Hi your daughter is not too young to be diagnosed. My son was 3 and diagnosed with adhd. I know exactly how you feel about being frustrated and start yelling. To be honest there is not a day goes by that I am that way. If you get her in therapy and see a psychiatrist not it will be easier for you. I have been thru it with my son, he has seen three therapist and I have finally found the right one. The thing about most adhd children most of them oppositional defiance disorder, which is more less the people they know love them and will never leave them are the ones they act out to the most. As for the correcting, children with adhd get off track a lot so they have to be reminded constantly. Just keep your head up. If you need to talk I'm here. I have been dealing with this for 4 years and still learning.

Thank you I do need help. My pediatrician referred me to a psychiatrist and he told me to come back if im still having problems when shes around 7. And most people I talk to say the same. I can do therapy. I know it sounds stupid because I am all for therapy but she seemed way too young. They didn't do anything but play games with her every time I went. Maybe I should try again with therapy. Psychiatrist feels like a lost cause as of now. Wouldn't meds for a four year old be harmful?

Something needs to change . She is in a good private school full time and is learning alot but the teachers say she is very easily distracted, loud when excited, etc...she always gets good behavior reports at school except the fact she needs to be constantly reminded of things like be quiet, sit, etc.. I am scared her distraction will effect her learning as there is already big signs of that. Maybe a tutor for one on one learning? She wants nothing to do with me teaching her school stuff :( ..im the only person she isn't pleasant around. She's great with her father she respects him a lot. Maybe I nag too much? But she is always doing something ,she never even walks like seems to only run lol

I have been treating my son with medication since he was 4. It isn't harmful for them. The key is to get the correct medication and dose. It may be trial and error. Don't hesitate to contact other doctors - you have to find one that is willing to put forth the effort to help you and your child. It may take a while - it took me 6 months for a doctor to take me seriously about what was happening in my house. And, the yelling - it happens. That is how we get our frustrations out. I'm a terrible "yeller". I try to remind myself that it isn't his fault. It is just hard to remember it sometimes. I have a few tricks that I try. I keep a glass of water beside me at home - everytime he does something that I would like to yell at him for, I take a big gulp - when I do this, I can't yell....LOL. I know it sounds dumb - but it helps me. As soon as I swallow, I get a very low soft voice and explain to him what he is doing is not ok. I'm pretty sure that he is fueled by my yelling - and TERRIFIED if I'm speaking softly to him. Another thing, learn to walk away. If she isn't doing something that is going to cause her to hurt herself - WALK AWAY. This is another difficult thing to learn! But, walking away will give you time to compose yourself and eventually she will understand that "warning" that you walking away means. And, as always, there are some AWESOME people on this site - anytime you think you can't deal with it anymore - log on......I'm sure that someone will be here to listen :)

Find a different psychiatrist. The American Academy of Pediatricians has approved diagnosing ADHD as young as four. You need to see a psychiatrist who will take you seriously One who waits until kids suffer until they're seven is NOT a good child psychiatrist.

Our son started getting help at three with a therapist and by four was taking ADHD medication. Ritalin made a HUGE difference in his quality of life and ours. It connected the dots in his brain. He's 10 now and people don't know he has ADHD when his medication is active. Therapy is great when done WITH medication but we found it didn't do a thing without it.

Fight, fight, fight to get your child the help she needs NOW. The longer it goes on, the more she'll be labeled the "bad child" who doesn't follow school rules. She may have understanding teachers now, but I know from experience, patience eventually wears thin.

Good luck!

My granddaughter was diagnosed at 7. I knew when she was two and she was as young as 3 when I talked to her pediatrician about it. I started with all the non-meds approaches but her behavior in school was so bad and her self-esteem and grades were suffering. I had her evaluated at the ADHD center that is affiliated with her pediatrician's office and she was officially diagnosed with ADHD and ODD. She's on the lowest does (5 mg) of adderall and is doing great. She only takes it for school. I still try to manage her with the non-med approaches on weekends. This is when, like you, I have to mange myself and try not to yell so much. It is hard. I would try to get her diagnosed now and get everything in place for when or if you want to try meds. That can be a hard decision too but could also be more beneficial considering the alternative. In my case, it was low self-esteem, being labeled as the "bad kid" and poor grades in school.

I have another big problem. Adhd meds trigger trichotillomania.. a hair pulling disorder my daughter seems to have. Her teachers think her hyperactivity is making her have anxiety and that caauses the hair pulling. This is all so hard and a nightmare.

Im seeing a doctor next week. I hope it goes well

Yes, our son also pulls his hair. His tics have really been coming out lately, so he's going to change one of his medications to address the tics. He absolutely can't go off of Concerta (his ADHD med) for various reasons, so our only option is to change another of his medications. We're likely changing from Seroquel (which he went on for an eating disorder and anxiety) to Risperdal ... actually, waiting for a call back from the psychiatrist's office as I type this.

Good luck with the doctor! A skilled psychiatrist really understands medications well and can point you to some solutions for all of the issues.

I am so sorry I just now found the post... I don't know why a psychiatrist says she is too young... that is ridiculous! I would go back and ask to be referred to another one... I have been having some problems with my son, one reason I haven't been on here... Well my advice is get another referral, as for the med issue I would start off with a non-stimulant like tenex... If you have more problems you could do like me put her in therapy, med management, and we are now doing intense in home therapy, I don't know if that is available where you live but I would check it out. You talked about the therapist playing with her... Usually that's how it starts out in the beginning and they ease into the therapy... They also play with them to see how long her attention span is. Meds for a four year old is not too young my son started on a non-stimulant when he was 4. The trichotillomania problem needs to be discussed with the doctor I don't think all adhd meds have that side effect. If you have any other problems or concerns you can email me at babygurl3694yahoo.com I check it daily. I'm so sorry again for taking so long. Best wishes

You need to find another doctor. Both a new pediatrician and you should try a Psychologist to diagnose your child. If you have a children's hospital near to you thy will have a department that deals with diagnosis and treatment options. That is the best place to take your child. Our pediatrician sent us to our local children's hospital when my son was 4. He was diagnosed and they recommended good psychologist's to see. When we decided to start meds our pediatrician was able to manage the medication for the nest 16 years! Psychologist will work with you on behavior management (they do not prescribe medication). Please do not give up and do not waste any time in getting your child diagnosed! the earlier you can help her the better off she will be socially and in school.