Testing a 5 Year Old for Adhd/hearing Loss

An ADHD diagnosis is usually made by a psychologist who will look at rating scales, social/developmental history, educational and psychological test results to see if a child meets the criteria. The psychologist will rule out several factors to determine if, in fact, it is ADHD. A genetic factor, having a parent who had attentional/focusing difficulties, is an indicating factor. Professionals are hesitant to make a diagnosis before the age of 7, because the behaviors and signs you are seeing, may be related to age and maturity level. In the case of ADHD being genetic, it is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and symptoms can be eased with medication. (Just like if you had diabetes (a chemical imbalance) and took medication to regulate your blood sugar.)

By definition, ADHD is evident by age 7; to have a 5-year-old tested for it is not too young. As a professional working in this field, I can tell you that I have tested kids as young as 3, and for a few of them it was evident they had it without the results of the formal testing I did. Have the testing done by a child clinical psychologist, or at least a clinical psychologist who works with children in addition to adults.

As far as non-medication approaches to ADHD: Many people and internet sites will tell you that there are, but the evidence-based research on this will tell you that the best treatment for ADHD is a combined approach using medication and behavioral management strategies. In other words, consult with a psychologist about ways you as parents can help your child by putting structure into your daily routine at home. There may also be suggestions for her teacher, but many teachers know this drill well and will know what to do when given the diagnosis.

Also, I have a friend whose child never had ear tubes, but who had hearing loss that wasn't detected for 4 years. He has now been in speech therapy for 2 years and is doing well, but it came to light when he started spending more time with other kids due to starting preschool.

Whatever the situation with your child, don't waste time now feeling guilty. Just channel that energy into high gear for doing whatever your kid needs now. Just be sure that you get a good assessment so that you know what really is going on.

hi E.,
i'm sorry you're feeling this way, i'm sure it's been quite stressful for you and your family...
what kind of diet does your littles have? kids digestive systems are quite sensitive (as are adults!) and a lot of people do not realize this...the ideal diet would be a diet that does not consist of processed foods-like refined sugars, white flours, heavy greasy foods, a lot of dairy, cow's milk, just to name a few.
my brother was diagnosed with add when he was 7 and then they gave him ritalin, then he was diagnosed wtih adhd, then they gave him more meds when the ritalin wasn't working...and every few months was a different cocktail of meds-then at 10 he was diagnosed with bipolar. what's interesting was that at 11, they took him to a nutritionist to find out he was allergic to high fructose corn syrup, white flour, and a few other ingredients in processed foods. but my stepmother, unfortunately, never really addressed it and this was and still is his diet. high processed foods. and now he's 17. it's been a looooong road of medications, etc. of course, each case is different-and i'm not trying to make a comparison...but what i would like to make you aware of is this kind of pattern is quite the norm regarding medications. so, if i were you (and i'm not) i would shift your daughter's diet (if it tends to consist of processed foods, sugary drinks, etc), etc. before turning to pharmaceutical means.
does she have congestion? does she have a tendency towards catching colds?
when i was younger-i ate a lot of processed foods as well...and i was having hearing loss, then my mom took me to an allergist and found out i was allergic to various things i was eating.
my stepson has tubes in his ears and he's always congested...again, i'll stress that it is his diet-a lot of fast food...because when he comes to visit us-he doesn't eat that, and it lessens his congestion.

this is just hte tip of the iceberg, you know? these are mere suggestions, as i've had experience with seeing a lot of dis-ease as a result of diet...and when the diet is shifted-it's like a whole new person reemerges.

good luck!! and be well! if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me...
acupuncture and herbs (there are pediatric formulas designed for this type of condition) are extremely effective on kids...and this isn't a shameless plug-you can see whomever you like, but i just wanted to make you aware, for your daughter's sake, that it really helps.

B. Sabaj, LAc, Dipl. OM LMBT (#8444)

Are you getting your necessary "ME" time?!
Come to Healing Point Acupuncture, where your "ME" time is 100% of the time.
www.HealingPointNC.com

It sounds to me like you have reservations about the testing. I have ADHD and think those drugs suck!! I went all the way through school and got a college education without them. Be careful and use your gut. Maybe your child is just an individual.

It couldn't hurt to get her hearing tested, but the only time I have heard where ear tubes affected the hearing is when several sets were inserted over the years and it caused a build-up of scar tissue. They had to have surgery to remove some of the scar tissue.

I would suggest finding an online adhd support group, like one of the yahoo groups. Or maybe there is a live support group in your area, check meetup.org. Good luck.

your childs doctor will do the testing for ADD/ADHD. ADD can be controled with diet to some extent. But you need to talk to her doctor and find what works best for your daughter.
As for the hearing-have her hearing tested-also done in the doctors office before you start concidering tubes and such, she may just be loud!!!
Have a good day!

Dear E.,
I know you've gotten a lot of responses already but I would lik to add one more. ADD and ADHD are real conditions, just over diagnosed. Make sure your child is evaluated by a psychologist who specializes in ADD/ADHD. Do not depend on teachers or MD's. Checking your child's diet and modifying it may be helpful. If your child really does have ADD or ADHD then getting help establishing routines and using behavior modification tools may eliminate or minimize the need for medication. It will also give your child a feeling of mastery over the condition as opposed to it being something outside of her control. Hope this helps.

Good luck,
L. D.

I could have written your question several years ago- my son is your daughter! We have him on Concerta now, which does control his loudness to a point. We are exploring other options... I tried several diet options and none made a significant difference, although a high-quality, protein-rich diet is the best. Control foods with a lot of additives and colors- I try to shop a lot at Trader Joe's!

We are now investigating Interactive Metronome therapy. Unfortunately our insurance (Aetna) doesn't cover it... United is apparently a good one for this. It is a non-medication therapy that is designed to actually create more brain pathways to help ADHD kids/adults develop the pre-frontal cortex area of the brain. We haven't done it yet, but it looks promising. I am all about therapies that are non-medication, but I also believe Concerta is a blessing!

Good Luck and feel GOOD about yourself for seeking a diagnosis!

If there is hearing loss it is most likely cause my the ear infections and fluid on the ears prior to the tubes. My son has tubes and the ENT was able to tell us based on the fluid level/hearing test prior to tubes that there should not be any damage to his hearing from the infections. A simple hearing test at your doctor's office can rule this out. My son's doctor would normally do a hearing test at his 4 yr check up but didn't since his tubes were still in place. Some kids, most actually are just loud. I'm always telling my son to be quieter. When you say her name at a normal volume or a whisper does she respond? Even once? Then she's fine. I know kids don't always answer or respong though so you may need to check several times. I sometimes have to yell to get my son to turn or answer me just becase he's not listening, not because he can't hear.

My cousin's son was evaluated this fall for any learning disabilities, he is 6 yrs old and failed kindergarten last year. My aunt works for The Bodine school in Memphis, a school for kids who learn differently. She took her grandson to meet with the school evaluator. She tested him for lots of different things by asking questions, having him do some writing/reading, and playing certain games with him. She said he did show some add/adhd as well as dyslexic tendencies but that some of these could just be that he wasn't being worked with at home. (my cousin's ex-wife is a little lacking when it comes to working on educational things with him. She does like any Leapfrog toys! My favorite toy brand for educational toys.) Anyway, that's my only experience with any testing but I know most adhd/add testing is done by doctors.

While I don't advocate most of the ADHD medicines out there, usually because of the side-effects, behavior modification therapy works a lot better, you have to be willing to discipline and stick to it. I work with troubled juveniles who use the excuse "I have ADD/ADHD" on why they can't do anything, but here's the problem: too many people use it as an excuse to not discipline their children. I am not advocating spankings, beatings, ect. True discipline requires parental involvement and love, whether time-outs to taking away video games, tv time, ect. There is a guy on the radio station I listen to, out of Knoxville TN, that advertises for helping kids with disciplinary problems, adhd/add issues, ect but I can't remember what his name is. Also certain foods can exacerbate hyperactivity: ketchup, pop, anything with fructose corn syrup, sugars, ect. My daughter was hyper-active in kindergarten, and I had asked the teacher not to give her sweets and when they had pops on friday, see needed something without sugar in it. But the teacher didn't seem to care that alot of sugar made her hyper. When she went to pre-first due to not being ready for 1st grade, she had calmed down a lot. Mainly due to me watching her diet. Sugar, and sugar additives contribute to a lot of hyperactivity. Also, I would suggest a hearing test for your daughter, I don't know if the tubes could have caused her hearing loss, or just the ear infections. But watch her diet, and look closely at labels, she could be just getting too much sugar, or she can be just bored with school too. My daughter could tell us what was going on in the 3 classrooms next to her classroom, and still follow what was going on in her room. Don't let the teachers or regular doctors tell you she has ADHD, take her to a licensed psychologist/psychiatrist for the State of Kentucky, although they can not diagnose and tell the difference between ADHD and bi-polar. I have talked to several psychiatrists about this, through my job, and mainly they tell me, that behavior modification works better than many of the medicines. Love and correct discipline works. You will have to find the correct amount of discipline that works for your daughter and watching her sugar intake does work wonders. I don't know if you let her have anything with caffeine in it, but if you do, don't let her have anything with caffeine and lots of sugars! Hope this helps.

I've not heard of tubes causing hearing loss. Perhaps they could be plugged, or have fallen out? Have they been looked at by an ENT? My six-year-old son is like a new kid after having tubes placed (for the second time) this summer, and having his tonsils and adenoids out (both of which were huge and obstructing his breathing and sleep). He had a lot of hearing loss from all the constant fluid in his ears (also due to the large T&A). The first round of tubes fell out, but they still allowed his ears to get infected all the time anyway, but so far so good this time around.

I have been seeing a Naturopathic Physician (ND) since early this year for different issues I have had all my life, and have been amazed at the results. I don't specifically know anything about ADHD and naturopathy, but there is so much wisdom in it, and it truly has been working for me, that it is well worth looking into. They don't do drugs, and their first credo is that they cause "no harm", which so many drugs do as side effects. I remember seeing a book on my NDs shelf about ADD/ADHD, but I don't remember the title of it. There are a lot of books on the subject (treating it naturally, that is). If you look on amazon, they have reviews by people who have read the books and tried the recommended approaches, so you get first-hand accounts. I do believe that a lot of our problems today stem from our food supply (there wasn't excess sugar, trans fats, fast food, MSG, etc.) a hundred or a thousand years ago, so something must be causing our never ending problems of today.

I also really enjoy reading John Rosemond (www.rosemond.com). He believes that many of the behaviors and labels of today (ODD, ADD, etc) are just the result of not parenting the way our grandparents did. I do think that some of us are susceptible to ill effects from our environment as well, though. Good luck to you!

Most school systems have free hearing/vision screenings. If she is in school, you can check with her school counselor or teacher for how to access that resource.

V.
Memphis, TN

I have an 8 year old with ADHD she takes med. and has no side affects exept she eats less on the weekends her therapists said not to give it to her so she can eat the foods she enjoys. Her therapists has also told me that ADHD is also treated with just thrapy and no meds. Find her a good therapist to see and they can start the testing. My little girl also had tubes as a baby she has no hearing loss but is sensitive to loud noises sometimes. If your concenred have her hearing checked. Dont wait to long with her hearing it could be serious. I hope things work out for you.

My son was 5 in kindergarten when we found out he has adhd. It has been alot of work to find the medication for him. We tried alot of different ones before they put him on Concerta. The others all turned him into a crying basket case, I was a nervous wreck before they tried the concerta. He took that for almost 8 years before they decided to try him on a different medication now. I'm not sure it is working as well but the doctor decided he had been on the concerta to long. Just make sure that you find a doctor that is willing to listen to you and work with you.

First off, if your child's hearing is impaired (because of frequent ear infections, not because of the tubes), YOU did NOT 'do it'. Quit 'guilting' yourself! (A more direct way of saying this is: Don't 'should' on yourself (Say it out loud --and quickly-- to someone, and you/they will hear what it really is doing).

Read what you can online about ADD/ADHD. I know boys are more often affected by it than girls. Sugars, food colors, and other 'allergens (wheat, egg whites, milk products, etc) when removed from the diet can make a big difference in some children.

Good luck and God bless!