ADHD diagnosis in 2year old

[moopymoo]

hi all. have just had 2 yr development check which health visitor for my ds2. She reckons he has some sort of ADHD spectrum problem and has referred us for assessment. am feeling very shaky, i started crying as i opened up to her , feels weird to talk about stuff that i have suspected. he is very very over active, poor sleeper, aggressive and violent to other children and we have really withdrawn socially as a consequence. feel we are at the beginning of a long journey! this seems young for a diagnosis though, she is talking of statementing etc, does anyone have experience of this at this age? thanks xx

[Wisp]

No real help I'm afraid, but all the professionals my DS1 (5) has seen since the age of 2 will not statement him until he is 7.
They will only advise on parenting/behavior strategies, as ADHD medication cant be given before 7. The only thing I've found to help is to be consistent with routine and punishments for unacceptable behavior. It is a long road, but the good thing about being seen at a young age means you have experts on hand to answer any questions.
Good Luck

[Davros]

My DS does not have ADHD but he was dx at 2 years old. Wisp, it is illegal to state that a Statement cannot be issued until 7 (which is far too late btw). You need to speak to IPSEA or someone about that.

[Davros]

Yes, forgot to say that I think 2 years old for ADHD dx is very young. It could just be exessive normal behaviour or other issues that need to be addressed (hearing, vision, sensory etc etc).

[moopymoo]

thanks for all your kind advice. Have slept on this and have a bit more perspective now. Am actually shocked that HV is suggesting statementing for ds, and that she mentioned 'getting a diagnosis' I think really we need to take a step back - ds is definitely at the difficult end of normal, hes very very busy all the time, but also loving, relates well to family and in small familiar social groups, and doesnt actually 'need' to go to school for another nearly 3 years as hes a sept birthday. i have recently started the '123 magic' system and i think thats starting to have some effect. He was having a particularly 'bonkers' (not technical term!) hour when hv was hear. I think in the wider context i am shocked at the need to provide labels for children so early and to bring their behavior into a narrow 'normal' band. problem is, though i am educated and reasonably articulate, i am vulnerable and tongue tied when it comes to the children !

[dara]

Health visitors are not qualified to diagnose anything. It is fine and good to refer you if she is really worried, but not pretend to diagnose. Even if your ds is eventually given a diagnosis you can do a lot to help him. It needn't be a disaster.

[COPPERfeelunderSantasTOP]

2 is very young for a dx of ADHD and a HV is not qualified to diagnose it. The assessment could be a good thing as it will either reassure you that everything is okay or help you to access help for your ds2. Have you been told how long the waiting list is in your area?

[HumphreyCushiONtheFirstNoel]

I agree with dara; health visitors are not qualified to diagnose ADHD.
She is, of course, sensible to voice her concerns, so start with your GP, and ask for your son to have appointments to assess his hearing and vision first of all.
I would also ask for an appointment with the dietician.
My DS2 had extreme behavioural issues from the age of 2, and it transpired that he had severe allergies to wheat, gluten, dairy, casein, sweeteners and colourings. The NHS dietician was not very helpful, and advised us NOT to take our son off wheat and dairy (!) but yours might be great.
I also agree with Wisp; make behavioural boundaries extremely clear; it is tiring, but worth it as it makes a child who has challenging behaviour feel more secure when they know exactly what to expect.
We found it vital to get a very firm night time routine in place. DS2 had dinner, play, bath, book and bed. It took weeks of struggling, but finally he used to go to sleep by 7pm every night, and needed 12+ hours sleep. If his night time routine was disrupted, his behaviour would spiral out of control.
We restricted television too, as it over-stimulated him.
Re socialising, we started by meeting up with one other family in a park, so the children could run around, but it was not too hectic.
It could just be that he's two and experimenting at pushing the boundaries, but it sounds like you suspect it may be more than that - as I did with my DS2.
If your son does need more support, then statementing is a positive thing, and push for as much help as you can get.
We were rejected for statementing twice, but playgroup / school were quite helpful in using a PECS chart with him when he was tiny, to help him know what was going to happen, so he could cope with transitions.
HTH, and best wishes.