what is the earliest a child can be dx ADD/ADHD? - ADD / ADHD Message Board

kixlonron89 · 11-29-2003, 10:24 PM

I am curious because I have a 3yr old who is extremely hyper. She has a very short attention span and is a big handful compared to our other daughter who is just a year younger. I haven't asked her dr because I am afraid they will put her on medication as a quick answer.

free~spirit · 11-29-2003, 10:48 PM

Doctors are now diagnosing ADHD as young as 2years old. However this is a terrible thing to do!! As you may or may not know there are many things that mimic ADHD. These include learning style differences, personality type, health problems, mental illness, and even just being a regular kid that is slow to mature or a bit more active than their peers.

I would advise strongly against having your daughter diagnosed with ADHD at such a young age. Try to work with her. Remember every child developes at their own rate so just because she is not like your other daughter does not mean theres a problem.

If you really believe she may have a serious problem then please look at all of your options before taking her in for a diagnosis. At the tender age of 3 some good ways to help your daughter might be things like:
a Eliminate sugar, caffeine, processed foods, and color dyes from her diet
b Make sure she gets lots of exercise (there are aroebic/yoga videos made specifically for pre-schoolers)
c Use fun and exciting techniques for teaching shapes, colors, and letters (don't try to make her sit still while doing these things, instead try something like - learning to count while jumping 1 - jump 2 - jump 3 - jump etc)

Remember children have different personality types, learning styles, and rates of maturity.

ADHD is genetic in most cases - Do you or her father have ADHD?

What are the most serious problems you are having with her?
(You said she is hyper and innatentive, but this can be said about most children her age)

hanelo4 · 11-30-2003, 03:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kixlonron89

I am curious because I have a 3yr old who is extremely hyper. She has a very short attention span and is a big handful compared to our other daughter who is just a year younger. I haven't asked her dr because I am afraid they will put her on medication as a quick answer.

Hello

I agree with free spirit on this one. My daughter has ADHD and she was diagnosed at a young age, but her father had it. It is genetic. Lots of things could be causing her short attention span. Allergies can also do this too, and sometimes the doctors are quick to put children on ritalin when they truely do not need it.

My daughter has struggled in school since she was in kindergarden. That is how you will be able to tell if she really has ADD/ADHD is by her teacher observing her.

When my daughter was young, I didn't know what was wrong with her either. She would go in the icebox and throw eggs on the floor and write all over the walls, from as high as she could reach. I would tell her to do something and one minute later, she would forget what I told her. And boy oh boy, if I gave her coke or chocoloate, or anything with red dye in it....she would bounce off of the walls.

She is now 14 and has outgrew the hyperness, but still has problems with the learning and focussing part. But, she has come a long way. If I were you, I would wait until your daughter was in school and let the teachers evaluate her and then decide what to do.

My daughter is on Adderal, but there are also some natural remedies you could try if you do decide.

Good luck and I hope everything works out for the best for you and her

Chantel

Christine7777 · 12-01-2003, 12:06 PM

I wouldn't jump too fast on this either. When kids are that tiny....they are just discovering who they "naturally are". I sure wouldn't put them on drugs while they are mentally developing at such a fast rate at that age.

hopefairy · 12-01-2003, 01:58 PM

My son was just diagnosed at age 5. His pediatrician and I had talked about it through the years. After 4 yrs of observation, a teacher survey and parent survey he felt comfortable diagnosising my son. We are trying to get him ready for kindergarten so he is on a low dose of ritalin (5mg bid). The low dose is letting him focus more without losing all of his energy. We tried 10mg and 7.5 mg in the morning and both made him very depressed and inactive. I wouldn't want to medicate a 3yr old but I think it is good to be aware of the possibility.Our pediatrician does not like to TREAT ADHD until 5 or 6 but said he has treated as young as 3 in specific situations.

Victoria