Could it be ADHD in a 2 year old?

[mandybagpuss]

Hello I am a mum to twin boys aged 2, one of twins is very difficult to handle indeed, he wont nap during the day, his brother goes down for a few hours every afternoon but he stays up and gets more and more tired and more and more manic, he wakes at 6.30 am and will go to bed at about 7 or 8 pm, which I think is too long not to sleep. He has always been a a demanding baby, he shows no fear and has got into all sorts of scrapes, I have to watch him like a hawk, he managed to escape in a split second from the barrier at the park and legged it off down a main road, he has also tried to open and climb out a high window, naturally he doesnt understand so I have had to get every window in my house nailed closed. I cant visit other people without dictating safety rues first checking that their windows and dooors are locked and everything is out of sight, he managed to jump onto a huge telly and it fell on him,luckily no harm done, you proberly think I am a bad mother but I do watch him EVERY second but sometimes I have to go to the toilet etc. He does play with toys nicely but god help his brother if he touches anything thats 'his', he will not sit in his highchair or pram seat unless buckled in extremley tightly, he wriggles and screams. Once he has finished his food he's off.
I used to go to a mums and tots group but had to stop as I was so embarrassed by his behaviour, he would be the only baby constantly trying to escape doors or windows, or jumping onto peoples buggies making them fall over then rifling thru peoples bags.
I stay home most of the time as I can barely manage the two of them in public, I almost always have to leave the park in shame sweating,as he's jumped off a climbing frame onto his head or another childs head. Other mums just stare and I feel I am the only one who has to cope with these things.
I have a great pediatrician who says his behaviour is normal for 'now' but I am at my wits end, is it normal behaviour?

[PeachyCosmicExplosion]

Is it normal? might be is the straight answer.

None of mine (3 boys) slept after 18 months in the day, 2 have sn (NOT ADHD) but one is completely NT (neurotypical, 'normal'). So that's nto really a clue. Truth is, lots of 2 year olds ARE like this, but some won't lose that and will go on to get a diagnosis.
probaly your Paed is right; it's 'normal for now'- keep an eye though.

I can empathise with a lot of your ost though, especially the bits about leaving the aprk / mother and toddlers, and its horrible to go through. But really there is every chance he will grow out of it, even if it soend' seem like it at the moment.

I would think about posting on the multiples threads- certainly it was the disparity between ds1 and ds2 (a year between them) that gave us the heds up on ds1's isues, but the multiples mums might have a clearer idea what is more usual in twins.

[beroWHEEEEEEEEna]

Sounds like a somewhat amplified version of my ds1, who is 2.5, utterly NT and/but not the sleeping type (no nap since 2nd birthday, wakes between 7 and 8 and bedtime between 8.30 and 9) and constantly exploring everything. The bit that doesn't sound so much like him is the lacking sense of danger, but I'd venture that's not that unusual in toddlers of this age. Maybe give him a little credit - I've found ds1 actually fairly able to understand about danger if it's explained on his level.

I don't think it sounds like ADHD, tbh. How's his attention span in other ways? Will he sit and listen to a (short) book, or build/finish a brick tower?

[daisy5678]

Hmmmm...sounds like my son, who is now 6, and has a confirmed dx of ADHD and a provisional dx of autism too.

I do think this sounds like ADHD behaviour BUT, as others have said, it is so hard to differentiate ADHD from just exuberant 2 year old.

I spent years telling concerned nursery workers, 'oh, well he's a boy, isn't he' when they brought up his hyperactivity and poor attention span.

It wasn't until he went to full time nursery at 2 and a half that his differences from the others became really clear and he got so violent with other kids and with me (and kept escaping all the time from everywhere).

Got referral from GP to the paediatrician at the hospital who felt it was 'ADHD plus' ie the hyper end, but felt it was too young to diagnose, which was fine with me.

After lots and lots of educational psychologist input at the nursery, and after I'd tried patronising 'positive parenting' sessions at the local sure start centre, it was only clearer and clearer that there was something intrinsically 'different' about him that wasn't down to reward charts or praise...but ADHD.

Paed diagnosed ADHD at 3 and a half and then CAMHS made the official diagnosis at 4. But the signs were always there, in retrospect. I was just in denial.

If your paed says it's fine, I guess it's fine, but still worth keeping an eye on, as if the behaviour carried on, I guess it would be worth looking at again.

At his age, a label would be pretty pointless anyway.

[gigglewitch]

for what it is worth, whether he is or isn't, lots of the "tricks" we use in ASD (ADHD now on spectrum) work on lots of children regardless of their ability. As others are saying, this isn't out of the range of 'normal' behaviour at his age, and may be the way he's figured out he can get a buzz or get attention from others, or simply loves an audience!!
I wondered if you have tried some cautious checking and adjusting of his diet? My kids go crackers if they have ANYTHING with artificial colouring in, and one goes silly on bananas. we have to have a "ration" on these things
other ideas to focus them a bit, such as pics of what is happening in what order (two or three if they can understand them) stuck on a card or in a book; and ways to show you what they want if communication is an issue : pic of cup (i need a drink mum)/ bed / child's favourite plate or whatever (i'm hungry) / child's room or house (i wanna go home) might be a start. These may be "autism tricks" but none of mine are in any way but it helped them to figure out what is happening. Life can be pretty confusing when you are 2yo?

you sound pretty knackered to me - and with 2yo twins who wouldn't be? i take my virtual hat off to you!

[serin]

Your post could have been about my DS1. He did all those things, when our tv went over it chipped a hole out of the laminate floor and then went up in flames!

When DH would come home from work I would be sitting on the stairs in the hall, coat on, car keys at the ready, just waiting to escape.

Additionally he had no speech whatsoever until he was three and a half. He used to go for group SALT sessions and the poor woman looked like she needed a gin and tonic when she handed him back after half an hour.

His brother, 14 months younger, got no attention at all.

The lack of fear thing is by far the worst,
he could ride a bike without stabilisers at 3 but I just couldn't risk it as couldn't run fast enough to catch him in the park!!!

He's 6 now, still the life and soul of any party, and has a big voice (on account of being slightly deaf) but is doing really well in mainstream school and is a different boy to the tearaway that he was.

[magic5]

Hi,
I have five children..14,10(ADHD),8(adhd/ASD) and twins of five non id. This sounds very much like my two older sons. Can ia ask as soon as he was crawling was he walking? The window thing is what both my older sons were doing from 22 mths old.Your peaditritrion wont dx till your son is five.My children dont have sweets, fizzy drinks etc im careful what they have. Mine also dont sleep .The boys sleep on average six hours a night but they also in that time get up during the night.Sometimes my eldest can be up from three in the morning after only having four hours sleep.
I hope you sort it out.

[magso]

Hi MandyBP. I do not know if your Ds has ADHD, but has any one mentioned oil suppliments (see Stordy and Nicholls book)? My son ( 8 ADHD ASD SLD) calmed down a lot on fish oils (eg kids eskimo oil, eyeQ)and I think you can get versions suitable for 2 year olds. I still feel guilty that I did not know about long chain oils till Ds was nearly 4! I also kept a behaviour/ food /activity diary to see if I could identify any foods/activities etc making his symptons worse. Hope it helps.

[aig]

Your DS may be absolutely normal but at the moment he is really hard work. There are lots of services out there who can help you manage things for him and your family. Your HV can help you access these as can a Community Paediatrician. Is your Paed acute or community? Community Paeds tend to have more experience of all over the place little boys and tend to have good contacts with on the ground services.
He sounds very like my DS who is fine but had some social communication problems particularly when little: he was hugely active, climbed brilliantly, had no tolerance of other children and no sense. He also had no play skills. Some children are just a bit difficult!

[gigglewitch]

well said, aig!
is there a 'sure start' where you are? we have joined a few of their groups, it is good for meething other mums and getting children joined in things that they will enjoy.

[mandybagpuss]

Thank you so much everyone for your responses, my computers been buggered so i've just had the chance to read them. I was indeed at my wits end last week, Serin your post made me laugh out loud ...the best tonic (apart from gin and tonic that is) I will defo look into the boys diets and find out more about fish oils, I'll give anything a go.
Twin in question is being a bit better this week although he has reverted back to babyhood and has been crawling all over the house and doing lots of fake crying, I suspect he has a massive need for attention which has only just dawned on me. ummm!