Grandson just got diagnosed with ADD. What can I do to help?

Question

What is it, exactly? Can he get over it? He went to preschool. The teacher is a 17 year veteran and very tough. even homework for 4yo's. Today, she dx'd the boy with ADD, because he did not immediately obey her.

This boy is 4yo, 5 in Oct. He was doing nicely in daycare, listening and participating, but has not been in daycare for about one year. Is this mental retardation?

Answer 1

ADD is attention defecit disorder- it is usually combined with a hyperactivity problem, ADHD, or attention defecit hyperactivity disorder. Kids with this have a hard time focusing and staying on task. However, you can't really diagnose ADHD properly until the kids are 6yrs old, and the FDA has not approved any treatment of it for kids under 6 (although many doctors will prescribe it anyway). The parents should take him to a doctor to have him tested. And then get a second opinion on top of that.

This happened to me, when I put my 4yr old in a montesorri school. The teacher kept insisting that he had ADHD and needed to be medicated- and while she's been teaching a long time and was running the school- my general feeling is that if you can't handle a hyperactive 4yr old you shouldnt be teaching. We took him to the doctor, who said he was simply not mature enough to be in school yet, and to try again next year. I kept him home after that and there's been a huge change.

It helps to make sure there is a lot of stability and structure in the home, and that the kids have a set schedule they adhere to. Consistency is very important! If switching to a different teacher or keeping him home for a while isn't an option, try to make home as much like the school environment as possible- have the same rules and consequences. Also cut down on sugar and caffeine. Omega 3 fish oil also helps with the focus- there's a lot in salmon and you can also buy supplements at GNC.

I do not suggest putting him on medication until he is older, because the country is on an ADHD craze and wants to medicate what seems like EVERYONE... but if more than one doctor says it's necessary you should consider one of the nonstimulant drugs, like strattera.

I hope this helps. You can look at this site, and there are plenty of others, too: http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/adhd.htmlhttp://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/adhd.html

Good luck!

Answer 2

This is a case of an ego-maniac preschool teacher who has no business making a diagnosis that only a physican can make. God bless you for your patience because I likely would have slapped the stupid right off of her. I would say it's more a case of his not being used to a daycare environment. Also, I'm hearing reports from teachers everywhere that kids are just hyper in general. The change in season affects them, the tides and change in the moon affects them, etc. It's not just your grandson, I can assure you, however he may just need a little time to readjust. If he's not like this at home and only disobeys at daycare then I'd say have a long talk with him and tell his teacher what she can do to assist him in the reintegration into preschool. I'd seriously consider taking him elsewhere though. It sounds as if she's not going to be the loving, patient type of teacher he needs, 17 year veteran or not......

FYI - It's also illegal for a teacher to make a medical diagnosis.

Answer 3

Only a medical professional can dx a child with anything. A Educational Professional can however suggest that this may what the problem is. 4 is a tad bit young to dx but not unheard of.
Some children as the reach adulthood notice that their attention gets better,
ADD or ADHD is a mental disorder that causes the child to not be able to pay attention like other child their age. They have a hard time sitting still in class, at the dinner table. They are able however to hyper focus on TV, this is because the TV is consistently moving. It can be medicated by using a stimulant. What happens is that the brain of these children starts to fall asleep and the mind wanders away from what is taking place, so by adding a stimulant that child is able to focus on their environment.
ADD is sometimes caused by a food allergy. Children with ADD are often accident prone because they do not have the for thought to think about what they are doing. ADD children are often very creative.
You can help your grandchild by getting down to his level when talking to him, use his name when speaking to him to make sure that he is paying attention. Look into his eyes when speaking with him, and make sure he is looking at you. Have him repeat what you are asking of him, and don't give him a big long list of instructions, one or two at a time.
Hope that helps.

Answer 4

I would not necessarily take that as a diagnosis. If you have real concerns consult an expert and get private testing done. I think most children at this age would look like ADD, but the brain is simply not mature enough yet to do what is expected.

I would never hang that diagnosis on one so young, when there is so much variability between children so far as their attention span goes. The meds they give are essentially, speed, and IMHO, I think it delays their ability to form inner strategies to focus and pay attention, but it DOES make them easier to handle.

So, in response to the question: offer to pay for independent testing if you have real concerns, I think classroom teachers are not allowed to even *make* the diagnosis, if they play by the rules of our school district. The other thing you can do is encourage the parents to not allow television or video/computer games until at least age 12 or so, when the normal neural connections are largely made and set.

Answer 5

Who diagnosed him? Does the school have a plan of action in place (usually called an IEP in pub. sch.) to help him? Inquire about what teacher is doing to give him instruction that benefits him best and takes into account his learning style. Don't automatically go for meds because that's not always the answer and it usually takes a while to find the right dosgae.I'm a teacher who has seen both (+) and (-) to meds. I would google ADHD and read as much as possible. It manifest itself in people differently. Some kids can't sit down while others can't get started on ANYTHING. So it's not just a fancy word for a hyper kid who won't obey.

Answer 6

Excuse me but the last time I checked teachers are trained in the medical field. They may know signs of ADD but for diagnosing it they can't do that. Not obeying someone doesn't mean that a person has ADD. I'd ask his doctor about it. He would be able to help you with this subject better. Remember: according to "professionals", a young child's attention span is 1 minute for every year they are. Please don't jump the gun, it just may that your 4 year old grandson is just being a 4 year old. It's hard to sit still at that age and to keep their attention.

Answer 7

First thing you can do to help, is to tell your son or daughter (presuming that the child is with his parent) that a "teacher" cannot diagnose ADD.

Also, many school psychologists over diagnose the condition.

See the child's physician for a referral to the appropriate professional for a complete evaluation.

If it is not really ADD - you still may need to encourage help to better socialize the child, and pay attention. and stuff like that.

I am not a professional... but, neither is the teacher.

Answer 8

Because she thinks she knows the ropes she could be labeling the baby without cause. let a Doctor do that and what you can do and should do is back the baby up every way possible. Sometimes the rookies are more willing to work with youngsters. You should keep an eye on her!

Answer 9

Only a neurologist can diagnose if a child is ADD or ADHD. Most teachers will tell you this because they don't want to handle the child and their personalities, I know I was told by teachers that my son was ADHD since kinder garden by the third grade I took him to a neurologist and in fact he was. They stick the kids on meds but you might have to go through a few different kinds just to see what works best for the child, and yes they can grow out of it. But don't take the teachers word for it take him to a specialist to get it properly diagnosed.

Answer 10

The problem seems to have more to do with the preschool than the ADD. Get the kid a better teacher. You'll see him improve with the right instruction. He may get better, and he may not. He needs someone that can help him channel his energy.