What is ADHD ADD
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurologic syndrome that exhibits symptoms such as hyperactivity, forgetfulness, mood shifts, poor impulse control, and distrac...
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Should I get a second opinion?
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My son is 3 1/2 years old. Since he was born he never liked to sit still. I could never just lay him down or put him in his crib or even let him play while I cleaned or something like that. He would scream and cry. He had to be in constant motion and in constant contact with me or his father.
In November of 2008 we moved from GA to SC and that is when we started noticing that he had issues in daycare. I thought it was just the move because he left the only daycare he had ever known and it was all new. Everyday they would talk to me about talking to him in regards to Center Time or Circle Time because he would not sit still. I really didn't like the daycare we enrolled him in so when I found a job I moved him to a daycare that was closer to work and one that I was familiar with. I thought it would make a difference but it really didn't. To make a long story short he had a very hard time there. Eventually it led to him being kicked out and the director basically telling me that he was too much to handle. We met with his Pediatrician and discussed this and all of the other issues we were aware of at the time. His opinion was to change schools and that my son was just a normal little boy. We found a school that we thought would be good for him. It was suppose to have small teacher to children ratios and we let them know all that had transpired since we moved. They assured us they could handle it. He was in the process of potty training when starting there and we were having him wear underwear. He started having accidents and we were asked to send him in pull-ups because it wasn't fair to the teacher. A new teacher was brought in and he started being so negative toward himself. If he ever did anything and you asked him why he would say "Because I am Bad". She would write such negative things about him on his daily chart and never had anything positive to say. I was so fed up with her attitude toward him. I decided to talk to his Pediatrician about it once more. He gave us a Behavior Check-List and once it was completed by us and the school we met with him to discuss it. He read it and said that if our son was older he would say that he was ADHD and needed to be on meds. He said because he was only 3 there was no way to diagnose it and so forth. We had nothing but uphill struggling since then. That teacher was fired and I say good ridence. The next teacher was great because she had 2 boys of her own. One with ADHD and one with ADD. She knew exactly how to work with him. He made a complete 180. Somedays I didn't even recognize him he was so calm and cool. After a few months though they decided to move him to the next age level in classes because he was getting bored and restless. Plus he is big for his age and they thought he would do better with kids his own size and learning level. I kind of disagreed with the idea but was assured it would be good for him. Since then he has gone down hill a little more each day. I am tired of having to fight for his teachers to understand that he is not a BAD kid. He just is very impulsive and has issues with Controlling his Emotions. Should I get a second opinion from another Pediatrician or a specialist? I really am 100% certain that he is ADHD but what do I do to get a Dr. to see it too? Posted on 10/27/09, 02:10 pm |
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Stay with your current pediatritian, he is right, a child at the age of three should not be diagnosed with ADHD. A 3 three old child have not developed impulse control, are typically very physically active as they are now becoming really omfortable with their gross motor skills, want to explore their environment typicdally at this developmental stage children have a lot of energy. They also have not fully developed any lengthy attention span and get bored very easily. Just because he can't sit still does not mean he has ADHD. Do not put a label on a child that will last the rest of his life and could possibly be a false label. One checklist does not constitute as a full psychoeducational evaluation, plus since he has not entered a school setting, it is not possible to evaluate him in some areas. Diagnosis of ADHD should involve a thorough medical and developmental history, observation of social and emotional circumstances at home, and feedback from teachers and health professionals who have contact with the child. In many cases, neuropsychological testing may be needed to rule out conditions whose symptoms might overlap with ADHD, including anxiety disorder, language-processing disorders, oppositional-defiant disorders, and sensory integration problems. There is still no reliable way to make the diagnosis of ADHD in a 3-year-old. Researchers are only now beginning to look into how to properly make the diagnosis in these younger children (Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics: Feb 2002, 23(0), S1-S9)
Methylphenidate (brand names include Ritalin and Concerta) is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in children younger than six. My advice to you, let your son be a kid. Enjoy his abundance of energy and foster that into positive play outlets. 
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Thank you for your information regarding this. I do enjoy my son and all of his AWESOME personality. It just hurts my heart to see him having such a hard time at daycare. His daycare is a certified Pre-K and they do have a classroom setting. They require the children to act as if in school and I just hate that he gets in constant trouble because it makes him think he is a bad kid. I am constantly fighting that fight with teachers there. He IS NOT A BAD KID!!! I just want him to have fun and be himself and above all else to have a good day. The teachers there and most everywhere else that he has gone feel that he should be able to stay on task for at least 2 to 5 minutes but he just can't unless he is really interested. I don't want him to have anything wrong with him but I do feel certain it is not just being a 3 year old.
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My oldest son was the same as yours. i knew when he was 2 that there was something off about him. He is 8 now and has had to be medicated since kindergarten. We also tried several preschools and ended up deciding one of us should stay home with him...the first and most expensive school was for 3 and 4 YO. On his second day there we picked him up and the whole classroom was painted green, as were a lot of the packpacks and some of the kids. My son got bored at naptime. I asked why did u let him do that? They said it was naptime, we were in our office.
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OMG, to wittsend2. That is rediculous they weren't even watching him. That is the way I feel too when they tell me things he has done. Why aren't you watching him?! At the daycare he was kicked out of he was in the TimeOut Chair, which the put right next to the door, and he slammed the door shut on a little girls hand. She had to have her nailbeds surgically replaced and skin grafting on her fingers. I don't think he intentionally tried to hurt her I just think he was shutting the door and he didn't think about her even being there. Sometimes it's as if he is in his own little world and he could careless if anyone else is there or not, except for Mommy. At home I cannot leave him by himself for longer than 1 minute or else he will hurt himself or the dog or he will destroy the entire house. What do you do? How do you handle school situations?
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I have been to LOTS of meetings. Each quarter they update his IEP as needed. For a while they gave him sensory objects when he needed to be in his seat, like this air wedge that he could kind of bounce on, a jellyroll thing that he could roll his feet back and fourth on and a beanbag for his hands to fidget with. He doesnt need these things now that his meds r under control.
Sorry to hear about your sons timeout experience, i hope they moved the chair. That's so sad. I got so fed up that i stayed home with him after 3 preschools could not handle him. Good luck and hugs to you!
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I wish I could stay home with him. I am just not in a financial state to do that. It hurts me so much to know that he has so many bad days. I know that he has a problem I just don't know who to talk to about it. His pediatrician is certain he will grow out of it but he doesn't have to see the results of his days of negativity. He sits and tells his toys to "Stop Squirming". The teachers must say that to him all the time because we never do. We know that if it helps him stay in one place let him wiggle whatever it takes.
Thank you so much for your support :-)
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he's just a little boy. Don't stress to much about it. I know it's hard, you want the best for him and you want to make sure you are doing the right thing. He's had lots of changes in his young life. He may be immature also.
My son is 17 with ADHD inattentive type. We went through all the same types of questions. he wasn't diagnosed until 3rd grade. And even though we knew it wasn't an easy fix. Time and patience -as hard as it can be. If it were me, I would get a second opinion just to satisfy myself. And the other thing that I would say which is very important. Don't ever have the schools move him ahead if you don't think he's ready. That's one of the things I regret. They always moved him ahead even when I didn't think it was a good idea. I didn't realize at the time i had the final word. They would say "but he's so smart". He is, but he's immature\. He should have stayed back at a young age. I have so many "what if's" about that. I can say now that maturity helps and there is light at the end of that tunnel. hugs to you and enjoy your little boy - they grow up to fast.
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I know how you feel. My daughter is 4 1/2, we had the same problems with school as you did, it was to the point I told the teacher just don't tell me unless it is something good. We talked with her pediatritian starting at the age of 3 and then finally at the age of 4 we took her to see a psychologist and she was dx with ADHD and border line ODD. We then went back to our pediatritain and he started her on medication. Don't give up talk with the doctor again and ask for a referreral, then you will know.
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