uncontrolable 4yearold daughter what can i do to find out if she has ADHD?

Question

My daughter from birth to now which is 4years old has been hyperactive going from morning noon till night she never stops. What ideas do you have for checking to see if she has ADHD she has no concentration can't sit still for more than 2mins when asked to do something just ignores me, picks and annoys her 3year old step sister as she winges every time my daughter goes near her so makes my daughter worse. Just don't know what else to do about it.

Answer 1

consult a doctor...they have this guide used to diagnose ADHD

Answer 2

As a mother of a child with ADHD I understand you dilema. Get an appointment with a developmental psychologist, they are the best in this area, because they can evaluate developmental or learning issues that are effected by ADHD. There is a series of tests for your daughter, along with asking you to fill out some questionaires. A good Doctor will come up with specific techniques for you and your child especially at this stage it's important, early intervention can really help.

My son who is now 13, was provisionally diagnosed at 3, the final diagnosis was made at 5 years of age. The behavorial therapy techniques made a huge difference. Working with an experienced doctor makes all the difference. Don't just go by a pediatrician only. The developmental psychologist will do more than just prescribe medication. Behavorial therapy, coping techniques and medication all work best together. It's a disability, you have to give your child the best skills for dealing with it in addition to medical intervention if necessary.

It does get better I promise, it is frustrating to see your child having trouble coping with the world we live in because they can't focus. Our developmental psychologist explained it to me that really at this stage for her it's like if you were stuck in a small room surrounded by constantly ringing phones and you have no idea which one to pickup first or what to do they are all urgent, it's frustrating for then just as it is for you. It also effects the way other children treat them or react to them because they pick up off this energy.

I wish you all the best. You may even ask the developmental psychologist about parental support groups, sometimes it helps to know your not alone and other parents are experiencing the same thing.

The very fact you are worried about it and not in denial that she might have a problem shows that you are willing to get her the help she needs, which shows she will get on the right track. When I was working in administration at a private school there were so many parents who had blinders, would not consider an evaluation, etc. that only hurts the child in the long run.

Answer 3

I'm a mother whose child was diagnosed when he was 3 years old and is now 12. I have taken him to child psychologists and many different doctors who have all made the same diagnosis.

ADHD is a very difficult subject for some to hear or talk about, alot of people who are uneducated about this like to blame it on poor parenting or label the child as a brat or what else. To have a child with this diagnosis, it takes a very strong and patient parent.

My best offer I can suggest is to seek medical attention for her and have her evaluated, if you're not happy with your first visit there are several other doctors out there. If the drugs scare you from getting her treated there are several other options available, for example diet, herbal remedies, etc. There is also a great website for kids or parents whose kids have ADHD or ADD it is www.chadd.org . They can offer all kinds of information for you.

Also for future references if your child is diagnosed and later begins school, you might want to ask the school about an IEP which offers the child more one on one help in school.

I wish you the best of luck and remember keep your patience.

Answer 4

Give her a cup of coffee with splenda (No sugar!) and see if she calms down. Stimulants work just the opposite on an ADHD child, Ritalin and the other drugs used to treat ADD/ADHD are stimulants too.
I used 'caffeine therapy' with my oldest child who was diagnosed with ADHD instead of the more traditional drugs because of the side effects. I'd give him a cup of coffee in the morning which he loved since he thought he was a big boy drinking coffee with mom and Mt. Dew or Dr. Pepper (high caffeine content) during the day. I get more compliments on how well he behaves then with my other two children. He's able to concentrate in school (just made AB Honor Roll again) and he has a lot of friends. ADHD interferes with their social skills most of the time.
The only way you can know for sure is to take her to a doctor that specializes in childhood psyciatric care.
It could be that she's just a normal 4 year old little girl. Raising an AHDH child isn't the easiest thing in the world but if she is, work with her and not against her. I've been known to take my oldest outside and have him run to burn off excess energy (before we discovered how caffeine affected him) and I always tried to occupy him during times when most ADHD kids go haywire, like waiting at a doctors office, going to the grocery store.. etc. They do need more indivdual attention but they're worth it.
It's enough to make you crazy sometimes that's for sure. My friends' son has ADHD and her family doctor told her that her purpose on earth must be to be his mother because everyone else would have killed him by now. Believe it or not, it's more rewarding to be a parent to a special child like them.
Good luck to you and your daughter (s).

Answer 5

Definitely talk with your pediatrician. Don't be too quick to label her and put her on drugs though. Your Dr. will be able to help you find out where your daughter's struggles stem from and how to best help her.

You are right to be asking these questions and finding solutions for her now. It will be so much better for her to get this under control BEFORE she starts school.

If she does not have any disorders, she may just be a very active, energetic person. She may need lots and lots of physical excursion and perhaps less sugar and food dyes. You can find a lot of help on the Internet to try different experiments with eliminating foods from her diet to see if that may help.

Here is one link of hundreds I found http://www.cspinet.org/nah/3_00/diet_behavior.html

I typed in "food behavior children" into google and got tons.

Hope you find answers soon, you are a good parent for not just "letting it go"

God bless,
Mom of 5 with another on the way

Answer 6

My daughter is like that too. She's turning 5 in March and I'm planning to speak to her pediatrician about her behavior when we go for her physical. My younger daughter is 1 and a half and she can sit still longer than my older one.

I know how tiring it is when you have a child that just won't stop...the nonstop talking alone is enough to drive you crazy. I hope the doc has an answer for me when I take my daughter, and I hope you can find a solution for yours too.

Answer 7

Why hasn't your pediatrician done anything about it? She is 4 now and I am sure she's been there plenty of times and he/she should have noticed her behavior. Talk with him/her about this behavior. I have a four year old but she doesn't pick on others or is hyper active, she is bossy and strong willed but she minds and does what I ask for the most part. She is my first and only for now. Anyways check with your pediatrician and discuss natural remedies before giving her ridalin or anything like that. I have some good friends whose son is autistic and they give him Supernuthera vitamins to help him be calm. Their pediatrician suggested this before going to the chemical based meds...

*edit* to the nurse, my best friend's son was diagnosed with ADHD at 5 and a half. That's like saying you can't diagnose autism till a child is 7. Some kids are ultra hyperactive it's called adhd. Thanks for the thumbs down...

Answer 8

Sorry to say, but this sounds more like a parenting/discipline issue rather than an ADHD issue. For a true diagnosis of ADD or ADHD, you would have to have her referred to specialists - to a neurologist for a brain scan, there would also have to be chemical, nutritional and hormonal analysis done, and a psych. consult regarding the behaviours and testing of same.
For good and current info. check out a book by Dr. Lawless; I'm sorry, I don't recall the name.

Answer 9

ADHD can not be diagnosed in a child until they are about 7 years old. She sounds like a normal 4-year old who needs some discipline.

Answer 10

Okay, first- what 4 year old doesn't have adhd? And second, just take her to the pediatrician, they know what to do.

Answer 11

Read her the Great Gatsby. Read the entire novel in one sitting and if she can't tell what kind of car daisy drove in chapter 7 . . . She's got ADHD