Books to learn more about ADHD

[DLgal]

I know something is definitely going on that needs to be addressed. Besides excessively falling down, he does have trouble focusing and paying attention, following multiple directions and he hides behind me when he is feeling overwhelmed. For example, when I drop him off at preschool he really wants to warm up to the room, taking his time to find something to do before talking to the other kids. I don't know if this is his personality or a symptom of a bigger issue. He will get upset and hide behind me if a bunch of kids charge towards him wanting to talk. He is fine once he has a few minutes to look around. He loves playing with other kids and like I said he is very social but he is slow to transition in the mornings to school. I know he is the only kid that has this problem at school so it seems unusual. We see the OT next month and hopefully she can help us out.

I know the autism spectrum is very big. But I'm assuming since he is so social and outgoing around other kids (loves to play with new kids on the playground, never shy or withdrawn) that he wouldn't have autism. I assume this is something else - whether it's ADHD, Sensory Issues, Giftedness or something else.

My younger son is quite a puzzle. We are not sure what's up with him. No one can really come up with an accurate diagnosis because he has some (but not enough) criteria for Autism. But, he's definitely got issues. He's been receiving therapy since he was one and a half and he is in special education under the Autism criteria. It works for us. Your son may just be clumsy and shy. Nothing wrong with that. Or, there might be more going on. You'll figure it out.

 

[100AcreWood]

Just to update in case anyone is interested - we saw an OT today. She threw out sensory processing disorder. Honestly after filling out her evaluation form, he doesn't have many of the "symptoms" for that. He is behind in some fine motor skills and very ahead in others so he is going to an OT to at least treat for that. She will finish her report and give me a plan of action in two weeks when we see her again.

So I called the nurse at our ped's office who specializes in ADHD. She is really knowledgable. She said SPD is a possibility but it is often used to describe problems that are difficult to diagnose. She said OT would definitely improve SPD if that is what is happening.

Overall she thought my son might just need more time to mature. Or he might find preschool boring so he checks out. He does have trouble following directions at home too so maybe we're boring too. She did not buy into the neurologist's quick diagnosis ADHD based on the falling.

The OT had him do a lot of balance tests and he failed every one. Hmmm, sounds like that could account for all the falling! So for now we go to the OT. Our copay is $30 a week so that is making dh feel a little . But hopefully it will help!

 

[Disney2013Girl]

http://www.amazon.com/Living-Active-Alert-Child-Groundbreaking/dp/1884734774Active Alert

I've been reading this book for work (I teach preschool) and it discusses that TRUE ADHD is very rare and that these kids can be considered "active alert".

It's an interesting read.

An article talking about Active Alert

 

[Coaliesquirrel]

Most ADHD medications are not approved for children under 6. There are a couple approved for kids 3 and up, but there really is no need to medicate such young kids, as the demands placed upon them at school are not worth it. This might be why the doctor said he might be "diagnosed" at a later age. Diagnosis means nothing if you are not planning to do anything about it.

I would strongly differ with this assessment. DD was diagnosed at 4.5 and we started nonstimulant medication. Screw school - it made our HOME LIFE tolerable. DD wasn't constantly getting in trouble, we weren't feeling like the meanies all the time. It was life-changing for ALL of us, period. This year in preschool has been a 180 change from last year when even the other kids in her class talked about her getting in trouble all the time and her fine motor skills are incredible compared to last year -- because she can take the time to actually try to write her letters properly. She's had a HUGE boost in self-esteem this year, too, because she knows she CAN control herself and she doesn't feel like the "bad kid" all the time. Preschool may not be advanced academics, but it's the start of her school career, and we are committed to making sure she has positive feelings about school and her ability to do what's expected. Her medication has made a big improvement in her ability to make friends, too. Now, she can slow down long enough to pay attention to what others want to do, and she's not so impulsive in taking things away, etc.

In our case, DH and his mom both have ADHD, so it's not at all unexpected for us. But, I am absolutely not exaggerating when I say addressing DD's ADHD has made our own personal world a much better place. We can *enjoy* her again instead of being constantly frustrated with her. So, if you've got good reason to think even a very young child has ADHD, it's really a help to EVERYONE around the child to address it as early as possible. You can baby-step your way in, starting with behavior modification and parenting strategies, but if you don't find success, please don't be afraid to start on the meds path, especially with nonstimulants. It can be SO helpful.