My son has been "diagnosed" as ADHD by his preschool teacher, is it too early to tell & medicate?

Question

My son and I have gone through a big transation in the last 6 months, moving in with my mom, out of the area where he was close to his father, and I have returned to school full time. He is at a new school and has transitioned well, except for the teacher says she thinks he has ADHD because he has a problem sitting still during certain portions of the day. He loves to sit and read books, do music time, and their dance class, but sometimes wants to run around when he's supposed to be sitting. He has been at this new school for about 3 months now, and I think he's just settling into his new environemnt, testing the waters as kids to. He is 5, and will be in Kindergarten next year, so is it too early to diagnose him with ADHD, and is medication the answer now, or would it be better to wait?

Answer 1

A teacher can't diagnose, and he sure doesn't sound it to me! It sounds like more of a training issue. He's been through a lot, and sometimes 5 is just too young to have to sit all day.

Answer 2

I am sorry but his teacher isn't qualified to make that kind of diagnosis. She can suggest that you have him checked out by his Dr. but not diagnose a medical problem. From what you are describing, sounds like a typical 5 y/o to me. I would take him to his Dr., tell him what the teacher said, and then take things from there. Observe him at home as well. If he can sit still for long periods of time focused on one thing, then more than likely he isn't ADHD. Some teachers think that kids should come into the classroom, sit down and shut up, no questions asked. If any child strays from that, they want to diagnose ADHD and have the child medicated. Don't get me wrong, meds work great for a child that actually is ADHD. I have a cousin that had/has it. He's in his 20's now, but OMG when he was little, he would scratch, bite, break things.......he was a little terror. He needed it badly and it helped him greatly. He was able to focus and do better in school. But if I am not mistaken, he wasn't diagnosed until he was 7-8 y/o. I really hope that this helps you in some way. Good luck!!!

Answer 3

It could be that he is just "settling in"... there is usually a "honeymoon" period when a child starts preschool. The first while that they are there, they tend to exhibit their best behavior- then after they get comfortable in their new surroundings, you start seeing the child that the parents see at home. All the things you mentioned in his life that have been drastic changes would definitely contribute to behavior changes. A word of advice- even very experienced preschool teachers, who have been doing this a long time (who may be correct in their "diagnosis") can NOT diagnose your child. She may recommend that you seek a doctor's opinion, but in no way should she tell you that her thought is that your child may have a disorder. Unless she is medically trained as a child psychologist (but then why would she be in such a low-paying job?), she does not have the ability to give your child a definitive diagnosis. I don't say all this against her intelligence or experience, because I too am a preschool teacher, but just to let you know the limits of her professionalism. Anyway, if you are concerned that your son may meet the criteria for ADHD, take him to his pediatrician to get their professional opinion. Yes, he can be given a diagnosis at this age, and yes, medication is an option. You just want to research all the options available, so that you can make the best, informed choice for your child's needs. You can also find out the criteria for ADD/ADHD from the DSM 4 (just look it up on the web). Hope this helps!

Answer 4

I wouldn't take her word for it. You've gone through a large transition recently and he's only 5 after all. You say he can sit and read books and stay still at some times but not others. This generally means they're not really ADD/ADHD. I've done extensive research on this for my Problems of Society class and we're the leading country in ADD/ADHD diagnoses. Other countries have no where near the numbers we do...and rarely ever medicate. There have been studies showing where a teacher suggests ADD/ADHD parents immediately forget how their child can pay attention when they WANT to and only remember when they don't pay attention. If a child can pay attention if he's interested and only doesn't when he isn't that into the topic then he's not ADD/ADHD he's human and a child. I wouldn't be worried at all unless you begin noticing an inability to concentrate on anything or their ped. mentions something without your prompting. Doctors who hear that teachers have suggested ADD/ADHD are immensely more likely to diagnose as such and getting this diagnosis reversed is sooo hard. If you are worried though go into your pediatrician and ask for a full check up without mentioning the ADD/ADHD. They should be able to at least see a couple of signs within that time frame. Good luck with your son and please think things through before you just dope him up. I am not however advocating not giving him medication if he truly does have it.

Answer 5

I was a preschool teacher, and I can tell you, no preschool teacher alone is qualified to make such a diagnosis. Five year old boys are active. You should definitely discuss this with your doctor before taking her word for it, but in my opinion, it's okay to tell her you want to wait and see. If he's not harming people, this shouldn't be a problem.
As a teacher I was always hesitant to suggest ADHD for one so young. It has a lot to do with maturity. Developmentally speaking, not by age.
Consider as well that maybe your son's teacher just hasn't figured out how to deal with him. Assess the program. Are there a lot of freechoice activities? Are the children expected to sit quietly for large amounts of time? Are they getting enough outside play time?
From the perspective of a parent, I'd say wait and see. You know your son and know there is a lot going on in his little life. Many teachers will rush to an ADHD judgment for lack of a better idea. This happened with my son last year as a six year old in Kindergarten, but his first grade teacher says No Way! (So did we - he's not diagnosed ADHD).
As for medication, do your research if it comes to that. There are some pretty awful side effects to some of those drugs (depression, weight loss, decreased growth).

Answer 6

Take your child to a doctor, not because his preschool teacher diagnosed him, but only when you have a concern that he may have ADHD. Teachers are so quick to say kids have ADHD, when the real problem is the teacher has too many children in the classroom and not enough help. If a doctor tells you that he has ADHD and recommends medication do as much research as you can, get second opinions because, medication can have an adverse affect on you child.

Answer 7

Preschoolers aren't supposed to be able to sit still for very long. I would look at the school's schedule- are they expecting too much from the kids? What percentage of the kids does the teacher think have ADHD?

Also remember that teachers can't diagnose anything. If he's fine at home he probably doesn't have a problem, but the school might.

Answer 8

I hate when pre-school teacher's think they have the answer to everything (my old boss was the same way)it seems like now a days schools and teachers lable just about every kid with add or adhd, and most kids do not have it. People are in such a hurry for kids to grow up, that they forget they ARE kids. Your son is at the age where he isn't going to sit down and stay seated for a lond period of time, all the time. Some kids are curious, and just want to be moving around and seeing things. My boss used to say the same things to parents, I think because she was actually lazy, and didn't want to take the time to let each child be a seperate individual.

Answer 9

I used to teach preschool, and am now a parent. I can tell you that while she may mean well, and may have seen it before- SHE IS NOT QUALIFIED TO MAKE THAT ASSESSMENT! At 5, a child will have behavioral changes out of the blue anyway- the structure of kindergarten and settling into his new life may bring about the changes that reassure you that he is not. I have seen ADHD kids. They are not necessarily easy to spot. Keeping a log of your childs concerning behaviors and his reactions to punishment or daily stresses can help your pediatrician evaluate him. Even then, I would still get a 2nd opinion. She means well, but he is too young to diagnose by someone who most likely only completed 1 semester of child development courses to get her job. A kindergarten teacher will be able to help you with signs and will watch for you, and then present to your Dr.

Boys are boys- not everyone embraces that. Be on your sons team and let him be himself. You will know if there are reasons to be concerned. Trust yourself. Good luck!

Answer 10

I would absolutely wait on the medication if at all. Children, especially boys, are hyper and very active. The transition could be disturbing for him, so just make sure to give him some play time everyday and when he's old enough to read, try getting him to read books. That has been a huge help for lots of people without medicating. The effects of medication can turn children into walking zombies. Not what you would want for your son. Good luck