ADHD in a 3 year old and ideas for discipline techniques?

Question

I've been told that my son is in the high range when tested for ADHD, and he does seem to fit the bill with regards to the symptoms, so I've been looking into it. I understand that children who have ADHD take longer to understand things and can't differentiaite what is and isn't unacceptable at times, and so they can be wrongly labelled 'naughty'. I've tried to find out information about treatments and therapy, but there is little to be found. I'd like to know how to go about getting my son to understand his unacceptable behaviour. The usual discipline techniques do not seem to register with my son at all. I've tried time out on the step, sending him to bed, taking away toys, positive reinforcement with a star and treat system, the works! But nothing seems to work with him. What techniques should I use to get through to him with regards to discipline? I've read that telling off a child with ADHD will make things worse, so what should I do? It's so hard getting through to him.

I tried the naughty spot and used it from the age of two up until a few weeks ago. He doesn't use the time out to think about his behaviour he thinks it's a great place to sing and bang his feet on the floor. The nursery can't deal with him and the school teacher who has him on Wednesday afternoons, has told me that unless his behaviour changes dramtically then he will be kept back a year and will not be entered for school in September. I put him to bed when I've come to the end of my patience and didn't want to lose my temper with him, but he jumps on his bed. The star treatment worked really well for about a month and although I still carry it on, he has said to me that he doesn't want any stars and is not interested in any kind of treat at all. I'm concerned that he is getting more and more agressive and has started bullying the other kids recently in nursery. He doesn't understand that it's wrong and he's even started hitting me now and being awful to everyone wherever he goes

I wouldn't dream of giving him any kind of medication. I'm a firm believer on natural therapies and I don't take medication myself unless I'm in a bad bad way. I don't think that drugs are the way forward. Good diet, exercise and rest are the key to good health. I was asked about my son's diet and they thought it was brilliant. He gets sweets once a week as a treat and eats fruit and veg every day and I avoid sugar where possible. Diet can play a role in controlling hyperactivity but his diet didn't need changing. I'm not bothered at all by his hyperactivity. I love energetic kids who have a real zest for life. My problem is that his behaviour is simply dreadful and his agression needs calming. I've got a baby due in 4 months time and I'm scared that if I can't find a technique that really works, then he might get agressive with the newborn. I think he's frustrated because he isn't doing as well as his nursery chums. He struggles to follow instructions and so he can't do what they can

Answer 1

I read the book, THE CARE AND FEEDING OF INDIGO CHILDREN by
Doreen Virtue, Ph.D.
I took a look at it,and I found that I could strongly relate to this
stuff. Therefore, I bought the book. The more I read it, the more I believed that Indigo Child seemed like a label for children with learning disabilities and AD/HD. I feel that New Agers created this label because of the skyrocketing increase of children with AD/HD. The problem is that the AD/HD condition is not just exclusive to children.
There has been an increase of diagnosing AD/HD in adults. Some were diagnosed AD/HD at 60 yrs old. I do not
believe in Indigo generation nor the Indigo label itself. The label is not going to help a child with problems with learning to read and communicate as well as learn. Special education helped correct my Dyslexic,Dyspraxic problems,and so I am a compensated Dyslexic,Dyspraxic As for the AD/HD, I really don't think it's a problem. I honestly feel that it's an alternative learning style that doesn't fit well with mainstream classroom.. I also feel that because of their extreme sensitivity, the wrong foods can affect them in adverse ways. I also feel that the fluorescent lights in the classrooms can make them feel uncomfortable and can exacerbate AD/HD lexic symptoms. Fluorescent lights can make Scotopic Sensitivity worse. The fluorescent lights can make people with Scotopic Sensitivity have problems seeing black print on white paper due to reflection of the light on the paper.

Here are things in the book that I read that pertains to me and other Dyslexics as well as others with learning differences including Dyspraxia,Sensory Integration Disorder,
and AD/HD as well as visual spatial learners

page 100, Indigos may seem awkward or clumsy and may be labeled a
having delayed motor skill functioning (those are symptoms of Dyspraxia)

page 101, Talking and reading may also seem unnatural to Indigo
Children, who intuitively know that more accurate and honest
conversation is available through telepathy (speech delays/problems are early
warning signs of Dyslexia,Dyspraxia)

page 11, Indigo Children are exquisitely sensitive in many ways. They
may have been subject to taunts such as "You're too sensitive," yet
their sensitivity is a spiritual gift equivalent to a detecting
instrument. (that can be sensory integration disorder, sensory integration issues which are common in Dyslexics,Dyspraxics,and ADHDers
but highest in the autistic spectrum disorders)

page 172, Because right-brained people have such acute senses, they're
easily distracted. They can hear every little click of the school
clock's hand, and the high pitch of the fluorescent lighting.
(that can be Dyslexics,Dyspraxics,
ADHDers,and people with
autistic spectrum disorders)

page 97, one of the reasons why Indigo Children are so good at
manifesting is because they processing information primarily through
mental pictures. They are skilled visualizers and can easily develop a
photographic memory. They think and learn mainly in pictures
(Dyslexics,Autistics,and a lot of ADHDers
think mainly in pictures instead of words)

page 113, Sensitive Indigo Children aren't just affected by the
physical properties of their bedrooms; they;re also influenced by the
invisible nontangibles in their rooms. Music, lighting,and scent and
can make a big difference in your children's sleeping patterns,
moods,and energy levels.
(again....this can be sensory integration disorder,sensory integration issues
that are common in Dyslexia,Dyspraxia,
ADHD, but highest in the autistic spectrum
disorders)

page 6, Indigos are highly creative children,and think outside the box.
This thinking style has created many of the world's breakthrough
inventions
(this type of thinking is in Dyslexics,
Dyspraxics,ADHDers,and autistic spectrum disorders)

page171, Indigo Children, gifted children, who are labeled ADD or ADHD
and adult lightworkers are almost always rightbrain dominant. This
means that they interact with the world primarily with the right
hemisphere of their brain, which focuses upon visions and feeling and
relates to nonverbal studies such as art, music, math, philosophy,
psychology,and psychic arts. Right brain - dominant people can make
excellent writers and speakers, provided they learn how to translate
their mental pictures and strong internal feelings into the world.
(this can apply to Dyslexics,
Dypraxics,ADHDers,and people with autistic spectrum disorders)

I was a special ed student for 3 yrs in elementary school. If it wasn't for special education(motor skills therapy,auditory therapy,speech therapy,phonics training, I would always had severe problems with language processing and very poor motor skills because of my Dyslexia and Dyspraxia. I don't believe in the Indigo Child propaganda.
I believe that Indigo Child is an umbrella term for people with atypical neurological systems(AD/HDers,Dyslexics,
Dyspraxics,other Learning Disabled,
Aspergers,Autistics) like myself. They have always existed.
There is nothing new about people like us


It's not just ADHDers that take longer to understand things and are accused of being naughty. Not all ADHDers are like that either. Also Dyslexics and Dyspraxics can have those same problems. A lot of Dyslexics have problems sequences,organization,and short term memory in general because their problems with words.
Dyspraxics can too because of their planning/coordination problems. They do tend to have temper tantrums and emotional outbursts.

Dyslexia,Dyspraxia,ADHD tend to be comorbid with each other. Their symptoms overlap. The three conditions are connected to Omega 3 fatty acid defiencies. These people do tend to be highly emotional,sensitive. Sensory integration issues are common in people with those conditions.
The conditions do run in families. If you believe that your son has ADHD,checking for Dyslexia and Dyspraxia might help too. There are preschool and kindergarten warning signs too. If you know these,then you can get them early intervention and not wait for them to fail in elementary school to see if they have these problems.



Early Symptoms of Dyspraxia

The information below is taken from A Practical Manual for Parents and Professionals by Madeleine Portwood and the Developmental Dyspraxia Foundation UK with their kind permission. Full details of the research and profiles of Dyspraxic children can be found in 'A Practical Manual for Parents and Professionals' Behaviours 0 - 3 Years

"There are many early indications that a child is dyspraxic and a summary is shown below:

* Irritable and difficult to comfort - from birth
* Feeding difficulties: milk allergies, colic, restricted diet
* Sleeping difficulties: problems establishing routine, requires constant adult reassurance
* Delayed early motor development: sitting unaided, rolling from side to side: do not usually go through the crawling stage
* High levels of motor activity: constantly moving arms and legs
* Repetitive behaviours: head banging or rolling
* Sensitive to high levels of noise
* Continued problems with development of feeding skills
* Toilet training may be delayed
* Avoids constructional toys such as jigsaws and Lego
* Delayed language development: single words not evident until age 3
* Highly emotional: easily distressed, frequent outbursts of uncontrolled behaviour
* Concentration limited to 2 or 3 minutes on any task?

Summary of Behaviours 3 - 5 very High Levels of Motor Activity

* feet swinging and tapping when seated
* hands clapping or twisting
* unable to stay in one place longer than 5 minutes

Very Excitable

* voice loud and shrill
* easily distressed
* temper tantrums

Moves Awkwardly

* constantly bumping into objects and falling
* associated mirror movements, hands flap when running or jumping

Difficulty Pedaling Tricycle or Similar Toy

* Poor ground awareness
* no sense of danger, jump from inappropriate heights

Continue to be Messy Eaters

* often spill liquid from drinking cups
* prefer to use fingers to feed

Avoids Constructional Toys

* jigsaws
* building blocks (Lego)

Poor Fine Motor Skills

* pencil grip
* use of scissors
* immature drawings

Lack of Imaginative Play

* Do not enjoy 'dressing up' or playing appropriately in the home corner or Wendy House. - Limited creative play

Isolated in Peer Group

* prefers adult company

Laterality Still not Established

* problems crossing mid line Language Difficulties Persist
* children often referred to speech therapist

Sensitive to Sensory Stimulation

* high levels of noise
* dislike being touched or wearing new clothes

Limited Response to Verbal Instructions

* slower response time
* problems with comprehension

Limited Concentration

* tasks often left unfinished"
http://www.dyspraxiausa.org/symptoms_of_dyspraxia.html
http://www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/



If three or more of these warning signs exist, especially if there is dyslexia or AD/HD in the family tree, the child should be tested for dyslexia when the child becomes five years old. Also, phonemic awareness games and other reading readiness activities should be done daily during the preschool years.

* delayed speech (not speaking any words by the child's first birthday. Often, they don't start talking until they are two, two-and-a-half, three, or even older.)
* mixing up sounds in multi-syllabic words (ex: aminal for animal, bisghetti for spaghetti, hekalopter for helicopter, hangaberg for hamburger, mazageen for magazine, etc.)
* early stuttering or cluttering
* lots of ear infections
* can't master tying shoes
* confusion over left versus right, over versus under, before versus after, and other directionality words and concepts
* late to establish a dominant hand
May switch from right hand to left hand while coloring, writing, or doing any other task. Eventually, the child will usually establish a preferred hand, but it may not be until they are 7 or 8. Even then, they may use one hand for writing, but the other hand for sports.
* inability to correctly complete phonemic awareness task
* despite listening to stories that contain lots of rhyming words, such as Dr. Seuss, cannot tell you words that rhyme with cat or seat by the age of four-and-a-half
* difficulty learning the names of the letters or sounds in the alphabet; difficulty writing the alphabet in order
* Trouble correctly articulating R's and L's as well as M's and N's. They often have "immature" speech. They may still be saying "wed and gween" instead of "red and green" in second or third grade.
http://www.dys-add.com/symptoms.html


Preschool and Kindergarten Warning Signs of Dyslexia

What are the effects of dyslexia?
The impact that dyslexia has is different for each person and depends on the severity of the condition and the effectiveness of instruction or remediation. The core difficulty is with word recognition and reading fluency, spelling, and writing. Some dyslexics manage to learn early reading and spelling tasks, especially with excellent instruction, but later experience their most debilitating problems when more complex language skills are required, such as grammar, understanding textbook material, and writing essays.

People with dyslexia can also have problems with spoken language, even after they have been exposed to good language models in their homes and good language instruction in school. They may find it difficult to express themselves clearly, or to fully comprehend what others mean when they speak. Such language problems are often difficult to recognize, but they can lead to major problems in school, in the workplace, and in relating to other people. The effects of dyslexia reach well beyond the classroom.

Dyslexia can also affect a person’s self-image. Students with dyslexia often end up feeling “dumb” and less capable than they actually are. After experiencing a great deal of stress due to academic problems, a student may become discouraged about continuing in school.
http://www.interdys.org/FAQ.htm


DRD4 has been associated with ADHD in various studies. A variation of
it,DRD4 7R is found to be closely linked to ADHD and a behavior called
novelty seeking. The human gene study suggests that behavior now
considered inappropriate in a classroom may be related to behavior
that once helped humans overcome their environment. Approximately half
of children with ADHD have the 7R allele. It's suggested to occur
spontaneously from 10,000 to 40,000 years ago. The discovery
confirmed Thom Hartmann's theory of ADHD as being a hunter trait. He
wrote about in his book,THE EDISON GENE. It was his books that got me
to believe that ADHD is not a disorder that needs medication,but an
alternative way of being,thinking and learning.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/01/020109074512.htm
http://www.drugawareness.org/Archives/3rdQtr_2002/record0008.html
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/medicine/d65fc4522fa84010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html
http://www.ucihealth.com/News/Releases/ADHD-advantageousGene.htm

Also ADHD symptoms can be caused by other things and be misdiagnosed

Here is site that talks about 50 conditions that mimic ADHD. The top 6 are ones that are most overlooked 1.Hypoglycemia,2.Allergies,3.Learning Disabilities,4.Hyper/Hypothyroidism,5.Hearing and Vision problems,6.mild and high levels of lead
http://www.incrediblehorizons.com/mimic-adhd.htm

Multiple Causes of ADD/ADHD behavior:
Allergies & Sensitivities
Anxiety & Depression
Bipolar Disorder
Boy Behavior
Brain Defects
Caffeine
Career Choices
CAPD (Central Auditory Processing Disorder)
Child Abuse, Family Problems,Trauma
Creativity
Discipline Problems
Gifted & Bright
Hypoglycemia
Irresponsibility
Medication Side Effects
Modern Day Lifestyles
Mercury Poisoning
Nutritional Deficiencies
School & Teacher Problems
Sensory Integration Dysfunction
Sleep Deficits and Disorders
Temperament Differences / MBTI
Thyroid Conditions
Video Games & TV
Visual Thinkers
http://www.borntoexplore.org/causes.htm


I also show my LD ADHD Assessment,Dr. Levinson testing,and Veteran
Affairs Neurological/Neuropsychological testing for advocacy
purposes,to help raise awareness and understanding of what it's like
to have these conditions

http://astynaz.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album01


Raymond Andrews
member of International Dyslexia Association,Learning Disability
Association,The Dyslexia Foundation, National Association for the
Education of African American Children with Learning Disabilities and
donate to National Center of Learning Disabilities,Hello Friend/Ennis
Cosby Foundation and The National Center for Learning Disabilities

Answer 2

Adhd Discipline Techniques

Answer 3

consistancy is always the key i have found. We have a son with ADHD and we used wot we called the naughty spot. This was a place (i.e bottom stair or matt, square of carpet etc.) that our son used to be placed on four a minute for every year of his age every time he bent the house rules to the extreme. For the first few days it took every bit of strength we had to keep him on the naughty spot but he quickly learned and this deterent became very very effective. There is no easy option but what ever you decide remember 2 things. regardless of what he has done or said he is a very needey child and can't fully be responsible for his actions, and secondly always be consistant for if you dont, you will end up with a very insecure child. Wishing you all the very best of luck from the uk
Dave

Answer 4

It is my understanding that ADHD is not possible to diagnose accurately before the age of approx 7 years. Your son MAY fit criteria for an Autistic Spectrum Disorder or Asperger's. At 3,he may just have a strong personality, however, he will need consistency from you. You will need to give him time to learn your boundaries - if the goal-posts keep being changed, he will just be more confused. Keep simple rules, and stick by them

Answer 5

You seem to have tried so much in only 3 years! With adhd kids you have to persevere.I know that is easy for me to sat but it will work.Chose a method and stick with it for six months plus. You have to have the patience of a saint to deal with a SEN child but gd luck. I favour the reward system. Make the rewards little and often. something the child can understand. Good luck.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

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Answer 8

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Answer 9

Ehm..
There are numerous documented benefits and advantages of teaching children to read early on, and teaching them to reading using phonics and phonemic awareness instructions. It is clear that early language and reading ability development passes great benefits to the child as they progress through school at all grades, and that early language and reading problems can lead to learning problems later on in school.

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Bye Bye

Answer 10

i hate to say this but chill out! i am a 15 yr old girl with add/adhd. kids with add/adhd are very very smart people they just have some trouble... u said he just had adhd but dont freak out yet, he is ONLY 3, he may grow out of it. please please please please please do NOT put him on medication yet, i am on medication and i dont reccomend it for youngsters, i am not sure what i am getting at right now sorry

Answer 11

whatever you do don't put him on any meds or Ritalin, that'll crush his spirit...children with ADD are special & sensitive 7 should
please read this book, it is by a highly respected author & it'll prove priceless advice:
(there are 2 editions)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Feeding-Indigo-Children-Doreen-Virtue/dp/1561708461/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197243274&sr=8-1
This is thr latest edition:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Care-Feeding-Indigo-Children/dp/1401911641/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197243274&sr=8-2