Who here thinks getting a 3 year old tested for ADHD is just plain WRONG!?

Question

Children are NATURALLY hyper. It is your job as a parent to teach them how to focus and do learning teachniques that help them get involved. I WAS ALWAYS hyper as a child and still am. My childhood doctor tried to force my mom into getting me tested at 5 years of age. She refused and said I was hyper, because that's who I was. Low and behold, I'm now 21, pregnant with my first child and still hyper. BOTH OF MY PARENTS have high energy and are very hyper people. It doesn't automatically diagnose me with ADHD...also, I do sometimes have a hard time focusing, HOWEVER with self-discipline and training from my mother, I've learned how WITH NO MEDICATIONS. THANK YOU MOTHER for never forcing me to take a drug that subdues who I really am. I think that having a 3 year old placed on Ritalin for being hyper and "not-focusing" is absolutely bull...i can't believe parents are falling for this drug-laced society, where everyone is place on drugs for some new "condition"

It is just a cop-out for parents who want to make their children robots so it is easier on them.

Answer 1

I think it is definitely a cop out for a lot of parents who don't want to take the time to discipline their children. Hey, drugs are a lot easier than consistency. However, I don't think it's completely off the wall to test a 3 year old. Yes, kids are hyper and they should be allowed to be hyper and crazy sometimes. But there is a difference between hyper and ADHD which can be a real issue for some people. It's great that you were able to maintain control without drugs, but that doesn't always work for some people. I have a day care in my home and one of the children I watch I'm very concerned about. I feel that she is showing some ADD signs and she is only a year and a half. Her issues go beyond basic toddler hyperness, not to mention that her mother has been diagnosed with ADD and takes medication to help her control it. And I've seen the mom when she hasn't been on her meds and it's a little frightening. So, yes we are an over drugged society, but that doesn't mean that everyone can maintain their disabilities or issues without meds. Some people are not able to function without them.

Answer 2

OK I see that you are only 21 and have not had a child yet. So speaking out for my child who is ADHD, Atustic 6 year old and has sever food allergies. I could not pass this up. YOu don't know why some parents have put thiere children on medication. If my son did not take his meds the Autisum would be worse than what it is. Yes I agree that ritlan has a bad name and most people don't use it. There are other meds out there for ADHD. My son is on a very lose does of Addral and it helps wounders with the autisum. Autism is now being noticed more and more these days and is helped by the ADHD. That is how we found out about my child. I use to think the way you do. But I have a new perspective on it. 3 is young to be taking meds. And there are the few people out there who put children on things just to be doing it. But now days you have to see a psychiatrist more than one time and keep seeing them if your child is on meds. You don't just go and say ok I have a ADHD child give me meds. No there is testing to be done and it needs to be done right!

Answer 3

My brother should have been tested years ago. If he had been he might have a different life. He is 38 and still hyper and can't cope with life. Anything that goes wrong isn't his fault and getting hyper and acting out is his way of dealing with his adult problems.
I agree with you about putting kids on drugs, it shouldn't be a way out for the parents. Getting tested on the other hand will help parents know what is wrong with their child and can take the appropriate action to ensure the child is properly cared for and raised.
If you don't know what the problem is, how can you help your child? I would get the child tested every year to ensure that it is definitely ADHD and not just a phase the child is going through.

Answer 4

What was hyperness labeled as 100 years ago. Were their any medications for this behavior? I don't think so. Why is it that if an individual does not act as how society thinks they should, their is a problem. When my son was a toddler, he was very hyper. I took him to the doctor and immediately he was labeled. The doctor wanted to put him on medication, which we tried for about a month. I was very against it but my husband and I had different opinions. My son had headaches, and the medicine seemed to make him worse. I understand that their are different dosage levels, but I decided to take him off the med immediately. We have since learned to deal with his behavior on different levels and have taken the time to work with him. My son is now going on 13 and is doing well. The hardest thing about parenting is persistance and insistance. Let your children know that they can count on you and that you follow through with situations. Spend as much time with them as you can. It is vitally important. Let them know that you are interested in their daily activities and involve them in yours. They will soon learn to pay attention to detail and focus their behavior where it should be focused.

Answer 5

I do! My sister was put on Ritalin and other drugs as early as 6 continuing on until she was 13 and they had unpleasant side effects. If my parents had actually spent some time with her or got her some therapy or tutoring instead of drugging her to the gills, she probably would have learned some coping skills instead of getting hooked on drugs and dropping out of school.

I find it laughable that the same parents who say "Don't do drugs" are the ones seeking out prescriptions like its the holy grail of parenting tools.
If your kid screams 24/7 and the doctors tell you he doesn't have a tumor or something, go ahead and drug him until you can figure out another way to modify the behavior, but don't rely on drugs for his whole childhood, or he may just continue the trend on his own with the help of some street dealer.

And its obviously understood if the kid has real problems, you do what your doctor tells you. The criticism is directed at parents who roll over for the first trend in parenting that comes along

Answer 6

I have seen extreme cases of ADHD where the child was totally unable to focus without drugs. However, as I said, those are extreme cases. Ritalin (and related drugs) are probably the most overprescribed drug in america. And it is impossible to tell if a 3 year old has ADHD - you're right, they are SUPPOSED to be that way! In our society, parents often look for the easiest way to solve their kids problems. If the kid is violent, you blame video games instead of disciplining him. If he's on drugs, blame peer pressure. And heaven forbid we should let them play with toy guns - then they may think it's okay to shoot people. Because apparently it's too much effort to teach them the difference between fantasy and reality. The ritalin craze is an extension of that. Parents don't want to deal with a child who has a lot of energy, and expects them to sit down and focus on something without being taught how.
If parents would take responsibility for their children, our society would be a much safer place for everyone.

Answer 7

I agree with you that giving a three year old drugs is just plain wrong. I do not however see a problem with having the child tested (by a skilled professional) to see if he's just naturally hyper or if he might need special training. I can't see the harm in starting exercises to help him concentrate/focus early. Not everyone has a mother who can handle things as well as your mother obviously has. Some parents need the help. But not drugs.

Answer 8

I think I'm in the middle of the road here. I have 2 adult daughters. Both were high energy babies, but by the time my younger one was 18 months, I knew it was more than just active. She was hyper-active. I did not need to have her tested, but I did need to find great pre-schools that could deal with it without medication.

My ADD daughter now has a child who is very active. She is not ADD just very active.

How do I know? Because at 2 years, she can play by herself for 5 minutes even though she is much more active than almost all 2 yo boys.

Answer 9

I think society doesn't want our children to have hyper kids anymore. Everyday i see more and more overweight children and it's sad. there's no way a 9 year old could way as much as i do !!! how do they get this way! A teacher wanted to put my litlle brother on meds for adhd but he has straight a's. My sister was on meds for this and the all she did was sleep and become depressed so she now refuses to take any meds like this and now she's the same likable person she used to be.

Answer 10

the sooner the better. 3 years maybe too early to medicate, but not for testing. i am 35, and i know that if i would've given treatment early enough, maybe now i wouldn't have to take so many medications. listen, the brain works different than the rest of the body. i did not believed in it either, but after giving it a try, i realized that i acted and felt out of control and now i can enjoy the day without freaking out. i know its frustrating, but some problems have to be taken care of before they get worse. ADHD is a condition that can carry other much worse problems like OCD, and learning difficulties. and anyways, my nephew was tested because he was having behavioral problems and his dad is bipolar, and he had a low grade of ADHD, was put on treatment for a little while and now he is doing so much better. he doesn't need it anymore and his friends in school don't call him "crazy" anymore.