My son showed all signs of being adhd. Someone else told me to have him tested for Auditory processing disorder. In 2nd grade I took him to a Neuropsychologist because he couldn't sit still in the classroom or pay attention. they said not to settle for medication. He needs an IEP and they gave him OT therapy. They said he couldn't be tested to auditory until 4th grade. Once I got him tested, that is what they found! That is why he couldn't sit still or pay attention. He was unable to process the teachers information to he tuned out! He is still on his IEP in 6th grade, but needs to be in front row where teacher is teaching. We still struggle but they are teaching him tools to deal with it.

My opinion:
Children should not be diagnosed with ADHD before the age of 7.
Most kids have symptoms (lack of focus, distractibility, etc) of ADHD when they are young and as they develop they learn, grow and mature.
Of coarse, there are times when there is the need for professional help.
Schools cannot and should not diagnose. Seek the help of a developmental pediatrician if you feel something is outside of "normal."

Please be aware when a teacher is labeling kid as ADD or ADHD. Our sixth grade teacher tried to label us and I would not accept it. You will have to have her tested and/or try Biofeedback. My child is a middle schooler now now and she is fine.

my son was in preschool and the teachers told me lol PRESCHOOL!! i let it go till he was in the 2ed grade then his doc set me up to get him tested and thats when they told me and put him on meds it did halp for sometime he done better in school but he is 14 now and its a struggle each and evey day but he is my child and i will not ever give up on him the meds do help when he wants to take them but he is older and says they make him saty up all night and he never wants to eat. so we are going back to the doc for like 10000 times to see what we can do .but i feel when your son does turn 5 get him tested asap the sooner the better good luck

My sons kindergarten teacher, had raised 3 children and had her Master's Degree in ed. Over the years she said she noticed that all kids in general had a shorter adn shorter attention span. She could see differences in the children who were allowed to watch the newer fast moving cartoons vs. "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood". Also, she could tell an attention difference with kids who used video games.

This is something good to know for all kids. Focus is something they all learn at some point. I know adults who are ADD and what their parents did teaching wise either helped or hindered their ADD/ADHD. Meds or not it will take more discipiline, education, and work.

i think 4 years old is young to label and start taking meds.i have a 4 year old and she is always not sitting still and always on the go but at this age they are always full of energy,she always keep me on my toes.i would get a second opinion,i would say your child is just being the average four year old,full of energy.was this helpful.

Did you say four years old? I think that may be a little premature to label your child and start medication. I have always thought four year olds should be defined in the dictionary by one word "energy". Get one or even two more opinions before starting your child on drugs.My son never, I mean never stopped moving from one activity to another when he was four and five.

At five I started him in a martial art, that helped him learn focus. I will always remember the first class he attended. There were four boys and one girl in the class. The instructor asked them to stand perfectly still for one minute. Thats all, just one minute. Every mom in the room laughed when he asked them to do this. None of us had ever seen our children stand still for any length of time. Not a single one of the kids could do it. After months of doing this, one day my son did it. He stood still, utterly perfectly still. He is now seven and one belt away from a black belt. Sometimes he helps with the beginner class. He always laughs when he sees them and tells me that he can not believe how wiggly they are.

With this said,there is always the possibility they are right, but I would definitely get the opinion of other doctors before I would have given my child medication for ADHD.

Being informed and learning from a variety of sources is important. I worked with my public school psychologist. He was a wonderful person. We also talked with our Doctor etc.

I did not limit myself to traditional means however. Herbs should be thoroughly researchec, as should prescribed medications. Often people assume that because something is FDA approved it is safe. Don't! We are finding out new information all the time regarding medications whose side affects are worse than the original problem.

Study up on depression in teens who have been on certain ADHD meds. Read up on the side affects, if you decide to put your child on meds watch them closely. I've had over a dozen personal friends who ended up taking their children off meds after a period of 6 mos. to 3 years because of the side effects.

There is a lot of information out there of other things to do for your child rather than meds. I've also had friends whose children were so difficult that they had no other choice....they'd tried many other things. AFter being on meds for a year or two the child matured and was more able to manage.

The FDA doesn't want there to be any other answer than medication because there is a lot of $$ invovled.

I've had serveral friends who elected to put their boys on meds even after talking about trying a few different things. They were at their wits end. But, after a year they missed their sons...their personalities....they felt it got lost in the meds. Another friends son lost all his zest for life and was just more solemn. Another friends son wouldn't eat.

Know the side effects, weigh them out, explore other options, and if you decide meds watch your child closely.

One friend who was at wits end with her son....ended up taking him off meds and home schooling...said she NEVER do that! It's working for them.

We all have a different path to follow....don't assume it's always the same. Many times moms know more than doctors!

Hi I am not a firm believer in herbs ect. They are not FDA approved at least not all of them. Diet can play a part in behavior. However do not be afraid to put your child on meds. Some people are med phobic. Herbs/supplements can sometimes do more harm than good. I have a son who is 8. We were watching him since he was in pre-k due to behaviors that were indictative of ADHD. As boys usually have this more than girls and given he was only 4when we notice the behaviors we waited until he was in First grade to further investigate the ADHD. You can ask for a connor scale which is 2 papers that you as the parent fills out and then the 2nd the teacher fills out. You then take that infomation to the doctor and you both sit and discuss the options. Is your dtr not focused? Does she talk alot and get into trouble in school because of it? Can she not sit still like she is like the energizer bunny? If so then she may have ADHD. There is nothing wrong with having this. It's not a horrible thing. People will not "label" her but in turn will help her. She will need to get an 504 plan or an IEP. Your school should be able to help you with that. My son's school did. This allows her more time to take tests ect. It's benefited my son to be diagnosed with ADHD therefore we have been able to help him achieve his ability to learn with the assist of meds. We started him on meds the 2nd half of first grade. We had to tinker with them to get the right ones but has helped him alot. Is your dtr frustrated with school? You may also want to hire a tutor. This too has helped my son. I know that with ADHD kids that reading,comprehension phonics ect they have a hard time with. Whereas sience and math they excel. I hope that this has helped you. This as worked for me and hope you find out what will help your dtr as well. You also may want to ask the school psychologist about your dtr as well. That is what got the ball rolling back when my son was in 1st grade. Take care good luck and happy holiday's!!!
Beth

I would suggest reading Dr. Amens books on
ADHD. He suggests natural supplements and has a very different approach. He has herbal supplements and does alot with PET scans. Your child is really young and often misdiagnosed at that age. Take care, Rhonda

I'm really bugged by the "label". Then we all have a "label"....

Steven Spielburg is ADHD. He said that he always has several movies in the making in his mind!

Please try every other avenue and research before putting your child on meds!!!!!! There is a lot of information on the internet.

There are things you should consider before just putting your child on meds. I have a few friends who did and side effects were bad for the child. Reasearch thoroughly.

Is your child's behavior destructive?

I have an ADD child and here are things I've learned and experienced (IT IS VERY HARD WORK...but the ultimate side effects of med's we did not want for our child....so we will willing to do the work and pay the expense of trying stuff).

Let me say that I've not only educated myself, but I've talked with many parents with the same issue, and I've experienced and tried many alternate things.

#1 HERBS - Wow! Bright Spark...there is a combination of 2 you should use at the same time. WE did it for a few years....boy could we tell. Our daughter is now 11 and doesnt' need anymore. This is the 1st thing to try. This helps everything else.

#2 Interactive Metronome - I did this through Vision Therapist Dr. Robin Racov in Laguna Hills. She has a number of therapies that help ADD. I saw a difference. This helped my daughter learn to FOCUS. It wasn't everything, but was a part of her help.

#3 For learning difficulties....Lindamood Bell in Newport Beach. It was as expensive as college. But we tried everything to get her reading up. In 2 months she was up 2 years. When you've struggled with a child and see that much improvement it is worth the loan. I did freebee stuff in public schools...NO DIFFERENCE! I also did reading tutoring for a year.

#4 Keep your child from getting overstimulated. No video type games....this only aggravates the situation. Limit TV.

#5 Feed healthy foods. LIMIT SUGAR INTAKE. This aggravates it.

#6 Teach your child to focus. At 9 yrs. old I started home schooling...NEVER wanted to. What a difference in a year and a half. It is all that we have done in the past PLUS now the one on one patient teaching. She is focusing like you cannot imagine. I also think it is her maturing. I am teaching her daily the habit of focus. I am right there with her getting her back on task in a loving, patient way. It has worked (for me)

I've been through so much heartache, questions, and tried so many things. ADD and ADHD children are gifted kids. They need to be properly handled and not labeled! They are individuals and not just to be catagorized....because frankly I've seen kids get messed up and a part of the system (I work with kids too).

This is a soapbox subject of mine. My daughter is worth all the time, tears, money and prayer that I have invested into her. She is night and day different....but I did it "out of the system" and just the easy way of "popping a pill".....there may be extreme cases...but not near what is being done to our children!!!!!!!!!!!!

I concur with parentadvocate's recommendation. Best first step to take! Also, do think hard before considering medication for such a young child. Lots of physical outlets and a healthy diet (look into possible food allergens that you can elimate from your child's diet - this will help).

Get intouch with a child psychologist AND NOT THE SCHOOLS. Get a clinical diagnoses before going any farther. You have a 4 yr old, these kids love to run and play, their attention spands aren't that lengthy anyway. Once you have a confirmed diagnoses from a CLINICAL (which means does this every day and sees patients ) then you can decide to either medicate or not. Also once that happens you can possibly get a 504 plan for educational purposes. Accomodation that will help keep your child focused. Have your pediatrician referre you to a child psychologist! good Luck!

Ask the teacher to have your four year old tested by the schools resources if the teacher feels so strongly about it.
If the teacher says we can not do that. then tell her to keep her/his opinion's to their self. unless you want to pay for the testing.
I did that two things happened first the school had my son tested and later on put him in LD (this was 1st grade) the old saying Put up or Shut up

Yes, I've read "The Edison Gene", and also "Different Minds", "Taking Charge of ADHD", "Answers to Distraction" and various other publications on AD/HD, as well as plenty of legal and anecdotal information from advocacy websites such as Wrightslaw and CHADD. The information I drew upon in my post is an amalgamation of scientific publications, personal research and life experience, drawing upon many sources. Perhaps much is still theory vs. scientific fact, but with each day as a parent advocate living with and raising a child with AD/HD, I have personally found increasing validation for what I've presented.

I've also been through legal and non-legal battles with the public education sector, so I have some understanding of education law. Additionally, I coordinate a community support group for parents of children with different learning needs, and I belong to a number of advocacy listserves where I can exchange and learn from real life experiences of other parents and their children. This is my community volunteer work, in addition to being a full-time IT professional and raising kids (yup, I'm busy).

Both my son and I have experienced the negative consequences of inaccurate or imcomplete diagnoses and treatments, being "labeled", taking prescribed medications that subjected us to side-effects far worse than the symptoms they were intended to help, and being told we were "failing" academically and socially (as well as professionally, in my case). I've traveled on a long journey of self-discovery, acceptance of myself and others, and perserverance in pursuit of successfully adapting to a world in which I have often felt like the proverbial "square peg" trying to squeeze into a round hole.

From all of this, I've decided that I can either choose to perceive having AD/HD as a "disability" (negatively), or as a window of opportunity for learning and perceiving life in differents ways that I can (and do) leverage to help others (positively). It has also helped me learn to draw "healthy boundaries" while avoiding taking myself too bloody seriously (thus I've developed a healthy sense of humor. : )

For me, every day of my life presents a new opportunity to grow personally and help others overcome their struggles. Instead of operating with a philosophy of "my way or the highway", I've learned to go with what works best for each individual. I suppose we can call this "my mission in life".

The post from Advocacy Mom reminds me of the book "The Edison Trait." It's an interesting book about such issues.

I agree with CMpc0507 that medication prescribed for AD/HD is not always the answer. This has certainly been true for my own son, as well as for me. But as a woman in my mid-40's who didn't receive this diagnosis until I was 42 (when my son was diagosed), I can tell you from both personal experience and available medical research documentation that one does not "grow out of" AD/HD. One merely learns to "adapt" (or not).

Here are some of my thoughts:

A significant abundance of medical research has indicated that at least 50% of those diagnosed with AD/HD have inherited a genetic predisposition for this condition, via the DRD4 gene (dopamine receptor D4) with a 7R allele (a recombinant DNA factor). These are the folks who have "true" AD/HD, and their genetic coding remains with them throughout their lives. Theoretically, the remainder diagnosed with AD/HD may have "symptoms" of AD/HD that are more accurately symptoms of other issues, such as giftedness, Asperger's syndrome, sensory-motor dysfunctions, environmental allergies, or other genetically or environmentally induced differences from mainstream human brain functionality.

Rather than looking upon AD/HD as a "disorder", I have come to perceive it as a human learning/functioning difference. This is not an attempt on my part to understate the negative consequences that AD/HD can have on one's life, but rather a reflection of my understanding that human beings are all born into this world as different as snowflakes sifting down from the sky on a winter's day (no two are alike!). Unfortunately, our modern society functions in such a way that individuals are generally expected to respond in a scripted manner to societal expectations. While this works reasonably well for the neurological "norm" (approx. 66.6%), it does not work as well for those with with neurological differences (approx. 33.3%).

This begs a question that I believe will be answered more fully as society and medical advances "mature" ... is AD/HD a "disorder", or merely a "difference"? Although AD/HD-like functioning doesn't fit with our current societal expectations, might it fit better with a healthier and more wholistic society that more fully accepts and integrates such learning and thinking differences? Only time will tell.

The human brain is an incredibly complex and adaptive structure. Although AD/HD cannot truly be "outgrown", a child with this diagnosis (regardless of whether or not this diagnosis is medically accurate), can be loved, supported and guided to learn to successfully live with, prosper with, and even benefit from some of the attributes of AD/HD. My husband and I have been able to help our son significantly this way, without medication. Stimulant medications do not "cure" AD/HD; they merely re-direct the neurochemical flow in the brain, as well as throughout the entire body. This can certainly help those for whom the side effects are tolerable. However, at best, medication can only help to "alleviate" certain symptoms of AD/HD; it should never be considered as the sole course of treatment.

The greatest support a child diagnosed with AD/HD can have from his or her family is loving acceptance and strong advocacy of his/her differences as a unique gift (yes, I said gift), rather than a disability. The gift of AD/HD is that we can learn greater acceptance and compassion for others while recognizing that living with AD/HD brings unique perspectives to thinking and learning not as easily perceived by others. My husband and I try to maintain a positive belief in the ability for our son to succeed and be happy in life, and we often encourage him to recognize and aspire to the incredible achievements of well-known historical figures with AD/HD (e.g. Thomas Edison). With the right support and guidance, I wholeheartedly believe a child with AD/HD can learn to adapt and/or modify his or her learning and life skills to successfully meet the societal norm. This often becomes easier as they mature and learn more. I've have been able to do this for myself and help my son learn to do this, as well.

Well my children have not been diagnosed with ADHD but my nephew has. He was diagnosed at the age of 3. They have had him on medicine since being diagnosed and nothing good has come from him being medicaided. As of August 1st he is no longer on medication and doing wonderful. He is in a school that understands and works with his situation. He does better in school and at home as well. Many children grow out of ADHD by time they are 10. I believe every child is unique in their own special ways and ADHD makes your child as well as my nephew and all other children with ADHD that one step ahead of unique. All's I can say is research research research. Don't just look online. Go to the library and find books. It has helped my sister, my nephew, and myself understand and cope with a diagnosis of ADHD! Good luck!

You may also want to take a look at Head start programs and see if they can be of any help. Head start tries to help children with learning dissabilities before they enter kindergarten.

Hi again,
advocacy mom gives accurate info, however, I believe this particular girl isnt even in kindegarten yet, making her not yet eligible for a 504 or IEP plan evaluation. Her comment on the risks are true, yet I have a bit more faith in the professionals in schools ;) I have yet to meet a psychiatrist who specializes in anything but drugs, but your pediatrician should know of some, moreso, a good Ph.D. who could do testing (specifically with achievement and IQ tests) - we do this everyday where I have an externship and the kids are all school age, not under 5 unless there is a suspicion of of autism/asperger's that needs to be confirmed. I personally do not think this type of testing is warranted in your situation, but at least you have a good bit of info now to decide where to go, if anywhere. Zippity gave important info about sensory disorders as well...you might choose to hold off on any decision until she is in @ least kindegarten (unless the preschool is attached to a k-6 and then they might be able to work with you on some level). Again, good luck!

Their was a time when being 4 years old, wasn't viewed as a 'medical condition'?

You can ask a school to evaluate but they can not diagnose a medical condition. As for the special ed evaluation they could look into the area of Sensory Dysfunction by an OT. They can send your child to an Audiologist to determine if CAPD is part of the problem unless they have an Audiologist in the district. A screening is not an option. A true audiologist or a listening coach trained in Tomatis can do a specific hearing test to determine what you child is hearing. CAPD or Central Auditory Processing Disorder has 80% the same symptoms as ADHD>

I would seek out a doctor who specializes in ADHD who can rule out (or confirm) this disorder. Ask them if they are sure and it is not one of the disorders I named above or if they are comorbid.

drjohnson and SJKMOM both gave some very sound advice. Here's my added 2-cents-worth:

You are a caring and involved mom who senses the teacher's determination and approaches, as well as your physician's, are somehow not quite right. If this were not true, you wouldn't be asking questions or seeking answers. As a caring mom, you need to trust your own intuition above all else. Teachers and doctors can be wrong. Teachers aren't medical professionals and can only guess at what's causing the behaviors they see. And many doctors can hold an M.D. yet have absolutely no background or specialization with diagnosis and treatment of childhood behavioral disorders.

You have two basic courses of action you can pursue (and you may want to consider pursuing both):

1) Seek out a medical second opinion. Focus your search on a qualified physician (M.D.) with a background in psychology or psychiatry AND who specializes in both AD/HD and giftedness. Why giftedness, also? I have 2 very bright sons, one with AD/HD and one without. Both had inordinate amounts of energy as children, both have very different personalities and ways of thinking/acting, both have driven their parents and teachers crazy (!), yet only one has AD/HD. The other is merely "gifted". AD/HD and traits of giftedness often have similar "symptoms". And sometimes, a child can have both.

2) Request a Special Education evaluation for your daughter from the school. Often, children with AD/HD will be found not to qualify for anything other than a Section 504 Plan, at most, but in the process, your school will be required by law to pay for a full evaluation of your daughter from an educational and disability perspective (AD/HD issues can potentially qualify a child for an IEP (Individual Education Plan) under the criteria of "OHI" - Other Health Impaired). Even if your daughter is denied an IEP at the end of the process, the teacher may be better able to identify how she can work with your daughter.

If you choose to pursue a Special Education evaluation with the school, be aware that there are risks:
- an inappropriate evaluation of your daughter (school district staff can rarely rise to the level of ability of private medical practitioners in properly assessing learning disabilities for a child)

- your disagreement with the IEP team's findings could mean due process litigation at your expense if they make a determination you feel is inappropriate

- your daughter may end up carrying the burden of being "labeled" with a disability by the school staff. Unfortunately, many educators think and function in a way that necessitates their need to categorize and classify, and this often extends to categorizing and classifying children with different learning styles. This does not always work out to the advantage of a child with learning differences.

Whichever way you choose, be sure to research and educate yourself as much as possible, and don't hesitate to avail yourself of available non-profit support and advocacy groups, such as CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder): www.chadd.org/

Good luck to you, and God bless!

If I were you I would consider switching preschools. A weighted blanket sounds bizarre to me. I also don't think a teacher should be insisting a child has ADHD, particularly such a young child. Most teachers just aren't trained to diagnose such things. I also am out of step with some others on this site in that I think 4 years old is way too young for medication in the large majority of cases. The PBS special about young children being given meds for bipolar and other concerns was so disturbing. The medicine just destroyed some of the kids in that program. I've seen some kids at school who seemed drugged out as well. Medicine is a tricky thing, and I agree that it should be used as a last resort and at as old an age as possible. Your child has a lot more crucial brain development to go through. I would say to give it time.

ADHD, G&T (gifted and talented), curious and busy, if you feel she needs to be evaluated, then get her evaluated by calling your pediatrician and asking for a reliable Ph.D. who assesses behavioral differences. Hopefully you're open to hearing what you might find out, & disputing if it sounds like nonsense. Where is your partner in all of this? Best of luck!

NIMH actually conducted a study about diagnosing and treating ADHD in preschoolers, The Preschool ADHD Treatment Study. The bottom line is, it's possible for a young child to be diagnosed, and to be safely treated with low doses of medication, but that's a decision you have to make for your own child. This article does a nice job of explaining when/why to have a young child diagnosed: Preschool-Age ADHD Children: Too Young for a Diagnosis?
[www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/2488.html]. It's a matter of a tipping point--all three- and four-year-olds are very active/distractible, but is your child more active and/or distractible than her peers? An expert cites "preschool expulsion" and "peer rejection" as "two behavioral patterns that often predict ADHD diagnosis later in life." What will hurt your child more? Seeking a diagnosis, then implementing different parenting strategies/supports at school, and deciding if you'd like to start medical treatment now or when she's five, if ever, OR waiting and letting her experience these behaviors with negative consequences for the next year, until some say she's "old enough" for a diagnosis?

Please have your child tested by a qualified psychologist with a PHD. Many of these children are gifted learners. School psychologists are trained to look for disabilities. Make sure the tester is experienced with gifted learners (availability of these professionals in your state is listed on Hoagies gifted)take a look at this website: borntoexplore.org/gifted.htm
Good luck!!!

a weighted blanket? When is this being used - when she wanders? How exactly is this used? Is she able to climb under the blanket on her own volition (hopefully) or does someone wrap her up in it? I've never used that type of thing, only heard of weighted things being used for autism.Also, I dont know many kids that sit for more than 15 minutes at a clip usually. I remember in my 7 yr. old's preschool class they had stations that they all moved through in small groups that were shorter pieces of time and were fun. Story time is when they would be required to sit for longer times, but the story was one that captured their attention and read in an interesting manner so it was ok. I tend to agree with your step dad in terms of boredom, usually one can count on girls to sit and play quietly more than boys, but that isnt a hard and fast rule. I thought Dr. J's info was helpful and his example of his kids which also doesnt fit nicely into the gender assumption. He's also right, they are not qualified to make a diagnosis, but they do provide helpful info should one be needed. Possibly you might want to check out other care for her, as this one appears to be overwhelmed by a simple curious kid with an abundance of energy! Good luck!

For general help with difficult pre-schoolers, I recommend reading Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka. Lots of good tips on chld wrangling based on research into personality.

Children that young have a tremendous variety in behavior and maturation. Unless the behavior is way over the top, most doctors will avoid diagnosing ADHD in pre-schoolers.

That being said, one of the factors taken into account in diagnosis, is whether this behavior has been a problem all along, and whether the behavior occurs in more than one setting.

When my daughters were toddlers and pre-schoolers, I never had a moment's peace, They were climbing furniture, moving furniture, knocking furniture over, dancing on top of furniture. I would get calls from neighbors about my children hanging out my windows. I would find them hanging upside down from the closet rods. They would lock me out of the house at any opportunity. I couldn't imagine how the human race could have survived if all kids were like this. The idea of the cliff-dwellers in New Mexico handling kids like mine gave me the heeby-jeebies.

My daughters were utterly unable to complete a game of Candyland. In fact, as soon as the package was opened, all of the pieces were scattered around the house, rules were changed after every move, the dice were thrown into the next room and merrily chased, and they danced on the game board.

Even with this, they weren't diagnosed with ADHD until 3rd grade.

If your child seems like a normally rambunctious boy at home, then that's probably what he is. There are many other things that can look like ADHD to a teacher. As your step-dad pointed out, he could be bored with his class. The pre-school teacher may be ill-trained in classroom management. The weighted blanket is the type of thing that's used for kids with Sensory Integration Disorder, not ADHD. There are also many other things that can look like ADHD:

www.incrediblehorizons.com/mimic-adhd.htm

Remember, teachers are not psychiatrists. They are valuable sources of behavioral information, but they are NOT qualified to diagnose a psychiatric condition!!



Now, onto medication. If a child truly has ADHD and is properly medicated, it should not change their personality at all. It should just allow them to focus on things, and control their impulsivity. If they are experiencing personality changes, or appear doped up, then they are either misdiagnosed, or on the wrong medication or dosage. There are many medications that can be used and finding the right combination of meds and dosage can take a lot of experimentation. It is not correct for the general pediatrician to write out a scrip for a preferred med and expect that to be the end of it. Every child reacts differently. Even my identical twins react differently to medications.

ceceliajon* - brought up very good points. Some children have more energy than others also. jonsmom* I agree get as much info as possible, let us know how you're all doing. :)

the answers to your questions are, the teachers are saying that she doesn't sit for long periods of time they use a weighted blanket to clam her down. she gets up during story time an walks around. i have read alot about adhd an some of the symthoms she has but others don't make since. then again i have read alot about it in young children and they say its hard to tell if they are imature or they have adhd. she doesn't act like this at home she sits and reads books to me an is very active but we together are a active family. they also say she won't focus on anything more then about 15 mins and others for longer. the meds thing i would just perfer that i don't use meds unless its a last resort. i have seen kids on them an they aren't they same. i just don't want her to lose her personality. some of the comments i do but others i don't, now see my mother watches her alot an agrees. my step father that spends a great deal of time with her doesn't he thinks she is really smart an gets bord very easliy.

I would hope that his teachers have tried behavioral interventions. Is he having behavioral difficulties. Usually if that is the case your child might feel anxious or overwhelmed. I agree with your pediatrician. I am a special education director

Here's an article you might find helpful:

Preschoolers and AD/HD
www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/3566

Please keep us posted. Thinking good thoughts for you and your daughter!

Hi,
I'm a grad student in clinical psych doing a ton of testing for ADHD...some questions for you....
What exactly is the teacher saying? What might be your concern with meds? Teachers are usually pretty reliable sources for outward behaviors that could be diagnosed as ADHD. However, the teacher might have a hard time managing your son's behaviors in class and might naturally point to ADHD vs. beefing up whatever skills might be lacking. Do you agree with the comments that you are being told?