ADHD In 4 Year Old

Brenda Briscoe ###-###-####
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I have heard great results on Brenda's results using Bowen Therapy. Just have a conversation to learn.

If it's actually ADHD... then, no. Nothing will 'work' except stimulants.

The same way that you can't give a kid something to make them learn languages, play the cello, sing like Netrebko, be a better reader, be a famous mathematician. ADHD is how a brain functions. Just like giftedness (actually nearly all adhd kids are gifted), dyslexia, musical facility, etc. The only way to mess with a brain's innate structure and function is by using mind &/or mood altering chemicals (or physically altering the brain, like via injury or surgery).

Although there ARE over the counter stimulants.
- Coffee
- Tea
- Coke/ MtnDew/ Barqs/etc.

The only real danger with Caffeine and ADHD toddlers, is that caffeine mellows us out but ALSO when the dose is too high, makes us sleepy (I used to slam 6 shots of espresso when I needed to get to sleep early. Bam. Snoring in 10 minutes... and I'd have a 4 shot venti when I had a long and boring meeting... MissMellow). With TODDLERS, being made 'sleepy' there's always the risk of being made instant 'overtired'.

Overtired means different things to different toddlers (wired or cranky)... so start of VERY low. Like a few sips. Wait 10 minutes. A few more sips. That kind of thing.

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PART of the ADHD diagnosis is ruling OUT
- diet
- allergies
- sleep

So you may as well go ahead and see if it's just some malnutrition by changing his diet, do an elimination diet of common allergens, and see if it's sleep deprivation by altering his sleep patterns (if possible)... aka get him to sleep an extra 2-4 hours a day.

ALL THREE of these things are a pain, and take a couple months to rule out. But you'll need to do them anyway for the ADHD diagnosis IF you get one now or later, so one might as well.

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That said... there is a LOT behaviorially / cognitively / emotionally that one can work on and work with. That's just a months and years long process that will not (in most ways) see any kind of instant results.

www.additudemag.com is a good place to get started, there.

For google and books and other research... the term to be searching for is "coping mechanisms" and "behavior strategies" (ahhhh... the gift of knowing which words to plug into search engines). Some people have some OUT THERE (and makes things worse instead of better) theories on ADHD coping mechanisms and behavior strategies... so it's VERY IMPORTANT to go with trusted sources. CHADD & Additudemag are the 2 best online.

Nothing works beyond making life interesting. None of my kids started meds until Kindergarten but they never had issues with preschool because it should be interesting.

I have to ask what tasks are they giving him that he cannot stay on them for more than a few minutes?

Anyway, diets do not work but there is no harm in trying. Thing is if they do work he never had ADHD. Sometimes the structure required for these crazy diets is enough to create structure in other areas.

Hi,
Same thing happened with my son when he was 4-5, his Montessori teacher wanted him tested for ADHD. I did tons of research and tried many, many things. So I don't know what it was that worked for sure or maybe it was a combination of things, but he is perfectly normal now (although sometimes easily distracted if there's a lot of action going on around him, but what boy isn't). I cut out food dyes and high-fructose corn syrup. I switched to organic everything, where I could find it. I put him on an adult's supplement (Raw One), juice plus, probiotics and 1,000 mg of Omega 3's (those gummy things at the supermarket they call vitamins really don't have much in them). Another major corner we turned over a year ago is when I started giving him chlorella regularly (a green tablet he can swallow), we also eat a lot of cilantro in our diet. In my research, I have found that cilantro will clean out your cells of heavy metal toxins and chlorella will bind to it and take it out of your system. There are other methods of doing heavy metal detoxes although more difficult, but highly recommended if you can do them.

My other son on the other hand does not have ADHD symptoms per-se (he has better concentration than most adults), but he has behavioral issues with sitting still (ants in his pants) and having melt-downs, even at age 7. I took him off wheat/gluten, after a suggestion from a friend, whose son was the same way. What a difference it has made. It is like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. His new teacher and his grandma would not have believed it, if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes.

So start trying or implementing different things and see what happens. Keep a food/supplement log, and with the help of his teacher, see what his days were like. Every child is different, so keep at it, I'm sure you'll find something that helps, don't ever give up!

If he does have ADHD, nothing homepathic or natural will help him. That's the sad reality of this condition. There's no easy "fix." It's a brain disorder and requires the insights of a medical specialist for proper treatment.

At four, he CAN get evaluated to determine whether he has ADHD (or anything else). I speak from experience in saying the earlier you can help your son, the better. Struggling with attention and getting in trouble all the time is very draining and demoralizing for a child. Ask the pediatrician for a referral to a specialist, like a child psychiatrist or neuropsychologist. A specialist can tell you if all is normal or what condition(s) you're dealing with, so you can come up with a game plan to help him.

We started pursuing medical help for our son at three (just before he was kicked out of preschool) when his symptoms began to go off the charts. At four, he was on ADHD medication, which transformed everything for him. Medication isn't a cure-all, but can make a huge difference in a child suffering from this condition. We combine medication with seeing a behavioral therapist and doing an alternative treatment called neurofeedback.

Best of luck to you!

ETA: Kids with ADHD can definitely focus on things that interest them; in fact, they take it to extremes and hyperfocus. They just struggle with focus with the remaining life experiences they don't find fascinating.

ok there are a few things you need to look at.
1) what is he having for breakfast? Is he eating a lot of carbs and sugar. Read the labels . Carbs turn into sugar in the body so a cereal or poptarts really is the worst thing you can give a kid for breakfast. If he will eat eggs and bacon or sausage , switch him over to a protein filled breakfast.
2) look at his diet in general, is he getting sweets? ( yes I know "they" say sugar doesn't make kids hyper but kids react differently to different foods. I can tell when my daughter has had sweets, her self control is 10x worse. )

Write down everyday what he has to eat and have his teacher give you reports so you can track his behavior. If you see a trend then eliminate those things.

3) is he bored? Does he already know things the teacher is teaching? Maybe send in with her permission work books that he can do when he's done with his work. Reward him for staying on task ,like teacher can give him a sticker or something like that.

4) one thing that worked for my daughter when she was young was ,if she ever needed to move around I told her to wiggle her toes. You really have to think to wiggle your toes. It kept that extra busy part of her head occupied.

Now as far a supplements, nothing really worked for us for ADHD supplements. Not that "attend" or any or those other things they say does.
Make sure he's taking a multi vitamin best one I've found is centrum jr . Some have good results with adding an omega -3 supplement but the ones they make for kids don't have very much actual omega-3 in them.

Have you looked at his diet? My 4 year old has improved some by taking out food dye (it's even in pickles and marshmallows!), artificial flavors and preservatives. I didn't know HOW well it was going until I gave her a pickle. Yikes!!! She was a mad woman! No more yellow 5 for us! Check out the feingold association for more information. I've learned a TON!

Hi K.P. I have heard numerous accounts of people controlling their ADHD through diet alone. I am associated with a company that provides all natural organic products. We were featured in Woman's World magazine because of this very topic, ADHD. The mom, Michele, from Loudonville, OH was experiencing issues with her son's diagnosis of ADHD and the medication made him go from hyperactive to depressed. It wasn't until she got into a conversation with a friend who had the same diagnosis that she learned she could help him naturally though the foods he ate. Eating foods free of preservatives, artificial coloring, and fillers worked for her friend. This OH mom found Wildtree. Wildtree is a company whose all natural gourmet culinary blends, infused Grapeseed oils, dressings and sauces are sold through home Tasting parties or catalog orders. These organic foods allow you to make cooking everyday and gourmet food quicker, easier and more healthful for those who are short on time.

I share this story with you not to gain your business, but because if you are looking for a natural way to help your son Wildtree maybe the answer. Feel free to check out my website at www.mywildtree.com/kjhowell to learn more about the products.

K.

Personally I think any preschool experiences should involve very little sitting still or "on task" during the day. I put my son in a preschool where the kids were free to move from activity to activity, spend 50% or more of the day outside exploring the woods, climbing trees, exploring, etc. Our society asks too much of active kids too early in terms of attention.

Since it sounds like you are not interested in having him professionally evaluated yet here are the things you should try. If they make a difference then keep them up even if you later decide to have him evaluated.

Eliminate processed sugars from his diet as much as possible
Eliminate artificial food dyes, especially Red #40 as it can have a noticeable neurological effect on kids.
Get him outside a lot! (A great book to read is "Last Child in the Woods" where the author addresses research that indicates our indoor/media centered lives are causing increases in ADHD type symptoms in our children)
Observe whether he has certain activities that he does concentrate on for 15 or minutes. My son had a short attention span for many activities at that age, but he would spend 30+ minutes setting up elaborate toy soldier battle scenes. True ADHD usually manifests as an inability for a child to focus even on activities they love.