How did you know that your four year old daughter had adhd?

[Anonymous]

What were the signs? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

No answer, but exactly the same question for my almost 4 year old. Utterly unable to focus on any tasks even those she enjoys and seeks out. Any class - even ones she requests - are a disaster. Preschool teacher just pulled me aside and said they were having trouble getting her to participate in any group activities and she has yet to even sit through a circle time, etc.

[Anonymous]

Same here - my DD will be 4 in 2 months but we have been wondering the same thing. She can't sit still for a minute - gets up over and over at meal times, never stays with any activity for more than a few minutes before moving on to the next, also gets up during circle time non-stop and is constantly asked to sit down, never follows instructions (not sure if she can't or just won't) and is a very emotional child (still cries a ton over the smallest things).

Our doc said this CAN be normal and if she doesn't mellow out over the next 6-8 months we can discuss seeing a developmental pediatrician. But for now she thinks it's premature.

[Anonymous]

Four years old is still way too early to diagnose anything but the most extreme cases (which usually involved things like significant injuries). There's way too much overlap between the ADHD profile and the developmentally typical profile at that age. Obviously once you have an ADHD diagnosis in your older child it's easy to look back and see symptoms during their younger years, but another child with the same symptoms could completely outgrow it.

[Anonymous]

My dd is almost 10 and was diagnosed with ADHD in 2nd grade. Her symptoms when she was 4 were: difficulty to transition - had to many times carry her screaming and crying out of mall play areas or other places she didn't want to leave after multiple warnings, never sat for circle time, would often "do her own thing" in classes like Gymboree instead of following along with the group, could play for long period of times with toys that interested her (hyper focus).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My dd is almost 10 and was diagnosed with ADHD in 2nd grade. Her symptoms when she was 4 were: difficulty to transition - had to many times carry her screaming and crying out of mall play areas or other places she didn't want to leave after multiple warnings, never sat for circle time, would often "do her own thing" in classes like Gymboree instead of following along with the group, could play for long period of times with toys that interested her (hyper focus).

Just to add onto my post. I agree with a PP that 4 years old is too early to diagnose ADHD, and I didn't even think about it at that time. But looking back, I did sometimes wonder why all the other kids would be sitting in circle time listening to the teacher read, while my dd roamed the room and played with the play kitchen. Or why the toddlers at 2 years old would line up to do the activity at Gymboree while my dd would be climbing up to ring the bell, etc. I even remember in a kid's yoga class the teacher commenting to me about dd and saying that she would be fine but would need lots of physical activity to keep herself calm as she grew up.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the responses. I'm on the fence, but will follow up w/ped. She sits during circle time, generally follows directions during school, is calm in restaurants, and is a great car passenger. But her degree of unwillingness to separate from a playground and her overall stubbornness outside of a school and activity setting is so intense compared to most other kids that it concerns me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the responses. I'm on the fence, but will follow up w/ped. She sits during circle time, generally follows directions during school, is calm in restaurants, and is a great car passenger. But her degree of unwillingness to separate from a playground and her overall stubbornness outside of a school and activity setting is so intense compared to most other kids that it concerns me.

That doesn't sounds very different from the many 4 year olds I know. Give it time, OP. She is so, so young.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Four years old is still way too early to diagnose anything but the most extreme cases (which usually involved things like significant injuries). There's way too much overlap between the ADHD profile and the developmentally typical profile at that age. Obviously once you have an ADHD diagnosis in your older child it's easy to look back and see symptoms during their younger years, but another child with the same symptoms could completely outgrow it.

Agree. Four is much too young unless there are extenuating circumstances.

[Anonymous]

Four years old is still way too early to diagnose anything but the most extreme cases (which usually involved things like significant injuries). There's way too much overlap between the ADHD profile and the developmentally typical profile at that age. Obviously once you have an ADHD diagnosis in your older child it's easy to look back and see symptoms during their younger years, but another child with the same symptoms could completely outgrow it.

I think what is concerning is how unusual certain characteristics are even as compared to her peers. (I'm a PP not OP.) She probably has the one of the hardest times sitting at school of both the girls and boys. Similar story at soccer - which is basically just running around at this age and which we thought would be a good fit - where she is an outlier too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the responses. I'm on the fence, but will follow up w/ped. She sits during circle time, generally follows directions during school, is calm in restaurants, and is a great car passenger. But her degree of unwillingness to separate from a playground and her overall stubbornness outside of a school and activity setting is so intense compared to most other kids that it concerns me.

All the ADHD kids in my dd's K class could not sit during circle time or rug time. They had assigned seats on a particular spot or had to sit in a chair because they couldn't sit still on the rug/circle time. I'm the PP who posted about her dd diagnosed in 1st grade. You would not believe the amount of emails from the K teacher about my kid and sitting on the stupid rug. Ugh.

[Anonymous]

My son is almost 4, and, like your daughter, an outlier in terms of lack of attention and self regulation. he also has obvious sensory issues, like leaning on people and touching everyone that make it pretty clear something is going on. He also has had some minor speech delays. Does your dd have anything like that? My understanding actually is that kids under 5 can be diagnosed - there are some good NIH studies - but its easier and more predicatable after 5. Also, the only treatment would be therapy, more for the parents, so it is more about putting that into place. medication for later. I will say, and I understand that this is true for many parents who had kids who presented with very several ADD in preschool - we have suspected it since he was around 1, and I completely believe that medication may truly be very helpful for him, like a godsend. He simply can't focus on anything, not even potty training, and it is like he can't rest his body no matter how much he wants to. It must be exhausting to be him.

[Anonymous]

Constantly jumping. Eating like 5 grown men yet only weighed 30 pounds.. Able to eat 10 dog dogs in 1 sitting and crying for more food because she was so hungry. Wouldn't listen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the responses. I'm on the fence, but will follow up w/ped. She sits during circle time, generally follows directions during school, is calm in restaurants, and is a great car passenger. But her degree of unwillingness to separate from a playground and her overall stubbornness outside of a school and activity setting is so intense compared to most other kids that it concerns me.

All the ADHD kids in my dd's K class could not sit during circle time or rug time. They had assigned seats on a particular spot or had to sit in a chair because they couldn't sit still on the rug/circle time. I'm the PP who posted about her dd diagnosed in 1st grade. You would not believe the amount of emails from the K teacher about my kid and sitting on the stupid rug. Ugh.

I understand. I have been there with my DD.

[Anonymous]

At age 4, they called it sensory processing disorder, related to a need to be constantly in motion. At age 6, it took them about a minute to diagnose ADHD. From your description, OP, it sounds like your DD is exhibiting a lot more control than mine did at that age. You may have a different outcome.