How do you know if your child has ADHD?
Answer:
My son was the same , he just couldn't concentrate , it was almost like he never heard a thing I ever said so he was always got in trouble & I felt like I was always yelling at him constantly , He was very sad all the time and told me he loved me & that he was sorry about 50 times a day , he was struggling with his school work ( year 1 ) , so I took him to see a Child Psycologist and he was diagnosed with ADHD .
I didn't want to medicate him but he was getting into so much trouble at school that other moms started a petition saying that if something wasn't done they would pull their children out so I got him medicated & now I wish that for his sake i had done it sooner .
His work is improving so fast but he is way behind , he hasn't been in trouble for nearly a month now & I don't remember the last time I yelled !
You should speak to your son's pediatrician. There are functional tests that can be done to determine if it is ADD or ADHD. He's four so he's bound to have lots of energy. If he has problems learning he may be acting out because he doesn't understand or possibly has a learning disorder. Most kids with ADD/ADHD are very smart and although they are constantly moving seem to catch everything going on around them and have pretty good communication skills other than talking too fast. I would have him tested for autism and learning disabilities. No parent wants to hear their child may have a learning disorder and you are probably mad at me as you are reading this, but see the pediatrician.
have him tested
I have 2 children with ADHD, one with hyperactivity, and one without. I see both ends of the ADHD spectrum with mine. One behaves like yours..in constant motion. The other, is inattentive. Takes him 30 minutes sometimes to get dressed..I have seen him with his pants around his knees because he forgot what he was doing because he "spaced out." While I medicate my children for schoolwork (otherwise nothing would be accomplished while they are in school), medication is not the entire answer. You have to learn to modify behavior and give your ADHD child LOTS of direction. We use chore charts, and timers to help them remember duties/responsibilities, and try to let them be boys. Mine have never had negative behaviors typically associated wtih ADHD, so what we do works. ADHD wont go away, but you can both find ways to deal with it.
Hun, he does not have ADHD. He is just your average child. I hate it how parents try to label their children as ADHD all because they act like normal children.
ADHD runs in my family and my son is EXTREMELY ACTIVE so I am not judging you for asking this question. But my pediatrician said it is rather challenging to diagnose ADHD before the age of 5 or 6 years old. For toddlers, from what I have read, you just have to give them constant activities, breakdown tasks into small steps so they don't get frustrated and using charts and such like the other woman suggested. My son is only 2.5 years so we don't use charts but I give him "chores" like helping me sort laundry by color and unloading groceries from the car. He has something very physical scheduled everyday and that has improved his sleep alot! My son's speech is also not very articulate but I know he is listening he is just ignoring and is too busy playing or destroying something!! If it makes you feel better both my dad and brother have ADHD and they are very successful. My Dad is a wealthy contractor that still plays baseball and basketball and hikes, fishes and camps at the age of 62! My brother has been a Navy Seal since the age of 19, owns property and has a wife who is working on her P.H.D. If channeled correctly people with ADHD are leaders, not followers, I wish I had their energy!
Before thinking your son may have adhd... I would adjust his diet, sleep schedule and exercise to see if it makes a difference. Then if that doesn't work I would speak with a doctor for the appropriate referrals.
While meds aren't always a great option for young children, the one thing about ADD/ADHD is that meds can be diagnostic. Because meds for ADD/ADHD are stimulants, they work differently in the brain of someone who has the disorder than in someone who does not. If someone without ADD/ADHD took the meds, they would become hyper...if they have the disorder it will calm them down. Coffee can kind of do the same thing. A person with ADD/ADHD will often become calmer when given coffee. Talk to your physician. It is a 'real' condition and it sounds like it is impacting his education (speech, etc), so I would get him to the doctor. If they do prescribe meds, be sure to monitor it closely and to have a return visit to the doctor scheduled so that you can let them know if it is working or not. While I don't necessarily like meds in prek children, I've seen it work wonders on the right kids.
if shy,fantisizing
My son is the exact same way. Normally they will not medicate or diagnose ADD/ADHD until 6. Changing my son's routine so it was very structured helped. His last years teacher had tons of problems and wanted him medicated. This years teacher says no way, he's hyper but fine. You can get him into other programs, like speech therapy, if you are really worried he will get to far behind. Call your local school district. They do preschool screenings that can catch specific area and give you a better idea of his specific problems and resources to help until he's older.
I hate labeling hyper kids as ADHD. They usually just need less sitting time, but some kids really are. My son was officially diagnosed at 2 1/2, which is almost unheard of.
It can sometimes also be helped by eliminating excess sugar, refined foods and red dye from his diet.
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