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

I am a teacher and I can tell you I am not qualified to diagnos ADHD - however since there really isn't a test for ADHD no one else really is either - the diagnosis is usually a collaberation of opinions of professionals who work with the child over time. Medication is not to be administered lightly. Be careful ! Your child is a little guy who likes to run around and play - I don't think that's so abnormal - observe the classroom for a day and make sure that there is plenty of playtime and not too much "seat -time" kids NEED to run around - it's a requirement! They are learning while they are playing. Since he does love stories that would tell me that he does have an attention span when he is interested in something. I would definitely take the diagnosis with a huge grain of salt.

Answer 2

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 3

Definitely too early to tell. There might be signs she is noticing, but he is a preschooler, and often these signs are the same as normal preschool behavior. Preschool is where they are learning to sit still and pay attention. Some kids can do this easily. For others (like my son!) it takes awhile. You may just have an active son, not a ADHD son. Please don't medicate this child! I would say if he enters kindergarten or 1st grade and is having major behavior problems or falls way behind, I would look into a formal diagnosis. And even then, I wouldn't medicate him until you've tried other options 1st.

Answer 4

there is a formula for diagnosing adhd...However some other problems can cause a misdiagnosis of adhd. Some of the top problems is family issues, new transitions, other health problems, sibling rivalry and the list can go on and on. My son was diagnosed at age 6 however he was in preschool for 2 years and it severely affected his learning and socialization skills. He couldnt transition from one thing to another( putting away toys and getting ready for lunch). we went the counseling route and found that what we were doing was correct. Although the problems were not solved. Finally in kindergarden his teacher agreed we had a problem that hindered his education along with the other children in his class. Thats when we went the med route. Start out with a psychologist if not for the behavior issues, for the family issues. Sometimes we as adults dont think that stress can affect our children but it can. He just moved away from his father, has to deal with a new teacher, new friends, getting used to a new house, and mom has a full plate too. Thats alot for an adult to handle let alone a child. i suggest seeing a psychologist. a psychologist can help the family as a whole get back on track. They can also correctly diagnose ADHD if it truly is adhd. The teacher is just seeing tendencies and that is what they go on. Take him to a psychologist ( if you dont know one ask your family doc and they can refer you to one) Once seeing a psychologist you can make an educated decision on his treatment.

Answer 5

As I read this, I found myself getting really irritated. I am currently a Kindergarten teacher and you need to know that a preschool or any other teacher does not have the authority to diagnose medical situations on your child.

Even If you asked her "Do you think my child as ADHD?", then she should have recommended that you take your child to see a doctor. Usually preschool is way too early to tell...its their first experience in school for heavens sake!

Even Kinder is too early to tell a lot of times. I would recommend working with your child nightly on behavior and also making sure he gets good nutrition for his breakfast before he goes to school. Alot of times parents give their child pop tarts or sugary cereal because its fast, but then they have a hard time focusing at school. Its funny, but I can always tell first thing in the morning who ate pop tarts...Just a thought.

Please do not medicate. Look into seeing a doctor and then look into counseling and so forth, not medicating a 5 year old. I have about 3 boys who are throwing fits everyday and bouncing off the walls, and I don't think they have ADHD, nor do I have the right to diagnose them. I think they need more exposure to school and more discipline at home. Kids will be kids and maybe the teacher needs to get them up and moving more!

Answer 6

THAT IS ABSURD!!!
If your child can sit still at activities he enjoys, he does NOT have ADHD!
He has been, and is still, undergoing tremendous upheaval in his life. With all the changes, he is expressing his distress by misbehaving. Even negative attention is attention of some sort.
I'd try to cuddle him a lot when you see him, say how much you love him, what a great guy he is, how smart he is, and what a good boy he is. Explain that you go to school because its really important to get a good education, but sometimes it is hard for Mommy to sit still, too; especially if it's something she's not too interested in. Tell him he should sit still at times like that, too, and that otherwise he may miss something really important!
The teacher is not qualified to make such a diagnosis; she just doesn't know how to deal with him.
I'm sure things will improve for him once he knows you aren't abandoning him. (I know you're not, but he doesn't see it that way). Even 15 minutes playing, reading a book or some other activity you are both engaged in (not TV or video games) will help.

Answer 7

STOP!---

Children this young with those types of transitions should be expected to have these issues.

A TEACHER IS NOT QUALIFIED TO DIAGNOSE ADHD!
If there are signs she should SUGGEST your son for testing by a professional!

Google ADHD symptoms and if these are things that you go
AH-Ha about I would suggest further testing.
ADHD is OVER diagnosed! And you need to know that most of these medications stunt the child's growth. Learn what you can and don't look for these symptoms in your child because everyone can exhibit these symptoms at one time or another.

I know it can be hard when a teacher insists tha your child has ADHD, my son (with learning disabilities), his 5th grade teacher would not let up even after I was forced to have him evaluated again, and because of this she looked for any signs that proved her right. My son has had to fight that label for 2yrs now.
I also have a son with ADD so I do know how it presents.

Above all trust your instincts!

Answer 8

Teachers are not qualified or equiped to diagnose children, any diagnosis needs to come from a doctor. I would ask the teacher when she expects your son to sit, what she does to prepare him to succeed, how long is she asking him to sit, and what she does when he doesn't sit. I am a preschool teacher and have been for many years. 5 year olds do not sit well, especially 5 year old little boys. In my experience children with ADHD have many times that they can not just sit, they do not have impulse control most of the time If you too are worried please have a doctor check him out. Please look on the ADD/ADHD web site for a check list of behaviors and remember that these are extreme children.

Answer 9

As others have pointed out, a teacher is not qualified to make a diagnosis -- of any kind! I am a former preschool teacher, and I can tell you that children need to MOVE to LEARN (especially boys)! The problem is not your child; the problem is the teacher and the environment she has set up, including the schedule and the activities. Find a program that is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. You must be your child's strongest advocate.

Answer 10

I am a preschool assistant and I think it is. Wait until he enters kindergarten. Let the Kindergarten teacher know what you and the preschool teacher discussed. All the things he has been through in the last six months is a lot for a preschool age child to handle. He has had a lot to adjust. He needs time to get use to not having his father around him, living in a new place and being in a new school. That's a lot for a child that age to grasp in such a short time.