Possible ADD/ADHD in Six Year Old...

Just remember that at the end of the day the diagnosis is not as important as the treatment and help that your son receives.

My son has Aspergers, my neighbor just found out her son has Dyslexia, and I have two close friends with children with ADHD. In our efforts to help our kids we've all gone down a similar road of Developmental Pediatricians, Child Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists, school meetings, etc. A lot of the help that each of our children has received has overlapped regardless of the diagnosis.

Best of luck,
K.

I am 30 years old and was diagnosed with ADD when it was still called ADD. Most people with ADD do have slight social issues, I know I still do. Apparently I was diagnosed at 11 years old and I still remember the testing I had to do. I know I was put on medication, and took ritalin for years. Then at some point (into my adulthood) I started concerta because it was a better more modern drug of choice. I graduated high school with a B average, and even went on to college at the Savannah college of art and design with a 4 year Bachelor's degree. We can still be successful!

However, I should note, that although I had a hard time concentrating, was a bit hyperactive, I also have several learning disabilities. I'm unable to comprehend verbal instruction very well, and take lots of notes to help translate the words in my head. I am very visual, but not so much on the auditory skills. Consider ADD/ADHD just a tip of the ice burg, there might be something holding him up from fully becoming the child he is meant to be. Maybe he too has learning disabilities... it's not a bad thing! I just have to learn things differently than others. Once they diagnosed me with a learning disability (which wasn't until high school!) and was encouraged to learn in different ways, I was truly successful and felt comfortable with the person I am today. In college, I had an IEP (Independent Education Program) that allowed me to have a note taker in class... very awesome!

So anyway, nothing to fear!! I know it might seem scary, but it's probably more intimidating for him than you. He knows something "is wrong with him" and that he's different. I too, had a hard time meeting people and still do to this day. I have a hard time with really connecting with people... this is all symptomatic of ADD, may I add!! My mom (a school teacher, who has read up on ADD/ADHD for years) has told me this numerous times.

Oh, and in regards to speaking to your child's kindergarden teacher, I would just be aware that he isn't diagnosed yet... wait it out... if you need to have a parent teacher meeting once the school year starts and once he is diagnosed and medicated, I would do it at that time. No need to alarm your son or other teachers until the time comes... he will be just fine! Do your research though... read up on ADD and find out if the teachers have experience with ADD children. It takes patience and understanding! Oh yes, and I still struggle with my attention span... I stopped taking Concerta when I was pregnant at 29. I'm still unmediated, struggling to pay attention at work, but doing just fine. Nothing a cup of coffee won't cure. :)

I just want to second the Pediatric Neurologist suggestion. My son (now almost 7) had a number of issues all through preschool that seemed "borderline" to his teachers, and finally in fall of 2009 they said: it's time for an eval. We saw Dr. Raymond Tervo at Gillette (St. Paul location) and it was a wonderful experience. The evaluation process took almost nine months and we (and his teachers) filled out endless forms - but it was absolutely worth it. In the end, we all (teachers, his dad and I, and the doctors) felt totally confident in his ADHD diagnosis. They really covered all the basis - extensive psychological evaluation, an OT evaluation, vision, hearing. (As Dr. Tervo pointed out - if he has trouble hearing or seeing, that could cause all sorts of behavioral problems.) We received a ton of support through the process of deciding whether to try medication (including a three-week blind "trial" of a placebo, a low-dose stimulant, and a higher-dose stimulant with objective behavioral evaluations to compare each week.)

We had also held my son back from kindergarten and have been so glad that we did. Even though we had not completed the evaluation process by the time he started in the fall, we had come a long way - and he was ready for kindergarten in so many other ways. We did end up talking to his teacher; although we didn't do an IEP or a 504, we were able to share some ideas about accommodations that we thought would be useful in the classroom, and they were all things she was happy to integrate.

Ultimately, we have been doing OT with him since last summer, and did decide to go on medication in the winter. These two interventions have worked really, really well for him. He is happy and doing really well at school - he loves school, is always excited to be there, and disappointed when there's a vacation day. We continue to see his OT once a week, and have an OT routine that we do after school (most days.)

As several others have pointed out, there are often several issues going on at once, and it can be challenging to parse them all out. That's why I strongly recommend going to a specialist and really taking your time to get the right diagnosis. Also, don't be afraid to challenge possible diagnoses if they don't feel right to you. You know your child better than anyone else. Chances are, when you hit on a diagnosis, it will feel like a huge relief - if it doesn't, keep working until you find the right thing. Same goes for medication, if that turns out to be appropriate. The right med at the right dose makes all the difference.

Are you at the beginning of a long journey? Yes. Is it a harrowing journey? Likely not. Try to look at it as an adventure that you're embarking on with your son. My son actually really enjoyed most of the evaluations, and we worked hard to make sure that he understood we were just trying to figure out how his body worked, so that his "silliness" (as he called it) didn't get in his way. (I have an anxiety disorder for which I take daily medication, and in the end he and I were able to talk about how our different medications help our too-fast brains to slow down just enough that we can do the things we want to do.)

I also guarantee you and your son will feel a whole lot better about life in general when you have tools to address his body's needs and you both no longer feel like he's a "discipline" issue. He won't feel like he's "wrong" all the time anymore, and you won't feel like you have to play bad cop all the time.

Having spent some time "in the system" now, I would also say this about what some people refer to as the "increase" in autism and ADHD diagnoses . . . When we were growing up, some kids were just weird. Or just didn't do well in school. Or got in trouble a lot. Now, we have tools to understand the amazing variation that exists in human bodies, and the ways in which some of that variation can make living in our society/culture quite challenging. We don't need to eliminate this variation - my son is still the same enthusiastic, energetic, physically engaged, silly funny guy that he always was. But now he has the patience to read a whole book, or write a whole story, or listen to a friend while they're playing, or tell a friend what he needs or wants while they're playing. And we recognize that his body has specific needs for certain kinds of stimulation - and we have productive, appropriate ways for him to get what his body needs. He has also learned about what his body needs, and is able to recognize when it needs something, and ask for an appropriate tool to give it what it needs, instead of just flailing around, out of control. Not that he doesn't still lose it sometimes, but don't we all?

I will also say that the fact that he's young (relatively speaking - most diagnoses of ADHD don't come until 8 or 9) says two things. First, his symptoms are likely quite pronounced, as all preschoolers would fit into the ADHD column in some way. Second, you have a unique opportunity to get him on the right track with school from the beginning. Most kids who aren't diagnosed until 8 or 9 struggle through the first few years of school - your son will have the benefit of learning how his body works while he's learning how school works (in kindergarten) and likely not experience school as a struggle, perhaps even experience it as a joy.

I wish you all the best as you and your family start down this path. There are good things waiting for you all along the journey - most of all, discovering your son.

Don't fear this process at all. You're on the road to helping your son.

The evaluation process varies a lot by health plan and age of the child. We started when our son was three, just before he was kicked out of preschool. Began with talking to the pediatrician and he referred us to a child psychologist. Forms to fill out, for us and our son's teachers. Tried the psychologist's tips, no luck, moved on to a behavioral therapist. Again, more forms and tips, and no luck. Son was then kicked out of school, so we got the golden ticket to see the child psychiatrist. She was the one who really zeroed in on his symptoms and started treatment. It was only when our son started medication, which connected the dots in his brain, that the therapy tips worked and his world completely turned around.

You'll hear myths about quick diagnosis and "pill-popping" with ADHD and those just aren't accurate in the vast majority of cases. You'll be talking to experts for a while, who will look at the whole picture and make a diagnosis, just like any other medical condition, and then discuss treatment. It's a well thought out process.

When our son started kindergarten, I included a letter in his registration paperwork detailing his medical condition. I talked about the areas in which he excelled and areas he had struggled with in the past but was being treated for and requested a teacher who had experience with kids with ADHD or who was willing to collaborate with us on helping him succeed in school. He ended up with a really wonderful, patient kindergarten teacher.

In your situation, I would wait until you have a diagnosis and treatment plan, so you have more details to offer the school. At that time, you'll also want to contact the district office and request an evaluation. He may qualify for an IEP or 504 plan, which provides special instruction to his teachers about accommodations needed to do well in school.

Our son is in 2nd grade now and doing great. With medication and therapy, he is just like the other kids and is doing fantastic in school. He's able to make friends and fit in all around. Medication has made such a difference he doesn't even need an IEP or 504 plan.

Good luck as you start the process!

Hello!
Please go check out www.feingold.org.
My son had similiar problems at around the same age, but I changed the food I was feeding him (no more artificial colors, flavors, certain preservatives, etc) and I had a new calm loving peaceful child. God bless you!

A diagnosis of ADD/ADHD will not take very long. You should have a diagnosis and some idea of treatment by the beginning of the school year. The school will not need to know the diagnosis until school begins in my experience. Many times ADD/ADHD is accompanied by other issues/disorders. A therapist or the PED will be able to work with you to discover what exactly the main issue might be.

I remember very clearly when my son was diagnosed and how confused, scared, and frustrated I was. However, it's been over 18 months now and we don't even think about it very much anymore. My son has the classic ADD which is a lack of inhibition. The lack of inhibition is the reason for the lack of attention/focus/impulse. He takes medication during school and we talk often about ways he can work on controlling his behavior at home. Medication isn't your only option. The doctor can discuss with you what the options are. Also on the internet there is extensive information on treatment options.

The best news is that you are working toward a diagnosis and looking for information. For me, information is power! For our family, it was incredibly nice in the end to understand our son better even though his ADD will never go away and remains a constant issue. Good luck on your journey!

Here's an excellent book which is available at Amazon:
Healing the New Childhood Epidemics:
Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies
By: Kenneth Bock, M.D. and Cameron Stauth
Short intro:
“During the last two decades, the incidence of autism, ADHD, asthma, and allergies has skyrocketed. In this important book, leading medical innovator Kenneth Bock, M.D., provides a comprehensive program that targets all four of the 4-A epidemics.
Doctors have generally overlooked the connections among the 4-A disorders. For years the medical establishment has considered autism medically untreatable and utterly incurable, and has limited ADHD treatment mainly to symptom suppression. Dr. Bock and his colleagues, however, have discovered a solution that goes to the root of the problem. They have found that modern toxins, nutritional deficiencies, metabolic imbalances, genetic vulnerabilities, and assaults on the immune and gastrointestinal systems trigger most of the symptoms of the 4-A disorders, resulting in frequent misdiagnosis and untold misery.

Hope it helps

Hi K.,

I am a teacher, so I wanted to put my two cents in about telling the school. Even if you son gets a diagnosis of ADD, I would hold off on telling the school right away. While we all know that most teachers are wonderful human beings with big hearts who love our children, teachers are still human beings. When you learn something about a child, whether it is a diagnosis or a synopsis of past behavior, it is very hard to put that information aside to develop your own understanding of the child and their needs. There is a certain stigma attached to any diagnosis, whether we want to admit it or not, and knowledge of that diagnosis could change teacher behavior. That being said, if your son truly has ADD or another disorder, and you find that it is affecting his ability to learn, by all means, tell the school about the diagnosis! Your child's diagnosis could put him on the fast track toward extra services that will help him in many ways!

Hope this helps!

Ok, if he IS in school ask them for an evaluation from their special ed department ...tell them what is going on they can help gather more information for you and for the rest of the team involved in the diagnosis. Your pedi should have an apt or two that are basically you asking a TON of yes/no/maybe or sometimes, often. almost never, never questions, you should also see a pshyc or other doctor/doctors with a mental health center for further evaluation. You & dad should seek out Chadd or other support groups for 1. comfort 2. information 3. alternatives. Make sure you feel right about everything going on and that you are not bamboozeled by everyone going on. There is help out there, you have to fight for it (the school is the easiest to get help) but there is help out there ... and my request is that you look at medication as a tool not a fix if you and the doc feel it is needed.

I thought my son had ADHD and we went to a child physcologist.

Take a big breath. I know how it feels to have suspicions about something and then to not only have something confirmed, but then to be overwhelmed with mountains of information and "likelihoods and possibilities." I have a special needs daughter with Autism Spectrum Disorder who may or may not have ADD, has ODD, and other related disorders. Trust me when I say "I've been where you are."

So here's my biggest piece of advice: remember that your child is still your child, and whatever diagnosis he has or will receive, he's still the same exact child he was before. Remember that you have time. You don't need to learn it all and know it all RIGHT NOW RIGHT NOW OMG LEARN IT ALL NOW OR YOU'RE GOING TO FAIL AT PARENTING!!!! Take your time because the information is still going to be there. And remember that one child with ADD/ADHD/Insert Disorder Just Like Your Son's Disorder... that doesn't mean that they're going to be exactly alike in how they present their symptoms.

Trust your instincts.

Okay, now all of that is out of the way. Get yourself a Pediatric Neurologist whose specialties include ADHD/ADD and Behavioral Disorders. This is imperative and they'll often be associated with local children's hospitals' Pediatric Neurology Departments. A good neurologist will be open to medications, but will not jump to them immediately, and will not be heavy handed with them. They will also be very knowledgeable about medications as well as other treatments. They will also meet with you a minimum of every three months for maintenance.