Disney with ADHD toddler

[Kimmie5870]

OP I'm really curious about what kind of criteria your child met in order to be diagnosed with ADHD? Did you get a 2nd opinion? I'm just curious because a 3 yr old isn't eligible to be tested in this area.

 

[Nanu57v]

What really helped for my kids at that age were those little bottles of bubbles.

Jill

Yes!!! I forgot about the bubbles! You can buy them at Wal-mart! THe play-doh is a great idea too!

 

[grlpwrd]

Any advice for taking my DD 3 to WDW? We just found out that she has ADHD last week. I am planning on taking her for 4 night next month by myself. What worries me is that she can go from fine to out of control in 2 seconds!

To be honest I have really no control. I guess I was hoping people could share what works for them with their kids. I am also a little worried about handling her in lines and while we are eating. I guess that I really need help for everything not just disney!

I have never heard of a doctor diagnosing a child under age 5. Who did the diagnosis?

fan_of_small_world's suggestions are wonderful. GL!

 

[freckles and boo]

I would add carrying "fidget" toys. My daughter has high-functioning autism and having the little rubber squeeze balls, "porcupine" balls, stretchy toys, etc. give her something to do with her hands and provide sensory input for her. My older daughter, who really has no unusual needs, loves them, too. They know if they throw them that Mom or Dad will repossess them so they don't toss them around. We buy them in bulk or when they are on sale because we lose them a lot. They really help us.

 

[SueM in MN]

OP I'm really curious about what kind of criteria your child met in order to be diagnosed with ADHD? Did you get a 2nd opinion? I'm just curious because a 3 yr old isn't eligible to be tested in this area.

Children age 3 and up who seem to have some developmental difficulties are the responsibility of the schools for testing and education. They don't usually do diagnostic testing in the preschool period because it's not very reliable. What they are looking for is kids who are showing delays in development; that's what would be tested for.

Children birth to the third birthday are usually under Public Health or Human Services. They can be evaluated for delays and would get treatment under whatever program the county/state in that area has chosen as the responsible agency (in some places, it may be the school system for all kids, not just those over 3).

When I worked as a Public Health Nurse and as a school nurse, there was much more emphasis (especially for younger kids) at looking at delayed areas rather than getting a diagnosis. Some of the kids who were "diagnosed" by their pediatrician as ADHD in the preschool years, 'outgrew' the diagnosis as they matured and got more inner controls. I know Psychologists that I have worked with would not diagnose a child as having ADD or ADHD until at least after Kindergarten for that reason. One said at that age, you can look at the behavior and come up with plans for dealing with it, but you have no way of knowing which kids are going to continue to need help (which is the reason for getting a diagnosis later) and which just needed some extra time to mature.

Also, someone mentioned Supernanny. The things that she does (even when she is not working with a child with ADHD) are excellent. Her approach is all about clear boundaries/expectations and letting the child know what the expectations are, some choices for the kids (choices selected by the parents) and consequences for actions.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

I have heard that doctor's will not diagnose a toddler w/ ADHD...have I heard wrong or do they diagnose ADHD at such a young age? If they do diagnose so young, what symptoms do they look for, since some of them might be close to normal toddler traits?

Just curious...I have an extra hyper 2 year old who it is hard to even carry on a conversation with because he will not focus on you (either that or he is just REALLY good at ignoring!)

I decided to ask my sister about this because she and her husband are both doctors. She said it is up to the individual doctor when they will diagnose ADHD, if at all, since each doctor brings his or her own prejudices or beliefs into their practice of medicine. (Just like some gyn's will not prescribe birth control because it goes against their personal beliefs). There is no hard and fast rule about when it is appropriate to diagnose ADD or ADHD according to the AMA.

If your physician has diagnosed ADHD for your child, they should be providing you with techniques you can use for your unique situation (because each kid with ADHD has a variation in what will or won't set them off). If you haven't been directed to Chadd yet, I definitely recommend this group. Try www.chadd.com this is a nationwide group (sometimes with meetings in your area) dedicated to nothing but children and adults with ADD. I have organized seminars for my own area in past years and they are such a wealth of information. While there are other parents there to give your their support and take on what works for their situation, there are also actual doctors who run this and can give you the true medical information you are in need of.

DS was diagnosed prior to his starting school. Not sure if he would have been diagnosed so early, but he also has other developmental issues. DS was on Adderall XR for many years. This was not my preference (since I could handle DS just fine), but the schools had a difficult time with him not only being distracted, but disrupting the class with his outbursts. When DS got older (our experience, not everyones) the Adderall seemed to zone him out mid day to the point of him falling asleep in class. I nixed it from his routine when he was in middle school. He has been ok since then-still some issues, but overall, he has adapted pretty well. Some kids never need medication, some need meds only for a time and others need medication all their lives. If your pediatrician is not well versed on the subject, I'd suggest you find a group (such as Chadd) that is so you can do what is best for your son. Sometimes you have to educate your own physician (or find a new one if they are not so helpful).

 

[MommaPooh217]

I have heard that doctor's will not diagnose a toddler w/ ADHD...have I heard wrong or do they diagnose ADHD at such a young age? If they do diagnose so young, what symptoms do they look for, since some of them might be close to normal toddler traits?

Just curious...I have an extra hyper 2 year old who it is hard to even carry on a conversation with because he will not focus on you (either that or he is just REALLY good at ignoring!)

I have a 23 year old DS and a 7 year old DD who were both diagnosed with adhd. The 23 year old is grown now but at the time he was diagnosed there was so much pressure from my DH and inlaws (who were in denail about this) he was never put on medication and struggled through school for most of his education.And I will always wonder how much he would have been able to accomplish in school if I had been able to stand up to them at the time (he is my firstborn).
My 7 year old takes 10mg of adderal on school days.I asked my pediatrician when she was 3 about ADHD testing for her. He explained that children her age are too young to be diagnosed because toddlers are always active, curious and for the most part don't have long attention spans. He told me that they usually don't test for ADHD until a child is at least 5 and they have been evaluated by their teacher and parents as potentially having adhd.

I would consider getting a second opinion from another pediatrician about the diagnosis especially since the the child is still esentailly a toddler and this seems like normal toddler behavior to me. It nevers hurts to get a second or third opinion when it comes to the health and well being of your child. I hope this helps.

Blessed Be,
Tina

 

[Green Tea]

I can not believe any Doctor diagnosed a 3 year old!!!! Unreal.

Do you have personal experience in this situation? It isn't something any parent of a very young child wants to hear, and not something that a general practicioner or a regular pediatrician are likely going to attempt to sort out. But, developmental pediatricians, pediatric neurologists, pediactic psychiatrists, etc can and have made the call. It isn't an easy thing to determine, but some cases are so severe that that intervention is warranted prior to the age when "people" might think it appropriate to diagnose.

OP, follow your child's lead. Take a break when you need to, don't plan to cover the parks quickly. Hold onto his hand tightly!

 

[pweyl36]

When my older son was 5yrs.my ped.sent us to a neurologist. That was who
did the testing ,and dx my son with add.Yes i did give my son meds. But if I didnt he would have never been able graduate high school last year with a B
avg.Also I would never let him act up and use his add as an excuse for his behavor. He would get punished,And now at 19yrs.the neurologist told him last yr that it is now up to him if he thinks he needs his meds.To the op first you must get control,it seems that you really didnt have control in the first place.A lot of people with out of control kids like to blame the childrens behavor on every thing but them selfs.If it was up to me you should see a neurologist first and try a little discipline first.

 

[vickyBaby]

When my older son was 5yrs.my ped.sent us to a neurologist. That was who did the testing ,and dx my son with add.

I agree 100%. A Pediatric Neurologist should be the Doctor making the diagnosis and determining accurate medications to be prescribed.

Please don't let the diagnosis of a pediatrician be your guide. Having watched a child (not mine) be diagnosed and medicated improperly was very sad.

 

[Schmeck]

Yes!!! I forgot about the bubbles! You can buy them at Wal-mart! THe play-doh is a great idea too!

As I posted above, using bubbles in line is not really nice - people can't avoid them like they could elsewhere, as you are packed in between ropes/chains in the queue. My daughter is now outgrowing (I think) her skin allergy to bubble solution, but if we were at WDW, in line, and someone was blowing bubbles, we'd have to leave the line. There are some bubble solutions she didn't react to (like the bubbles in VOTLM) but the ones in the little wedding bottles caused her to have an awful skin rash on her face and arms.

Even if someone isn't allergic to bubbles, they still sting when they pop in your face, cause stains on fine clothing, and may cause a child to dart out of line, under the ropes, to chase that stray bubble, while the parent is stuck in the line, unable to follow easily.

So, please save the bubbles for open spaces?

 

[Blondiex46]

As a parent that has ADD and has 4 children with it, but the time my younger children got diagnosed at 3, but I knew it already because I had lived it twice already. You know the signs, symptoms, actions, meltdowns, etc. It does depend on the dr., they do diagnose at 3, although the DSMIV says not until the age of 7 and for more then 6 months, etc. some reason you just had her diagnosed, if it is getting in the way of her learning or the learning of others at school then it will become a problem. Feel free to pm me if you haveany questions.

Now to your child, it all depends but here are my suggestions, make sure she gets enough sleep, watch for the over stimulation you will know when that happens, take frequent breaks, make sure she eats and drinks.

 

[In Luv with Disney]

OP I'm really curious about what kind of criteria your child met in order to be diagnosed with ADHD? Did you get a 2nd opinion? I'm just curious because a 3 yr old isn't eligible to be tested in this area.

My son was tested and diagnosed when he was 3. I live in Long Island, New York. He was kicked out of a nursery school because of his hyperactivity and inability to sit still and pay attention to ANYTHING. I called Early Intervention immediately. I had him tested through the school district, and also privately on my own. He received services immediately. He is now 5 1/2 and he also PROBABLY has Aspergers disorder.

 

[Amy5000]

I decided to ask my sister about this because she and her husband are both doctors. She said it is up to the individual doctor when they will diagnose ADHD, if at all, since each doctor brings his or her own prejudices or beliefs into their practice of medicine. (Just like some gyn's will not prescribe birth control because it goes against their personal beliefs). There is no hard and fast rule about when it is appropriate to diagnose ADD or ADHD according to the AMA.

There are many doctors who are hesitant to dx children early with things like ADD, ADHD, PDD (Autism Spectrum) for many reasons. That speach delay might be apraxia instead of ASD. That hyper-disorganized behavior could be Sensory Processing Disorder or PDD rather than ADHD. And frankly, some of these behaviors are very overlapping and not always easy to tag. Thus the book:
"Kids in the Syndrome Mix of ADHD, LD, Asperger's, Tourette's, Bipolar, And More!: The One Stop Guide for Parents, Teachers, and Other Professionals"

That said, I think that the hesitancy to dx (b/c the dr. might be wrong or feel that he/she can't clearly identify a dx) doesn't mean that these kids don't have issues that are clearly identifiable at an early age. They do, but if they are not severe enough to get an ASD dx (and people don't evey like to give that dx until age 2) they will go un-dx'd for a while.

If your physician has diagnosed ADHD for your child, they should be providing you with techniques you can use for your unique situation (because each kid with ADHD has a variation in what will or won't set them off).

Maybe that's true and maybe in an ideal world that would happen. In my experience, if your lucky most peds. and dev. peds. will at best point you in the right direction or suggest some options, but you really need to figure most of this out on your own. (At least if you are looking for options other than meds...).

Finally, to the OP. I understand that at least one person suggested you are really dealing with what other parents of 3 yrs. old deal with. While I'm sure to some extent that is true (what 3 y.o. wants to wait in line), thinking of my own 2 children I have to acknowledge that it is different. My 2 y.o. is much better equipped to stand in line without loosing it, acting inappropriately or running off than my 4 y.o. (My 4 y.o. is not dx'd with ADD, but I believe he may be dx'd one day.). It can appear to be the same thing, but it's not, even if only as a result of the degree difficultly. Not so say that my 2yo can't give me heck...b/c it happens frequently....but it's just different. My 2yo tests and throws tantrums, but ultimately knows exactly what's going on and does not suffer from the distractions and impulsivity -- of course, I may have just jinx'd myself).

In any event, good luck. I hope you have a fabulous trip.

 

[hollyb]

To be honest I have really no control. I guess I was hoping people could share what works for them with their kids. I am also a little worried about handling her in lines and while we are eating. I guess that I really need help for everything not just disney!

She is 3 and your using her adhd has an excuse as to why you cant handle her. Your a mother who gives this disablity a bad name. Our children can be taught and "controled" just fine. With the right parenting. Yes I do know what I talking about. Autism, ADD and ADHD been there done that. Honestly you should have started 3 years ago.

 

[fan_of_small_world]

She is 3 and your using her adhd has an excuse as to why you cant handle her. Your a mother who gives this disablity a bad name. Our children can be taught and "controled" just fine. With the right parenting. Yes I do know what I talking about. Autism, ADD and ADHD been there done that. Honestly you should have started 3 years ago.

There really isn't any reason to go down her throat. Many parents of kids with difficult personalities, ADHD or not, struggle with how to handle them, even at age 3 (or 5, 7, 9...). This mom is asking for help, which is a great thing to do.

Yes, there are many parents who let a dx justify any and all kids of behavior. But do you really think it's right to give her a hard time just because she asked for help?

How about sharing your experiences or advice instead of just bashing her?

 

[freckles and boo]

She is 3 and your using her adhd has an excuse as to why you cant handle her. Your a mother who gives this disablity a bad name. Our children can be taught and "controled" just fine. With the right parenting. Yes I do know what I talking about. Autism, ADD and ADHD been there done that. Honestly you should have started 3 years ago.

Pretty harsh, don't you think??? I also have a daughter with autism and I used to think "If I can do it, anyone can." However, we recently began spending very limited amounts of time with a little boy in her class and his mom is completely overwhelmed. Her child's behaviors are extreme. At school he is an angel. At home he pinches, hits, swears (vile things), throws things, you name it. Fortunately for her he is tiny and she can still physically handle him. He also is a child of an ugly divorce and his dad appears to be a horrible influence (teaching him to do and say things to mom) but has legal rights to his kid. She is attempting to remedy this with the courts but the dad has many more resources than she does. Yes, she should be able to handle him, but there are many elements in his life that are beyond her control. Please don't sit in judgment unless you know all the facts.

 

[Amy5000]

She is 3 and your using her adhd has an excuse as to why you cant handle her. Your a mother who gives this disablity a bad name. Our children can be taught and "controled" just fine. With the right parenting. Yes I do know what I talking about. Autism, ADD and ADHD been there done that. Honestly you should have started 3 years ago.

Whoa. So you are the expert on all children with Autism, ADD and ADHD. Ever hear the saying: "If you've seen one child with autism, you've seen one child with autism." Forgetting the fact that it's a spectrum disorder, it can present completely differently in different children. Some are super-compliant and other are the opposite. I have also met ADD children who differ in terms of compliance. One friend described her ADD son as being so compliant that he always tries to do what she wants but so distractible that he has a hard time finishing what he asks.

While I agree that parents cannot fall asleep at the wheel when parenting children with issues, most of us do not get advanced training for special needs children. We have to learn on the job (as most parents do) but the learning curve is steeper and harder. When my DS has issue we totally deal with it and he knows there are consequences. But his impulsivity is high and despite understanding the consequences, he often cannot stop his impulsive behavior. Example: We lost DS while on vacation at a water park. We found him within 15 mins, but we were all so upset that we left for day. DS was very concerned when he saw how upset I was (crying hysterically) and promised to stay with us and not do it again. He didn't like being separated either. The next day we tried the park again and reinforced the "staying with mommy and daddy." at breakfast and before we entered the park. He smiled and said yes and seemed so sincere. We were there less than one hour before he wandered off. (I followed him this time to see how long it would take him to realize what he was doing). My point is that these children have a disability. Yes, being a structured parent helps, but you act like this mom is asleep at the wheel and I suspect that she's trying very hard to figure out how to be a good mom to her DD.

One more thing...her DD is 3. Her DD may have a limited abilities at this time. While I'm sure she can be "taught" it's not as though it happens in an instant. (And I'm not sure what you think the OP did wrong in her child's first months of life than set her DD down the wrong path). I'm sure my DS will eventually learn to do a better job of staying with us. It's something I plan on working on this summer.

Anyway, hollyb, I guess I though your email was harsh in that it made judgements on limited amounts of information. There are many times I've said that my DS was in control (and in some ways still is). That doesn't mean I haven't imposed consequences, canceled everything for the day while I tried to get him to sit for 2 mins in a timeout, sought advice from professionals, took away toys, etc.

Alright...I need to get back to work now...

 

[dhardawa]

Sounds like she's in control and she knows it. This is the age they really try to challenge you, your patience and limits. Definately time to step up and show her who's the boss, since you have some time before your trip. Follow through is important. Praise her when you catch her behaving, and being a 'good girl' or being patient.

I'm just wondering if they can accurately diagnose a 3 year old with adhd. Seems too young. Did you get a second or third opinion?

This was my thought EXACTLY. The diagnosis criteria for ADHD are typical behavior or not applicable in a three year old. Also, they have to be apparent for at least six months so some of these would have been in a child younger than three. For example:

1. Having trouble organizing activities - I wouldn't expect a three year old to organize activities

2. Getting up from a seat when they are expected to remain sitting - Typical three year old behavior.

3. Having problems waiting in line - Yep, that is a three year old too.

Everything I have read has set a minimum age for diagnosis of ADHD at 5 years old.

 

[Hope73]

My son was not diagnosed wiht adhd until he was in first grade and 7 years olf. I am a teacher and I think I knew it from the time he was 2. He has a very hard time focusing and it was not fun to have him in disney at times.

Our first trip was before meds and he was wild. We never had problems wiht tantrums just activity. He was climbing all ofer every rail in every line, talked to all kinds of peole even if hey didn't want to and touched everything.

A stroller was a lifesaver because he could be contained and it gave him a calm contained place for himself. We have this tihgn called a clix which is a bunch of linkd that clikd arount. I would have a toy he can hold.

The think is it is Disney and let him have fun.

I did the pin trading so when he wanted to tak to peole he talked to a lot of the cast members.

I think you wll find that he is so happy to be there and there is so much to do he will be good.

I will take a very small bag of legos to a rest to entertain during the wait.

I am big on not carring lots of stuff in the parks so I have never taken along game boys or things like that.