ADD/ADHD?? How to Determine If Behavior Is Normal or If We Might Have an Issue.

My pediatrician told me not to worry until the teachers start calling. Here is a link that will help, but at 5 it just isn't an open and shut case.

http://www.anxiety-and-depression-solutions.com/wellness_...

I would also talk to his teachers. If it is getting in the way of his learning, then it could be ADHD... the H refers to hyperactivity (which is what it sounds like you are talking about). You can ask the teacher to write a note about what he/she observes in the classroom to show the doctor.

Most likely he is just being a kid, though!

There is some quite controversy over over-labeling (and medicating) kids for inconvenient behavior. (ADD/ADHD etc) As a special education teacher, I can tell you, labels are hard to ditch, and I have witnessed some high school students (almost 18) work hard to get OFF ritalin, as they really want to be the person they are.
I would be cautious, as some professionals are much more comfortable diagnosing problems and passing out labels and "solutions" than others. Labels may also affect the way YOU see your son, and if he is aware, the way he sees himself.
There are a lot of things that can affect child behavior...any recent changes in schedule, friends (good or poor influence), TV viewing, even foods? Good luck!

Hi there M.,

You don't have to guess or ask us -- Board-certified pediatricians have clinical guidelines that they follow to diagnose any recognized medical condition, and ADHD is such a condition.

Go to this website:

http://aappolicy.aappublications.org

And look for this document:

Clinical Practice Guideline: Diagnosis and Evaluation of the Child With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Pediatrics 2000 105: 1158-1170

It lays out EXACTLY what kinds of behaviors they look for in ADHD kids, both the inattentive and the impulsive/hyperactive type.

Riley and Beth both mention the age of 7 as a kind of definitive time and yes, they are right, in that the guidelines do call for the onset of symptoms before that time, but I don't think that would preclude a definitive diagnosis before then, it's just much clearer as they get older.

As for how to treat ADHD, well that's for another post, you don't even know if you are there yet. If you do get there, take comfort from what Riley says, it's just a biochemical issue in the brain, it is treatable, and the AAP literature does say a lot about two well-established treatment paths that have proven effective in large, reliable studies. Interestingly enough, dietary approaches are NOT among the proven treatments, although you will always encounter someone who says it worked for them.

I hope you have a productive and interesting discussion with your doctor and wish you all the best.

Cheers

K.

Some of the web sites mentioned below regarding ADD/ADHD are really good. My son who is now 11 was officially diagnosed with ADHD at age 6, by a psychiatrist who specialized in ADD/ADHD. His pediatrician suggested that he may have it at age 2, but that it was too early to determine at such a young age. At age 2 we tried changing his diet which helped some, but in kindergarten he was unable to focus. He had a really good teacher that was able to work with him and he had an aid that sat with him to help with the focus issue (he was at a private school). In first grade he was out of control most of the time, in school he was able to keep it in control, but because he had to work so hard to keep it in control at school when he got home the slightest little would set him off and he would become very violent and mean. We were told by the psychiatrist that if he did not trully have ADD/ADHD then the medication would not help and we would know that it was something else. I had done alot of research on the subject before we medicated. If you would like the name of our psychiatrist please e-mail me at ____@____.com is located in Santa Clarita right off the 5 freeway and somewhere in the Valley. Good Luck.

Dr. Kenneth Bock has a book, Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, Asthma, ADHD and Allergies. I got it at the local library. It won't diagnose your child but may give you ideas on testing and how to treat his issues.

Hello, well they say boys will be boys, but sometimes thats not helpful. I had a friend who changed her sons diet and it did wonders!!! she cut out all juice, and sugar drinks and complex carbs and it really seemed to do the trick. Also studies have shown that kids who watch a lot of tv (more then 1 hour a day) have a harder time concentrating. Maybe do more activites like puzzles, books and legos. Good luck to you mama <3

look up ADHD Resources website. Here you will find a check list for identifying whether or not your son has ADD/ADHD.
http://www.addresources.org/article_adhd_checklist_amen.php

This is the best way to get accurate information pertaining to your specific situation. then you can go to your doctor and have an intelligent conversation.

Hugs,

My 6-year-old always seemed like he was nonstop from the time he woke up until I would hold him in my arms to get him to calm down long enough to go to sleep. He has been diagnosed as ADOD. He wouldn't listen nor follow directions either. He has other medical issues which played into this as well as being one of his symptoms for his disorder; however, speak with your pediatrician a.s.a.p. and ask for a referral to a behavioralist who can assist you in getting him tested and getting him any futher help/assistance he needs. This will affect him in school and he needs to get help now if they determine he has any form of it. I am thankful I had mine tested. We still have occasional bouts but life is much better for him and me because he is getting the help.

We are also concerned about my 4 1/2 year old and I have been read Dr Sears ADD Book. I highly recommend it!

Hello, First of all, you can mention his behavior to his doctor. I would watch to see if he has an attention span. My second child (a son) was also very active and didn't always like to listen. He, however, had a very good attentions span. I have worked with children who have had ADD/ADHD (not as a job, but with children and some of the children I have worked with did have one or the other) and he was no way like they were. Also, will he listen to other adults and their directions? That is also very important. Sometimes it is just an age related thing and a power struggle. However, don't just ignore it. You are doing the right thing by addressing it now.
Good luck with your precious little boy.
K. K.

My first response would be to say that many 4 or 5 year old boys are very active and at times seem to be bouncing off the walls. For our boy (who is now 5) 4 was an age at which he could focus only for short intervals (on directions, chores - you name it). In the past 9 months he has improved tremendously. Having said that, we were also concerned about the possibility of ADHD and I found this useful self-test online: http://newideas.net/cgi-bin/adhd-test/questionnaire.pl. Of course, it would take a thorough evaluation by a doctor to get a real diagnosis. But it did help in singling out his problem areas (he did score lower in some and fairly high in other areas). We then got a book from the library explaining the illness. And though our son wouldn't qualify, I would say he does have some tendencies especially in the area of lack of focus. Understanding some of the things that help children with their problem has made things better for him and us.

Hi M.,
I would cut down the sugar intake if there is any, just to start. I don't think you should worry about ADD for now. If your doctor's visit is not soon enough I would suggest you keep a log/diary of things that you think are unusual. If you need to reprimand and punish, then you need to do that. It could be just a discipline issue and at that age they want to do their own thing; you just have to keep reminding him that you are the parent. He could just be very active as well, check with the family and see if anyone in the family was like that. Hope this helps.

Most Drs that I have seen will not diagnos ADHD / ADD until they are 7 because until then these ADHD/ ADD type behaviors are normal for the age. I have a daughter with ADHD and a 5 yr old son. From what I've seen of my son's friends his behavior thus far is typical 5 yr old boy behavior. If these don't change and he still has issues with things like impulse control after he is older then we will look at having him diagnosed.

Diet does not always fix it, we tried changing my children's diets it did not work. We have alway limited sugar and caffine.

hi~
great information below! :) several other thoughts are:
1) as far as dietary changes - look into food additives/food colorings See: http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/food-dye-adhd

2) other dietary changes see: Ben Feingold (he created a popular elimination diet designed to treat hyperactivity. This diet proposes the elimination of artificial colorings, flavorings, and preservatives in order to decrease hyperactivity. Some studies have disproved Feingold’s theory. Nevertheless, many parents who have tried it have reported an improvement in their child’s behavior) -- http://www.feingold.org/

3) how does he sleep? There is a recent study that shows sleep deprivation can mimic symptoms of ADHD. http://www.drgreene.com/article/sleep-deprivation-and-adhd

good luck!

BOY!!!! Check into some of the other things that can be the cause of his misbehavior. Kids who are above average even if it's just a little bit can become bored and misbehave. Kids who don't sleep well also exhibit most of the signs of ADD. My step daughter was just a pinball! Always bouncing off the walls with absolutely no ability to complete a task almost as if she was in her own world. At 8 she had her tonsils removed....yes tonsils and the whole thing changed! Having constantly inflamed tonsils caused snoring. Children who snore often wake many times thru the night and don't get the deep sleep they need for their bodies to recharge. Kids bouncing all over and not following directions is the equivalent of me drinking a pot of coffee to go to work if I was up all night. I am not opposed to medication but I do think parents need to realize that behavioral meds don't work like a light switch that you can turn on and off and if your son does have ADD then he won't grow out of it. I have ADD and I didn't!! My parents taught me ways to cope with it so as an adult I am aware of it and can deal with it. Kids also associate medicine with sickness. They only take medicine when they are sick so if they are taking meds then there must be something wrong with them. Explore all of your options before you start your son on a medication regimen that he will likely continue into adulthood. Good luck and do what your heart says. Your heart knows

Have you tried putting him in a sport or martial arts? Something to help him release some of the energy?

One of the main reasons children have a hard time focusing can be if they aren't quite getting enough sleep. (Even a 30 minute deficit can be detrimental). Before you put him on any medications, I would keep a sleep journal for him and see how many hours of quality sleep he's getting. Between 4-6 years of age the optimal amount of sleep each night should be 12-14 hours. There are studies that show a correlation between quality and quantity of sleep, and a child's ability to pay attention. ADD and ADHD are real conditions, but they have been over-diagnosed so it's important to try and see if there are any other reasons that might cause extremely active behavior before treatment with medications is started. I wrote a research paper in college about ADD/ADHD so I'm not just suggesting the sleep journal based on hearsay. Good luck.

P.S. Also, stay away from simple sugars and or refined grains like white flour and white rice as these can aggravate hyperactive behavior.

I am a Pre-K teacher I first want to commend you for wanted to address your concerns. Many parents are afraid of labeling their child. But honestly the best thing you can do is address it because the earlier you catch something like this the sooner you can get him help! Watch for spikes in his behavior like a cold to hot all of a sudden the 3 main things to look for are:
* Inattention
* Hyperactivity
* Impulsivity.
however in a young child it is a challenge because at one point or another they will behave like this. Here is a website that has some info. Good luck and on behalf of your son thank you for loving him enough to support him through this period of his life!

p.s. a little side note on meds...if your son had an ear infection would you not give him meds? Same thing in this case if for whatever reason it is severe enough that he may need medication. It is for his benefit and his body needs it. However there are other options ie; diet, you could get him checked out for allergens (severe enough allergies can cause mood disorders).

Personally I think this is just typical behaviour for that age. I would definitely look into his diet.

I would look into his diet before worrying about ADD/ADHD.

This is near and dear to my heart! Our four year old daughter was just diagnosed with ADHD--some hyperactivity and not listening is developmentally typical for young children but NOT ALL. It is hard to tell just by how you child acts at home which is an unstructured, familiar environment. When we took our daughter for her evaluation with the psychiatrist she was literally jumping across the room from couch to couch, running in circles and literally bouncing off the wall. I was totally shocked (I did not go expecting an ADHD diagnosis--we were seeking help for her extremely low frustration tolerance and temper tantrums). I never wondered why she was jumping on the furniture at home--a lot of kids do that but in a strange office with a strange man (the doctor) I was surprised to see her this out of control. How does your son do in waiting rooms or at the grocery store? Are you always running after him? Is he in school? We immediately scheduled an appt. with our daughter's preschool teachers once we were concerned that something was wrong. They gave us so much information about her dis-interest in any "table activities" (crafts, puzzles, drawing etc). They told us she is always on the go and literally can't sit still for more than three to five minutes at circle time before she gets up and leaves to play with something more "interesting" or dance in front of the mirror, whatever.
Like I said, we weren't seeking help for the not listening and hyperactivity because we thought those were fairly age appropriate and they are. Look for other signs--low frustration tolerance is huge--giving up, shutting down, and refusing to do anything that requires effort or concentration or that he considers boring. My daughter tried to ride a stryder bike and when she coudn't do it immediately (because it takes practice!) she got mad, threw it down and wouldn't touch it again.
Good luck~!

I agree with several responses here. Dr. Bock's book is a must and changing the diet will be HUGE.

No dyes (this one is especially big for kids on the spectrum),
No preservatives (go back to the way food was cooked in the 60's - a meat/chicken that is hormone free and antibiotic free, a vegetable, a starch)
Go organic as much as possible
Exercise - lots of play and running time
Gluten Free is another huge one (you can have an IgG blood test for food allergies to remove those that are causing inflammation - gluten seems to be something that triggers like opium does, addictive and behavioral changing).
Diary Free - all products with casein.

You can do a trial of dairy free and soy free for a couple of weeks and then introduce it to see if there is a difference. These can be eliminated from the body within a week. If your son craves certain foods or types of foods that should be a warning sign of it being a no no. There are so many alternatives and replacements. Go to http://gfcf-diet.talkaboutcuringautism.org/index.htm for great information on all of what I've said about diet.

The last resort should be prescriptions.