Spin-off: Talk to me about ADD/ADHD and getting your child diagnosed

DS is 5 years old and started Kindergarten this year. He's always been very hyper active, can't sit still, has trouble focusing, etc. He's been like this for as long as I can remember. His daycare teachers and PreK teachers all have made it very clear that this was consistently his behavior. He's a VERY smart kid - above grade level in almost all categories. But getting him to sit still to complete an activity or sit through a lesson in Kindergarten is nearly impossible. During "carpet time" the other students are sitting in their spots and DS is rolling around on the carpet. Sitting at the table he is constantly kicking his legs or playing with something on the table. He has nervous habits that seem to be getting worse: he bites his finger nails down to the nub, pulls at his shirt collars, puts everything in his mouth.

His teacher has repeatedly told us that he's the only student in class exhibiting these behaviors, and to be honest, I've noticed that at his age most other children are much calmer and able to focus much better. I've had a suspicion for years that he has some form of ADD/ADHD but in all honesty I have no idea how to even go about having him diagnosed. What's the first step? Who do I take him to see? Who needs to be involved?

Spin-off: Talk to me about ADD/ADHD and getting your child diagnosed

He is young to diagnose. I will say that some doctors are hesitant to diagnose in K. Some will. The behaviors sound like ADHD, but at this age could also be a maturity thing. In my opinion, I would take a wait and see approach. If he's smart, he could just be bored. But I will tell you my experience.

When my son was in K, he was not hyper. He was more "in a fog". His K teacher actually approached me and asked if he could have a hearing problem. She said he would zone out and you had to physically touch him to get him to come back. Ironically, his first and second grade teachers also asked about his hearing. He did fine in K, was above level otherwise. Same thing basically in 1st. Keep in mind, things are easy at this level.

In second grade is where we started to really see the issues come out. The teacher would say he wiggles in his chair, he didn't hear things, he was always fidgeting with something (a string, a paper clip). We started to see him struggle to complete assignments, he was bringing home additional classwork that he didn't finish for homework. I approached the 2nd grade teacher about it, she said she didn't see it, said he was just immature, not trying.

Third grade was the awaking for us. He had only been in school for about three weeks when we had open school night. He was already struggling, homework was a nightmare already. I approached the teacher at open house and she said (off the record) "Absolutely, we should pursue it". We had the school evaluate, they said he was "borderline". So we pursued our own diagnosis through a psychologist who did extensive testing and his outcome was mixed type ADHD.

Now, at 11 and in middle school, he is a classic case of ADHD. Before this, I did not really believe ADHD existed (shallow of me), but it couldn't be more obvious in a child. Just sitting at a desk or chair, he rocks forward and backward (like a child with autism might). He physically does not stop moving ever. And I don't mean jumping off furniture hyper, I just mean a part of his body is always moving (leg, arm, hands). Its impossible to stay still. Homework takes us close to three hours because he has constant distractions and needs to be redirected. Its a huge struggle. He has some accomodations at school and the teachers are aware.

Wow, that was long. But to answer your question, at this age I wouldn't personally do anything. Maybe mention it to your pediatrician and start investigating some doctors in your area for when you're ready. A dev pediatrician, a psychologist, a neurologist can all make the diagnosis. Check out your insurance to see who or what might be covered. I would also maybe keep a journal of the behaviors you are seeing so you can reference it when the time comes. Keep report cards and teacher comments. You will need it all if you want to get the school involved someday.

Sorry for rambling, slow day at work. Hope all this helps!

Message edited 10/2/2014 3:44:55 PM.

Re: Spin-off: Talk to me about ADD/ADHD and getting your child diagnosed

I strongly recommend going through Cohen's.

It's a long wait time (3-4 months on average) but so worth it IMO.

Plus when you are an established pt, it's easier to get appts.

You can also have him evaluated through the school district to see if he qualifies for any services but they can't diagnose as far as I know.

You can also have him seen privately by a child psychologist.

Re: Spin-off: Talk to me about ADD/ADHD and getting your child diagnosed

p.s. My son will be 6 in December and I think we were given the diagnosis this spring.

I personally would rather be proactive and have this all be nothing in the future, than take a wait and see approach.

There's not a right or wrong answer, but given the wait times at places, it's good to start early IMO.

You also know if it's affecting things that much in your day to day life, he should probably be seen.

Re: Spin-off: Talk to me about ADD/ADHD and getting your child diagnosed

I agree with going to Cohen's. Definitely worth the wait. My kids just have inattentive type ADHD and their teacher thought it was a hearing and processing disorder. Turns out it was ADHD, they couldn't respond to questions because they were zoning out and not listening. Class work was getting exceedingly harder and they were always frustrated. After their diagnosis things got better. Not perfect but definitely better.

Re: Spin-off: Talk to me about ADD/ADHD and getting your child diagnosed

Spin-off: Talk to me about ADD/ADHD and getting your child diagnosed

Well, it does sound a lot like he could have ADHD. A dev. pediatrician, a psychologist, or a ped neurologist can diagnose. Sometimes even a pediatrician will diagnose. I would see them (your ped) first and see what direction they send you in.

My son is VERY touchy feely also. He is constantly hanging on us even at 11. He just can't keep his hands to himself, so that's a red flag also. It can't hurt to get the ball rolling if you feel strongly about it. Its a long process.

Re: Spin-off: Talk to me about ADD/ADHD and getting your child diagnosed

A Dev pediatrician diagnosed DS at Cohen's.
He has adhd mixed typed and some sensory issues.
He has been better this year compared to Pre k when transitions were horrible.

He is super hyper though and when he is picked up from school, it's almost like he is shot out of a canon and then cannot calm down.

Dr. P recommended melatonin to calm him down at night and it's been a miracle and he finally goes to sleep at a normal hour.

Re: Spin-off: Talk to me about ADD/ADHD and getting your child diagnosed

Re: Spin-off: Talk to me about ADD/ADHD and getting your child diagnosed

Re: Spin-off: Talk to me about ADD/ADHD and getting your child diagnosed

One of my dds has a lot of trouble calming down at night and going to sleep, she doesn't stop moving and mumbling and even says she can't calm down. I tried giving her melatonin and it gave her very vivid dreams, I would go in and she would be asleep yet calling out for me. It made me nervous so I stopped it

Re: Spin-off: Talk to me about ADD/ADHD and getting your child diagnosed

Your son sounds a lot like mine. He is also in kindergarten and can not sit still, always getting up, fidgeting, gets off line, etc. They started doing a sticker chart with him and taking him to the sensory gym to bounce on the trampoline or swing to get out some energy throughout the day. I also signed him up for the social skills class to help him with his boundaries, taking turns.

I actually just called Cohen's today to get an evaluation, she told me they are booking into February. Hopefully we can wait that long!

Re: Spin-off: Talk to me about ADD/ADHD and getting your child diagnosed

My DS is very similar to what everyone here has described. We had him diagnosed last year at 7, second grade, by a pediatric neurologist with ADD Inattentive type. He also can't stay seated for long. He doesn't run around and act as a distraction to the class, but he just can't seem to plant his butt for too long. It's the same at mealtimes. He's always fidgeting, touching things, touching people, etc... I will say that he has come a long way. He was much more restless in kindergarten. He still has some struggles, but as he gets older he learns more self control. He is not on medication nor does he have a 504 or IEP in place, as of now. I do make sure his teachers are aware of his diagnosis and just ask them to redirect him when they see him zoning out. We are very fortunate, that at least as of now, DH performs above grade level so at least the academics are not a struggle for him.

Re: Spin-off: Talk to me about ADD/ADHD and getting your child diagnosed

As part of the testing at Cohen's they do IQ tests and DS is at the top.

This is actually my concern as he gets older probably even more than adhd....especially because we are in a very diverse/lower income district that has other concerns going on.

So far his teacher is awesome though and there have been no issues.

Re: Spin-off: Talk to me about ADD/ADHD and getting your child diagnosed

A psychologist who does psychological evaluations can diagnosis him. Its expensive (i know because my husband is a psychologist who does these evals often and is also a school Psychologist), the school can do it, if you request but it will not be as extensive an evaluation as a private psychologist will do. I would have to check but im not sure if the school is allowed to actually dx adhd. You can so look into hofstra, but my husband has heard there is a 3 or more month waiting list. Most insurances will not pay, but check out of network benefits)

Message edited 10/4/2014 12:30:32 PM.

Spin-off: Talk to me about ADD/ADHD and getting your child diagnosed

I don't have any advice, but I am also having some issues with my 5 year old DD.

She is either going at a million miles an hour or zoning out. She is also very smart and has a high skill set.

She's been in K for a few weeks now and the teacher has asked me about her hearing, says she is concerned about DD walking into a wall or something (because she's too focused on other kids/people to pay attention to her own actions). On Friday she got her first warning letter home because she was 'acting silly' when told repeatedly to sit quietly.

When we're home eating dinner, she needs to be told a million times to sit in her chair. She gets up and is all over the place.

I plan on taking a 'wait and see' approach at this point, because I'm not convinced it's anything but a maturity issue. I am also going to work on her sleep habits and diet and see if it helps at all.

Spin-off: Talk to me about ADD/ADHD and getting your child diagnosed

My son is 3yrs old (just turned 3 -- 2 weeks ago) & starting to think he may have some ADHD. It makes me so sad. It has not been said yet. I just recd back from nursery teacher an eval which I am to give to psych. He rec'd many "#3's" which is the worst one can get.

He just was evaluated by the Psych & scored high/above average. The next step is to eval him in school. I am not sure of date yet. I am also going to get his hearing checked in 2 weeks. Any other advice??

Re: Spin-off: Talk to me about ADD/ADHD and getting your child diagnosed

Posted by PregowithTwins

My son is 3yrs old (just turned 3 -- 2 weeks ago) & starting to think he may have some ADHD. It makes me so sad. It has not been said yet. I just recd back from nursery teacher an eval which I am to give to psych. He rec'd many "#3's" which is the worst one can get.

He just was evaluated by the Psych & scored high/above average. The next step is to eval him in school. I am not sure of date yet. I am also going to get his hearing checked in 2 weeks. Any other advice??

Spin-off: Talk to me about ADD/ADHD and getting your child diagnosed

Personally, I think 3 is WAY too young to evaluate. He has a lot of growing and maturing to do, he's just a little boy still. Granted, most people with an ADHD child do see symptoms that young, but even the testing at that age will be hard to administer.

I would not take my child at that age. I would definitely wait and see.

Re: Spin-off: Talk to me about ADD/ADHD and getting your child diagnosed

If you have some concerns I don't think any age is too young to have your child evaluated by a professional. Any advice or guidance you receive now can be very helpful as they grow.