Does my 3 year old have ADHD??

[K_hall1784]

I have a 3 year old who will be 4 on july 28th. For about a year we have been noticing that he does not and cannot sit still. He is also very impatient. Evey day when I got to pick him up from school, I get a different story about how he hit another child or doesn't wait his turn to do something. When he is told to wait he lashes out and throws tantrums. He does this same thing at home. When he is home, he constintley is talking and asking questions. He also has to always be moving in some sort of way. When I tell him to go to his room, I have to tell him about 10 times or pick him up and take him myself. Or if he decides to go himself, he has to bang, or snap or clap his hands. Or dance. He cannot just sit still. At dinner, he has get up at least 4 times and has to be told to eat numerous times. Every 5 minutes, he's aksing another question or saying something. Now we first though that this was just normal 3 year old behavior, but it has gotten worse. When I tell him "NO" or "Not right now", he gets very upset and lashes out. I have gotten to the point where I am just baffled and don't know what to do. He doesn't listen and is very hard to control. Are these symptoms of ADHD?

[taz12758]

A related discussion, about my 3 year old was started.

[D99G03]

Funny that you ask that?  About a year ago my medium said that I should watch my son (8 yrs.) for certain gifts in relevance to the spiritual world.  I wouldn't be surprised so I started researching Indigo/Crystal children then but can't recall whay I got side tracked and stopped.  I am going to start educating myself again ... thanks!

[Mom of an Indigo and a Crystal]

Have you ever heard of Indigo and Crystal children?  Look up (book or on line) Doreen Virtue, especially The Care and Feeding of Indigos.  Anyone with a child with ADD or ADHD should read this book!  

[niki21740]

i would say he does my 4 yr is taking medicine for that and now they have put him on zoloft so before you do anything reserach it on the web there are alot of side effects and long term effects

[D99G03]

I agree that not of this would fall under the umbrella of ADHD.  My son was diagnosed young, at 4, with ADHD amongst other things -- Language Based LD's, Mixed Expressive/Receptive Language Disorder and Sensory Integration Issues.  There is one part that does hit home with me though --- I used to describe my son as being in perpetual motion form the moment he woke up until he crashed at night (he even is all over the bed in his sleep).  He would jump up and down while watching TV, couldn't sit at the dinnder table without being asked to sit over and over, and sometimes would run through theh ouse, tag a wall, run back through, flip onto the sofa etc etc just for the sheer joy of doing so.  You had to hang on for your life in parking lots etc or he was gone and forget sitting down at the beach --- we chase him the length of it.  He just COULDN'T stop and it was so hard on us all --- knowing that he couldn't help it .... it was completely exhausting.  He would be up and down at school too.  Where we are at is this.  Against my initial wants, he is medicated.  It's there because some kids do need it to be a functioning member of society --- although I agree that it has been abused by some.  Another thing that has helped is his IEP or Education Plan at school.  He has preferrential seating and is allowed to take breaks (walk around) etc. if he needs them.  Also, and I think this may be sensory not ADHD but I am not sure, he can stand at his desk to work on something if he feels he needs to.  I find that he does that a lot even when he does him homework here too.  I am not sure what this does for him??  Maybe allow him to be less confined? but it helps.  He has lotsof other stuff too on the Ed Plan too, but thse are just a few.  We are fortunate enough to be 20 min. from Boston and we have had wonderful evalutions both Developmental and Neuropsychological, by wonderful doctors.  I know more about his brain and how he "ticks" then I'll ever know about my daughter!!  I also encouarge you to get a full Dev. Ped. Eval. and go from there.  Best of Luck --- I know how exhausted you are, trust me.  The fact that you have recognized that "something' is going on is the first step --- so many parents are in denial.  Keep up the good work!

[K_hall1784]

Thank you for your timely response. I just wans't sure on how to figure this out. We have tried different tactics on how to deal with his behavioral problems and none work. Thank you for your time.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Some, but only some, of what you are observing could indicate Hyperactive/Impulsive-
type ADHD. It is difficult to know with a child so young because, by nature, many children of your son's age have high levels of energy and activity and also tend to be impulsive. As development proceeds, most become fmore organized, less haphazard in their behavior. But anger and oppositionality are not indicative of ADHD. So, while ADHD is a possibility, a large component of your son's behavior is clearly not due to ADHD. Two things will help: (a) arrange an evaluation with a child psychiatrist or clinical psychologist, and (b) learn more effective behavior management techniques. It sounds like your approach to behavior management is not sufficiently systematic. One approach that I have found entirely reliable and practical is Lynn Clark's approach detailed in his book SOS: Help for Parents. You may aslo need guidance from a mental health or behavioral health clinician who can gide you in behavioral techniques.