away that alone has made a huge difference in our lives, so much so, that I find it difficult to explain everything. We are going to do a York test on him this summer, to see if we can find any foods that may cause a problem for him, but as we are handling things pretty well at the moment, we are in no rush. Just enjoying having my son back.

Anne - posted on 04/30/2012

will the school allow you to observe your daughter in the classroom? I have two children with ADHD, (my youngest also has ASD). I was allowed to observe my older son in his classroom setting when he was 5 (my youngest was in a different school and they would not allow me to observe- and I wish I had pushed harder on that one).



Being able to see what was going on in the classroom helped me understand what was going on better. (my son did have ADHD, but the demands of this kindergarten class were in my opinion over the top for any kid and I came to believe that the teacher's expectations were overly rigid and demanding). Re: medication- the right medication at the right dose can really help a child. But that tends to be just one part of the picture. You'll feel better about making these decisions if you can really see what the issues are with your own eyes. If at all possible get a private evaluation for your daughter (depending on the school district I think sometimes their evaluations can be questionable).

Consider a different school if it is at all possible? Charter schools can be more inclusive of differences. Or perhaps you can find a school with an environment that just "fits" your daughter's style of learning better?

I know these things are not always possible.

Regardless of what you decide to do about medicines, if you're getting constant complaints about your daughter's behaviour you want to understand what is going on. I saw the non-stop negativity from school personnel really affect my kids (and us, as well). My older son became a target for bullies (teachers are always unhappy with him and the other kids picked him up as a target- it got really bad even after we started medication- a change to a charter school did wonders).

again- even if medication is the right thing for your daughter, that is only a small part of the picture. Its interesting that you don't see issues in other settings. There maybe something about that school environment that is just very challenging for your daughter.

Cortnie - posted on 04/27/2012

she's right i did all that with my son, in the end you will be happy either way because you will know the results and have somewhere to start. wish i had done it earlier.

Cortnie - posted on 04/27/2012

Hi denise,
how do you get a kind. to do her reading ?
and her words when she refuses , she has no issues but being bullheaded.

Cortnie - posted on 04/27/2012

my son started showing signs of it at 3 yrs old that i noticed when he got all testing done 2 yrs ago there were signs i missed or though it was no big deal. so be on the safe side get it checked out for peace of mind.

hope all turns out well

Tania - posted on 01/15/2012

I would go to the "specialist" and let them test her. They ask information from teachers, parents etc. Look at their report and then you get a feel for what they are saying. Then decide. I would change a lot of things first before I try meds. There are some nice sites on the internet to help you look at her diet, sleep routine, routine in general, herbal products and just to understand what it is all about. If you have done everything else and there is no improvement and she is asked to sit in a formal class and is not coping academically according to her ability and not because a teacher is not willing to work with a child that is little more hyper than some... I would then only look at meds again.