Wow does that sound similar! My Son is now 7 and by the way still can not sit on the carpet still, lol. I say it with laughter because thou he does not take medication and there are times that i go crazy I remember just how you feel and am still not that far away.

Children with A.D.D. are covered under the disabilities act; perhaps see if you can find a college student looking to get credits & a bit of money......

Believe me I understand your frustration but it will get a bit better; my son had speech delays & wouldn’t really make eye contact as a toddler. His potty training went well with his dad but around me he took like 10 steps back, I’ve fought with several teachers and administrators and as much as I have learned about still find myself in your shoes, telling my family he is not lazy & spoiled...lol, ohhh the challenges. Yet here is a boy that at 7 cannot cross his legs at carpet time but reads at a 6th grade level-0)

We do behavior Therapy at home, there are always consequences but at times that is hard, we give him Omega 3 fatty acids and that seems to help, sport are a big thing even thou he has poor eye coordination we put him in swimming lessons and that worked out well. also a dead set structure like where he sleeps and what time ect.

I hope it helps,Barbie

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My son was 3 1/2 y/o when we was diagnosed with ODD. We switched daycare's because he was too aggressive and was hitting/kicking teachers, running toward the doors. We went to a center that was a little more secure, if he was to make it out the door. They knew all his issues before we started. They kicked him out after 2 months. >:(

When he was 4, he was diagnosed by a Neurologist with ADHD (hyperactive type). We started him on 2.5 mg Methylin...the lowest dose. It helped him calm down enough that he wasn't running around like a nut. Now, at 5 1/2 y/o, he's currently on Focalin XR 15 mg. It is the same drug as Methylin, just extended release. It doesn't make him a zombie, it's just enough to keep him calm for most of the day. We actually think he may need a booster dose of maybe 4 hr. Methylin at 3-4 pm., because he tends to go nuts towards the end of the day (6pm-ish).

Take him to a Neurologist, they will evaluate him and help you make the right decision about meds. Always start with a low dose.

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You need to have a professional evaluation as it may not be ADHD, although it very well could be. A developmental pediatrician or pediatric neurologist who is knowledgeable about ADHD are two good choices of a doctor to see. You can also ask your pediatrician if he feels comfortable with making a diagnosis at that age. If not, ask him for referrals to someone who is experienced in evaluating young children with the same issues as your child.

Elaine

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Unfortunately, too often all off-task behavior is seen as ADHD when it might be something else. In this case, this child might be showing symptoms of an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Lack of eye-contact and unresponsiveness to external demands are not typical of ADHD. Kids with ADHD do not completely ignore others. Asperger's Disorder might be a possibility. A Behavioral Pediatrician should be consulted.

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Hi, I have a 11 year old who was diagnosed at 4 1/2 with ADHD, SID and a learning disablitity. He was put into the school district's preschool program. This might be an option for you, to have professionals that know what they are doing to help you with your child. My son was 4 1/2 when he toilet trained, because I put him on the feingold program (see www.adhddiet.com). The diet worked wonders, but isn't a cure. Once you get rid of things from their diet that have a negative effect on their bodies, they can think better. I have our whole familiy on the program to make it easier. I have chosen not to put my son on medication. I also have ADD. Diet is a huge part of my symptom management. I hope this is encouraging. :-)

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Hi:

My son who is seven now, was showing signs of ADHD as early as 2 years old! Amazingly, he was a super mellow baby. But he started showing signs of having difficult sleeping, he started having issues with eye coordination and he had this impulse to throw balls...ALL the time! The older he got, the more symptoms he began to exhibit. Last summer, we had to pull him out of day camp because he kept running off and threatening his own safety. He had a fixation of playing with the water in the sink at camp as well and getting water all over th place, despite the fact that he knew it would get him in trouble. He started to be aggressive toward other people and animals when he got frustrated as well. That was the turning point. When he just turned seven I had him evaluated by his doctor, a neurologist and a child psychologist. Turns out he was "classic" ADHD, they say. They wanted me to start him on Ritalin but I held off for about a month. But, it became apparent that he could not keep his hands to himself in class, he would yell out answers and basically had very poor impulse control for a child of his AGE. I have since started him on Ritalin at 5 mg and we have left him there. I love seeing his self confidence grow as he feels he has more control over his actions and he is getting in less trouble at school! I work with him at home with "Think it through" exercises. While I don't know if I would start my child at such a young age on meds, because I feel that they must be given time to mature, it is really up to you and your doctor to make that choice. I highly recommend two books: The Gift of ADHD and Your Hyperactive Child, which is by Barbara Ingersoll. I like the second book because it specifically talks about how people assume you spoil your child when they have ADHD but that is really not the case. The first book gives great ideas on how to work with your child to exercise their frontal brain and learning to think about things before acting. I do several of the exercises with my son and it has helped. Our goal it to let him stop taking the meds someday when he feels he is ready.

Hope I have helped some Liz

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As a former day care provider and mom of multiple ADD children with speech delays, I hear you. Here's the problem, it takes advanced parenting skills and a lot of time and a lot of patience to deal with all that energy, and pent up frustration, and energy, and curiosity. Realize it is frustrating for your child as well. Quite honestly it is more work than a day care worker is paid to do. A great resource would be an early intervention program (often free) that should be available through the school district. They will be equipped to deal with speech issues and may even have a pre-school program with professionals who know how to handle ADHD children. They will not get bent out of shape if your child is not potty trained at a "normal" age, they expect the kids to try to run off, etc. They know the difference between spoiled kids and energetic ones. They should also be able to help you learn ways to make life easier when you are home. If possible, consider staying home with your child while you both learn how to deal with some of these issues and how to help your child get to a point where he will be welcome in day care (or kindergarten soon!). It is a big job and someone's got to do it. If staying home is not an option you may want to see if there is a day care referral service in your area who gives referrals to in home day cares. They should be able to tell you if there is a provider in your area who has specifically indicated they are trained to deal with and will accept ADHD children.

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My daugher sho is now 6 has been diagnosed with Childhood Apraxia of Speech. She has not been diagnosed with ADD, but she did bite her brother and sister when sjhe was two three and four. By the time she was in kindergarten, she was hugging her classmates. She has been in private and public school speech therapy since she was two. We had much more success with the private, naturally since she was getting one on one time for a whole hour. The public school, with 12 hours of preschool was giving her 15 nminutes of speech in a room with the speech therapist with a few other students. Apraxia rewuires lots of one on one. She is now expressing herself better and reading!! The speech therapist has recommended a Dynavox ( speech generating device) . My daughter is in parochial school and has been there for preschool, too. She was concurrently i nboth public school and private school preschool. I have advocated strongly for her and have an open dialog with the teachers. She is in a loving nurturing environment. The more TLC and firmness, not allowing them to get away with bad behavior, but sitting down and explaining that the bad behavior is not acceptable and talking with him to see what the real problem is so you can address it as it comes up will help him with coping skills that he will need throughout life. ( I also have a daugher, 7, who has just been diagnosed with ADD. I was given many sugestions. This was done by a private psychologist who works in the public schools, but has her kids in the same school that I have mine in.) Educate yourself, advocate for your child. Expect to have issues, but don't lower your standards so low that he doesn't get coping skills. You'll be doing the best for him with plenty of TLC, also! Wishing you the best. This must be a very frustrating time for you>>

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My son was 4 years old when he was diagnosed with ADHD (also was kicked out of preschool) and he was able to receive medication. He is 11 years old now and over these last 7 years has regularly had to have medications adjusted, either increased dosage or changed altogether, in order for him to stay focused in school. For the first time just recently I have been able to reduce his medication level (from 54 mg down to 36mg of Concerta) and he is doing really well. I attribute this to having changed to a completely preservative free, food-dye free diet. You would be surprised the amount of packaged foods that have preservatives like Silicon Dioxide and even liquids like soda and soy sauce that have Sodium Benzoate! There was an article in Woman's World mag on 10/9/07 of another mom who cut out all the preservatives and saw great results with her son. I started buying from the same food manufacturer she did and now started selling it so I could get the discounted groceries. I wish I had known then what I know now. Check out my website for natural, healthy food choices. www.cheryl.mywildtree.com

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Hello KARA_MD, I definitely understand your frustration! My son has been diagnosed in June 2008 with ADHD and ODD, right when he turned four. I always suspected that he had ADHD ever since his third birthday. Well a couple of days ago, I had to pull him out of preschool. The teachers could not handle him, and I can tell that the principal wants me to check out other schools. I was sad because my son really enjoyed school, and I felt as if they did not give him a chance (he was only there for a week). The problem is, I live in American Samoa (US Territory) and it is extremely difficult to find the resources and care an ADHD child needs. Just about everyone I encounter here has never even heard of ADHD, and it is frustrating for me to have no one to talk to and relate to this. Oh, I am also a single mother! I understand how you feel and it can be a tough road ahead, but anything is possible when you believe in your child and always be there for them. I believe our ADHD children have been blessed in some way and will change this world with their abilities! God bless and good luck :)

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