What are the most common signs of AD/HD? How could I know if my 3 and a half year old has it?

Question

I was reading a book yesterday called the discipline miracle and I was reading about kids with AD/HD and it kinda scared me. I dont want to get ahead of myself. I want to understand better before I go to a docotor and make a big deal out of this.
Any help out there

Answer 1

I strongly agree with the first three answers given to you.

I am an adult and have had ADHD since I was a child. ADHD tends to run in my family. My father was never given medication and now has learned ways to work around the disorder, and is very successful. I on the other hand, was given medication and now regret that my parents gave it to me. I wasn't given the chance to work through it on my own with out depending on medication my entire life.

I now have a four year old whom one of my doctors claims has ADHD. However, with all the advice from doctors and with knowing myself, it is just way too early to tell.Most children start displaying signs when they are in school. There is really no way to diagnose it before hand without possibly mis-diagnosing.

I have a friend who has a child she believes has ADHD, who is 4 years old. She (against mine and others advise) started her child on medication. This is not something that you want to do. You can tell that her child is on medication and he basically is not acting like a normal four year old. He is very lethargic at times and then at other times violent, which is not his nature. The mother has 3 children under 4 and opted for medication because it is easier on her. I don't agree with her stance and It is really sad to see.

Also, one more thing that is very important. Never use ADHD as an excuse for a child's wrong behavior. This will make the disorder alot worse and your child will be very hard to deal with. I personally would not even mention anything about it around your child. I hope my advice helps you and Good Luck! God Bless You!

Answer 2

We all think our kids have something like ADHD at 3 years old because 3 to even 8 years old can be a hyper time. Kids want to be active and don't usually want to sit down to learn. They have to keep busy. Most people think my son has ADHD but he doesn't, it is just normal for kids that age to be more active. If you suspect that your child has ADHD (not just that he is choosing not to listen and wants to be running around a lot) then talk to his Dr about it and they can probably order an evaluation to be done by a child psychologist. They do over label kids today though so he could be labeled that just to start him on meds even if he doesn't have it. If you are just having problems with discipline I recommend the book "Incredible Years" It is very helpful when it comes to understanding children 2-8 but it can come in handy for even older.

Answer 3

Almost all toddlers act like they have ADHD! Don't sweat it at this point.

You can do things to reduce the chance he'll develop it. Limit TV time, especially programs that bounce from one topic to the next quickly (yes, Sesame Street and The Wigges fall into this category). Excessive soy consumption in infancy and toddlerhood may be linked with a higher incidence of ADHD.

Toddlers and preschoolers have short attention spans and TONS of energy. If you notice that your child seems to have less attention and more energy than his same-aged peers, that might be an indication. Or, the child may simply be a high-energy kid, which is not the same thing as ADHD.

Raising Your Spirited Child has a ton of information about dealing with tempermental differences, and also information on teh difference between an energetic child who notices things others don't (therefore looking distracted often) and a kid with ADHD.

Answer 4

Try to answer these questions (My son has AD and the neurologist had me answer this questionnaire)

1.- he doesn´t pay attention to details, makes mistakes out of carelessness.
2.- He has difficulty in paying attention to small tasks or games
3.- He doesn´t follow instructions, or he doesn´t finish what he started.
4.- He has a hard time organizing his activities or tasks
5.- he seems distracted and sometimes doesn´t respond when you talk to him.
6.- He forgets things from one moment to another.
7.- He loses objects (even his favorite toys)
8.- He doesn´t like to take on challenging tasks, or finds them boring.
9.- he can´t stay still, when he is sitting he moves around in the chair or stands up constantly.
10.- He moves his hands and feet in excess
11.- he doesn´t measure risks (he can jump out the window and not measure the risk of death).
12.- He sometimes answers questions before you even finished asking them
13.- He interrupts other people to draw attention

Your son is still very little, but you have to keep an eye out for these signs, if you need more information these are some useful pages:

www.focusonadhd.com
www.ncgiadd.org

Attention deficit affects millions of people, if treated on time a child can grow to be a perfectly normal adult. The problem consists mainly in the lack of dopamine in the brain, with the correct treatment they should start to produce it by the time they are 14 or 15 years old.

Answer 5

hi, i have three young boys 9,6,and 5 my oldest was diagnosed with ADHD at age 6, a lot of the signs he had was talking constantly and quickly, hyperactivity,not just running around a lot but doing repetitive things like hitting his head on the door or running into the wall on purpose over and over again. we waited until he was in first grade to treat him with meds because before that we didn't feel it was necessary. a change in diet will also help. the Dr's say that both of my other children have it but the same thing i refuse to medicate until we have tried everything else first. and they are so young still. all children at that age have a short attention span. i wouldn't worry about it unless he is hurting himself because of his activeness. remember you don't want couch potato's, active kids are happy kids. just reduce TV, junk food, and processed foods, fresh meats and vegetables are the best. enjoy him. god bless.

Answer 6

Most behavior problems can be controlled by diet. Give it a try before the meds.....no sugars of any kind and no wheat. give him a week and lots of things to do for himself and then call your dr. if no changes. My nephews' 1/2 sister was born addicted to crack and her problems were completely controlled by diet. It's hard but wouldn't you rather have a kid that is hard to feed than some pill popping little monster. Meds take a long time to work and often change little.

Answer 7

At 3 1/2 it is too young to diagnose. It is perfectly normal for a 3 year old to go from thing to thing. They have short attention spans. Wait until your child is 5 or 6 to have him evaluated.

Answer 8

I think 3 1/2 is a little young to be worrying about ADHD. All kids that age are totally hyper. If they weren't, I would worry!

Answer 9

Your child is too young for a diagnosis. Most doctors (good ones anyway) won't even CONSIDER medication or a diagnosis until the child reaches school age.

Answer 10

your child is too young to diagnose